New York Giants 2012 Outlook
The defending Super Bowl Champion New York Giants will have work to do if they expect to return to defend their title next February. One of the most important goals for them will be to get their offensive line in order. Kareem McKenzie is gone so David Diehl is the likely choice to move to right tackle. He was last year’s starting left guard before moving to left tackle when Will Beatty went down with an eye injury that ended his season. Kevin Boothe should have the left guard spot, tough he could be pushed by Mitch Petrus.
Another important spot the Giants need to sure up is middle linebacker. Chase Blackburn is back and will be the starter for the season, unless someone shows better form in training camp. Mark Herzlich, who held the job last season before an ankle injury will push Blackburn, as will Greg Jones and Jonathan Goff. A player to watch out for is Will Hill who is a safety out of Florida who was not drafted. He may just win a spot if he continues to produce.
Martellus Bennett was picked up from Dallas after four seasons. The tight end caught 85 passes in four years playing second string to Jason Witten the all pro. Although his numbers are not big, he catches 70% of the passes thrown to him.
The biggest help the Giants will get is the return of Terrell Thomas at cornerback. He missed most of last season after having 101 tackles and five INTs in 2010.
The Giants surprised the NFL with their Super Bowl run after going 9-7 in the regular season. Most of the pieces that won are back, but that means they could have the same regular season record. They face the league’s toughest record including San Francisco and Green Bay. A 9 to 10 win season, with a possible playoff berth via the wildcard for the defending Super Bowl champions this year.