byJohn Schmeelk,Dan Salomone&Matt Citak
The Giants.com crew is presented with four statements and must decide whether they are Fact or Fiction.
The biggest development of spring practices was the trio of veteran receivers joining the team.
John Schmeelk: FictionIt's certainly exciting to see the additions of Juju Smith-Schuster, Braxton Berrios and Odell Beckham Jr., but I still don't know how much they are going to play when the team lines up against the Cowboys on Sept. 13 on Sunday Night Football. I do know all the additions at defensive tackle, especially DJ Reader, will play a role on this team, not to mention players like Shelby Harris and Leki Fotu. These additions became even more pressing with the injury to Roy Robertson-Harris. The Giants will need their defensive tackles to play well to stop the run and let loose their aggressive pass rush and creative schemes in the secondary.
Dan Salomone: FictionThe first and second topics are tied together for me. They're both about kicker, which has been a carousel for the Giants in recent years. One of the best things about having a distinguished coach like John Harbaugh is his clarity. He stated clearly that there was going to be a three-way kicker competition between veteran Jason Sanders, Ben Sauls, and undrafted rookie Dominic Zvada from Michigan. Near the end of OTAs, it became a two-way race after Sanders, a former All-Pro, was released. Zvada took advantage while Sauls has dealt with some misses in practice. Circling back to the point about Harbaugh, he was honest with what he has seen.
"I was talking to Ben out there," Harbaugh said after the final minicamp practice. "I feel like this is preparation for training camp, which is where the competition will really heat up. The good thing about that is with Ben's misses they've all been left, if you've noticed. They've all been pushed left. It's the same exact miss every time. That's a good problem to have. He knows the problem with it from a technique standpoint. He's just got to lock in and fix it. He'll do that. I'm confident in it."
Matt Citak: FactThe wide receivers created the most headlines over the few weeks of spring practices as the Giants added three new targets for Jaxson Dart. At the very least, they provide the second-year quarterback with some reliable veterans to work with and learn from over the next few months. The injury to Gunner Olszewski is also connected to these additions, which is why this was the biggest development of the spring. Olszewski going down opened a hole on special teams, as the Giants must now figure out who will be returning punts and kickoffs this season.
Kicker will be the most intriguing competition at training camp.
John Schmeelk: FactI almost went with kicker for the first statement. Dominic Zvada really settled in nicely at the end of spring practice and began to consistently make his kicks in every practice. He also flashed his big leg from 50+ yards. Ben Sauls will have his work cut out for him given Zvada's leg strength. If Zvada can remain consistent, his big leg could end up becoming a big weapon for the Giants where they can start considering field goals around midfield. The most important thing is to see both kickers make the ones they are supposed to make consistently.
Dan Salomone: FactSee my answer above. On top of that, you have to remember that Harbaugh made a name for himself in the NFL as a special teams coordinator. He has been hands-on with the details in that phase of the game, whether it's coaching up the gunners or showing the proper way to get a tight seal on protecting punts and field goals.
Matt Citak: FictionZvada vs. Sauls will certainly be an interesting competition to keep an eye on during training camp. But I still have to go with the battle for CB2 as the most intriguing. Paulson Adebo has looked more like his old self throughout the spring, but who will start opposite him is still up in the air. Greg Newsome II, Colton Hood, and Deonte Banks all had their moments during OTAs and minicamp. It remains to be seen if one guy can separate himself from the others once the team heads to West Virginia and the pads come on, which signals the start of contact being permitted at practice.
The secondary was the most impressive position group of the spring.
John Schmeelk: FactDefensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, at his core, is a defensive backs coach. Along with passing game coordinator Donald D'Alesio and defensive backs coach Addison Lynch, the secondary has been all over the field this spring. They have not let many wide receivers get behind them. They are closing quickly on passes caught in front of them. The ball production, however, trumps it all. The defensive backs have picked off a lot of passes. They did a great job jumping into the passing lanes and taking the ball away. Given the lack of interceptions the last few years, it has been a welcome change. It is also important to keep in mind they are doing all this without being allowed to jam at the line of scrimmage.
Dan Salomone: FictionYou can't help but notice the souped-up linebacker corps and think about what it will mean for the entire defense once the regular season starts. Brian Burns has seen a lot of football and had lofty praise for Tremaine Edmunds and rookie Arvell Reese. "Man, they look like I don't know," the stumped three-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker said after Day 1 of minicamp. "I've never seen a linebacker duo like that, just off first glance."
Matt Citak: FictionThe secondary did have a strong performance this spring, which should come as no surprise given Dennard Wilson's experience coaching that position group. But it's been the play of the linebackers, led by Tremaine Edmunds and Arvell Reese, that has left me the most impressed. The Giants transformed their linebacker corps this offseason by bringing in these two massive, lengthy, athletic linebackers to man the middle of the defense, and from what we've seen thus far, it looks like it could have a significant impact on the entire defense. Both linebackers have shown great coverage skills in addition to their abilities to not only rush the passer, but also get to the ball quickly. Micah McFadden and some of the other linebackers have also played well this spring, but the two starters have really stood out the last few weeks.
The most impressive individual was rookie linebacker Arvell Reese.
John Schmeelk: FactYou just can't undersell how impressive Reese's physical gifts are. It's spring practice with no hitting, so I have to point out that it is extremely difficult to judge linebacker play. But the burst that Reese plays with, whether attacking the interior of the offensive line, or exploding around the edge is impossible to miss. His size stands out at inside linebacker, along with Tremaine Edmunds. I can only imagine how much power that will translate to once the pads come on. When you have a No. 5 pick, you want the player you draft to look different on the field and be easy to identify. Reese has certainly checked that box in the spring.
Dan Salomone: FactNo disagreement from this Buckeye. It took a while to get some more Ohio natives to East Rutherford. First, it was Harbaugh. Then, it was Reese out of Glenville. The rookie is especially impressive in picking up screens or spying mobile quarterbacks, of which he will see plenty this season.
Matt Citak: FactAs I noted above, Reese really had himself a great spring. The rookie linebacker was all over the field on a daily basis. One day he ran step for step in coverage with a running back on a wheel route to force an incompletion; the next day he was coming off the edge for an easy sack. Reese has recognized a screen play on numerous occasions, as he ran to the running back for a would be tackle for loss as soon as the catch was made. He's shown off his speed, quickness, high football IQ and just about everything else that made him a top pick in this year's draft. It's going to be exciting watching him out there once the pads come on next month.
