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Friday, May 29, 2020 10:00 AM
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The Giants' most underrated offseason addition is RB Dion Lewis.
Schmeelk: Fiction -- I'm not sure how Dion Lewis is going
to be used this year. Saquon Barkley is such a weapon on third down as a
receiver, I can't imagine he will be taken off the field on those plays. Does
that mean Lewis will be a first and second down runner? Will he beat out Wayne
Gallman for that role?
Given those questions, I think Darnay Holmes is the most
underrated addition. If he plays to his potential and cleans up some of his
technique issues from college, he has the chance to be a starter Week One at
nickel cornerback. No one else has much of a track record playing that position
in the NFL. It is a vital position with so many teams putting their best
receivers in the slot to take care of the middle of the field. Much like Julian
Love last season, I think the Giants' fourth round pick might be one of the
best values in the draft class.
Salomone: Fact -- The start of free agency seems like
a lifetime ago, but you can't forget about the veteran running back. Originally
a fifth-round selection by the Eagles in 2011, Lewis has played in 86 regular-season
games with 27 starts for Philadelphia (2011-12), New England (2015-17) and
Tennessee (2018-19). His career numbers include 538 rushes for 2,310 yards and
11 touchdowns, and 172 receptions for 1,281 yards and seven scores. He has
averaged 22.9 yards on 57 career kickoff returns, including a 103-yard
touchdown with the Patriots in 2017, when Joe Judge was the special teams
coordinator.
His familiarity with Judge's culture isn't the main reason the
Giants signed him. They think he can produce at a high level. Judge has made it
clear he doesn't like the idea of signing veterans just to bring along the
younger players; that's the job of coaches. At 5-foot-8 and 195 pounds, he adds
another element to the backfield to take some of the load off Barkley. While
we're on the subject of underrated signings, don't overlook Colt McCoy. He has
coaching aspirations, and he is going to be an asset in the quarterbacks room.
Medow: Fiction -- Dion Lewis will add depth to the
backfield, but Saquon Barkley is still the workhorse. It remains to be seen how
many opportunities Lewis receives each game. Case in point, Ezekiel Elliott is
the Cowboys' main back and in 2019, he had 301 carries. The next closest
player was Tony Pollard at 86. Barkley is clearly the most dangerous
weapon, and just as he did with Elliott, I believe Jason Garrett will look for
every opportunity to keep Barkley on the field. That's why I'm going with Nate Ebner. The
Giants lost a valuable piece to their special teams unit, and a captain of the
team, in Michael Thomas, who joined the Texans in free agency. That is a loss
that should not be overlooked. Ebner's strength is special teams and he has
familiarity with Joe Judge after spending the last eight seasons together in
New England. Ebner's presence in the locker room and contributions on special
teams will be an asset that doesn't always show up in the box score.
