Big Blue Huddle

https://x.com/alexkatson/status/1751726212437750151?s=20

Check out my Senior Bowl QB thread for a more in-depth breakdown of the QBs.  Otherwise he is 7000 words on the topic by Mike Renner (who is pretty good)

OFFENSE


https://themessenger.com/sports/nfl-draft-senior-bowl-top-prospects-offense-quarterbacks-nix-penix


DEFENSE

https://themessenger.com/sports/nfl-draft-senior-bowl-top-prospects-defense-latu-byron-murphy

At least in the playoffs.  Zay (I know many fans wanted the Giants to draft him) was a key player in keeping the Ravens in the game. Then he got the taunting penalty, followed by the killer fumble, followed by hurting his hand and punching the bench (it seemed like OBJ took over after that).   I can't recall a player going from near the top of his game to utterly losing it all the span of like 10 minutes


https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2024/01/28/zay-flowers-and-the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day/

Quote from: uconnjack8 on January 29, 2024, 10:44:30 AMYesterday featured the 3 top scoring defenses in the NFL.  Baltimore, KC and SF all gave up less than 18 ppg during the season. 

As good as Mahomes is, and KC needed every bit of it, that game was won by the defense giving up 10 points to a team that averaged of 28 PPG. 

I thought Goff and Purdy played reasonably well.  Purdy had a 88.1 QBR, which is extremely high (Mahomes broke 91) and Goff had just under 60 which is pedestrian, but not awful.  I don't think either of those two are top 5 QBs in the NFL, but those teams are not built to rely as heavily on QB play. That's part of why I feel like they played reasonably well.   

It was stunning to me the way Detroit could do no wrong in the 1st half and do no right in the 2nd with SF doing the opposite.  It was reminiscent of the Buffalo Houston 35-3 comeback game in that way.  Detroit ran the ball 21 times for 148 yards and 3 TDs in the 1st half.  They managed just 34 rushing yards in the 2nd half.

I think Dan Campbell's aggressive nature betrayed his team in the second half.  There is a reason why teams who are up by 17 points tend to be a bit more conservative: they don't want to give the other side big chunks of points or momentum.  To me, the turning point of the game was not answering the 49ers FG to open the second half with their own FG (instead, going for it on 4th down).  Had they evened things up, it would have taken a bit of the wind out of the 49ers sails and I don't think they are back in it tied after just 8 minutes have gone by.

I really wanted the Giants to trade down.  The Giants had so many needs and that draft capital haul would have been so much more valuable than Barkley.   

Former NFL GM Rick Spielman breaks down Oregon QB Bo Nix ahead of the 2024 Reese's Senior Bowl and how he can improve his draft stock.

https://www.the33rdteam.com/will-bo-nixs-draft-stock-rise-at-the-senior-bowl/

A million-dollar talent piloted by a ten-cent brain.  Toney is going to be out of the league very soon.

Only Patrick Mahommes impressed me.   The other three left plays on the table, in my opinion.   I appreciate that all 4 teams in the championship games had strong defenses, but it was interesting to see the QB play. 

On a side note, if I hadn't been so lazy, I could have won some coin.  Mahommes was an underdog, and when he was an underdog, he covered the spread 90% of the time.  If I had a draft betting app set up, I would have placed a solid bet on KC (I also had read that the ref in the KC game favored away teams, historically).

Quote from: Philosophers on January 28, 2024, 07:01:01 PMI hope the Giants make up with Kafka and get a big intel dump of all the Senior Bowl players, particularly the QBs.  He should have a great sense of the intangible qualities of those players.

Actually, Kafka is an HC of theShrine Bowl

At the Senior Bowl:

Quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney and assistant special teams coach Mike Adams will be coordinators for the game.

Quote from: Hadron on January 29, 2024, 08:46:57 AMThey've gotta figure something out with the current batch of players. Thomas, JMS, and Neal need to be productive starters.

If Neal doesn't work at RT, push him inside and let him play in the proverbial phone booth. DJ Fluker, Robert Gallery, Ereck Flowers, and many other failed OTs have made a career of it at guard.

Right now, Schoen has invested a ton of draft capital in the offensive line (while inheriting an elite but injury-prone LT) with nothing to show for it.   Hopefully, the new offensive line coach can turn this mess around. Otherwise, Schoen isn't looking much better than Gettleman in terms of fixing the Giant's biggest and most vexing problem lasting around 15 years already.

Quote from: Brooklyn Dave on January 28, 2024, 10:15:48 PMHe wasn't good enough to be an OL on the Giants but he is good enough to be the starting guard on a team going to The Super Bowl. " Something is rotten in the State Of Denmark " !!!

Feliciano finally got out from under Bobby Johnson's coaching.  Notice a difference?

Quote from: EDjohnst1981 on January 29, 2024, 07:26:16 AM@MightyGiants - based on everything you've read, listened to and seen, what would be your course of action if you were GM?

I assume you are talking about QBs.   Currently, there are three that I think could potentially prove to be the answer for the Giants.

There are two QBs who are possible first-round talents that I think could be nice picks for the Giants.  That's Bo Nix and JJ McCarthy.   Both were extremely productive college QBs.   I will be watching Bo Nix closely at the Senior Bowl.  I want to see if he can show quality processing (a bit tricky at the SB, but it's at least some hints).  Unfortunately, we really won't learn much more about McCarthy outside of the Combine and his Pro Day.  6th seems a bit high for both, so perhaps a small trade-down might be tempting, assuming both targets are worth drafting.    I wish we could learn about Nix's S-2 (or whatever they call that speed test) score.    The arm strength demonstrated at the Combine (assuming he throws) for McCarthy will also be interesting.

If both of those proved not to be worth a 6th (or higher first-round), I want to see what Michael Pratt, Tulane, does at the Senior Bowl (along with Milton).  One of these guys could impress to the point where they would be nice round 2 targets.  If they don't shine in the draft process, both could be round 3 options.  Another 3rd rounder, if other plans fall through, is Spenser Rattler.

I simply don't see a trade-up option as possible or even wise, so I don't consider it.  So here are my choices in order (drop to the next one if the one fails)

1)  Hope one of the elite 3 drops to NGY at 6

2)  Bo Nix or McCarthy impress to the point that drafting them at 6 is a good idea

3)  Failing that, perhaps Nix or McCarthy drop low enough in round one that the Giants trade back up to round one to snag one

4)  Pratt or Milton impress to the point that they are a good pick in round 2 (need to sign solid Vet)

5) Pratt or Milton don't impress, and they are a third-round option along with Rattler, and there would be a need to sign a solid veteran backup or potentially trade for a quality backup (I like Taylor, but he is simply too injury-prone, never saw a QB you worry about making it through series rather than games or seasons)

Quote from: Jclayton92 on January 28, 2024, 02:10:26 PMAnyone that says stick with Daniel Jones is going to get maligned and scrutinized 

That says quite a bit

https://x.com/ggabefootball/status/1751681619725795560?s=20

https://x.com/devindoob/status/1751649505005502660?s=46&t=1vcQIN8GqF5J2oLdxEVEJQ