I like what the New York Giants have done so far this offseason. They signed Brandon Marshall, which was the big-name move; a long-time No. 1 wideout who in New York will slot in as the No. 2 and isn't making much more than a lot of lesser receivers signed for recently. And I also think they're trying to strengthen the blocking up front.
New York had a pretty terrible offensive line last year, which doesn't show up in every statistic. Only two teams, for example, gave up fewer sacks than the Giants, and only three allowed fewer quarterback hits.
But a lot of that is Eli Manning, who gets rid of the ball quickly to avoid such mishaps. At times to a fault; watch the tape of New York's regular-season loss to the Packers and you'll see a quarterback throwing it away (even into the ground) repeatedly to avoid getting sacked. Frequently Manning just wasn't comfortable back there, and it limited the entire offense.
The line's weaknesses were also apparent in the team's ground game. New York averaged just 3.5 yards per rushing attempt, better than only the Vikings and Rams.
So the other signings New York has made recently, lower profile than Marshall, could help in that regard. They added D.J. Fluker from the Chargers, and tight end Rhett Ellison from the Vikings. Fluker can play guard and tackle. Ellison has to be a better blocker than what the Giants got from Larry Donnell and Will Tye last year.
Yesterday, New York re-upped with right guard John Jerry.
None of these are big moves; none is certain to make the blocking better. But it gives the team a couple of options, and at least indicates they'll be looking to strengthen that area. It could/should be an area they explore in the draft, and early.
--Andy Richardson