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The New York Giants signed WR Brandon Marshall to a 2-year, $12 million dollar deal yesterday.
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The New York Giants have vaulted their already impressive receiving corps to new heights with the signing of ex-Jet WR Brandon Marshall. Big Blue signed Marshall to a 2-year, $12 million dollar deal yesterday, that does more than replace diminished slot receiver Victor Cruz. The trio of WR Odell Beckham Jr., Marshall and second-year stud Sterling Shepard, will surely be one of, if not the most explosive unit in the NFL. Giants' QB Eli Manning will have no shortage of options in the passing game, but it will come down to players' execution and second-year Head Coach Ben McAdoo's play calling that will determine the level of success of the Giants' offense. Despite not having a poor statistical season, Manning and the Giants' passing attack was not nearly as explosive as it was in the previous two seasons when McAdoo was the offensive coordinator. Manning was allowed to stretch the field much more, and hit big plays through the air down the field. In 2016, the Giants ran much more of a controlled, short passing game, which in turn did not lead to many big plays or points. Beckham Jr. was 6th in the NFL in Yards After Catch (YAC) with 524, which means the majority of his (and the Giants) big plays through the air were short completions with Beckham's speed and athleticism taking over thereafter. The Giants' offense was not very successful in many facets, but the lack of a running game hurt their ability to take shots down the field. The Giants averaged 88.2 rushing yards per game in 2016 (ranked 29th in the NFL), and substituted short passing combinations for their lack of a running attack. This, in turn, became the norm for their offensive possessions, and were forced into many third and long situations. Adding a receiver of the caliber of Marshall, who has compiled eight 1,000+ yard seasons, along with four 10+ touchdown seasons, should allow McAdoo more freedom in his play calling. Marshall and Beckham Jr. will arguably be the top WR duo in the NFL, but if Big Blue cannot establish some semblance of a running game, it will be very tough for them to greatly improve upon their offensive output in 2016. RB Paul Perkins showed some nice speed and versatility late in the season, but without the presence of a true number one option, the Giants will struggle to find a balanced attack as they did last season. Regardless of the outcome, adding a player of Marshall's caliber to an already impressive WR group will definitely make Big Blue something to keep our eyes on all season.
