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New York Giants: Dave Gettleman Looking Smarter by the Week

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New York Giants, Dave Gettleman

New York Giants GM Dave Gettleman was under a lot of fire for his decisions this past offseason. He pulled off multiple trades, one that included sending one of the elite receivers in the game to Cleveland, Odell Beckham Jr. He then drafted Quarterback Daniel Jones with the No. 6 pick, a player who many felt wasn’t even worth a first-round pick. He used a second first-round pick, that he acquired from Cleveland in the Beckham trade, on Defensive Tackle Dexter Lawerence, another pick many called a reach. On top of this, he failed to resign All-Pro Safety Landon Collins to a contract extension. From a distance, it looked as though Gettleman had gotten rid of all the talent the Giants had for nothing. But with the first four weeks of the regular season, perhaps Gettleman made all the right decisions? His choices have looked smarter by the week thus far.

Why Dave Gettleman is Looking Smarter by the Week:

The success of the rookies

When the Giants chose Daniel Jones at No. 6, everyone doubted Gettleman. The media felt not only did he reach for a player, but he chose the wrong QB altogether. Sunday proved he made the right choice. In a matchup between Jones and the No. 15 overall pick, QB Dwayne Haskins, it was evident Jones is already thriving.

While it was Haskins’ first time seeing play-time in the NFL, he looked lost. He completed just 52.9% of his passes for 107 yards and threw three interceptions. Jones, on the other hand, proved his success at Tampa Bay wasn’t a fluke. Through two weeks of the season, Jones has completed 69.0% of his passes for 578 yards and five total scores. He already is a force to be reckoned with.

No. 17 overall pick Dexter Lawerence has shined as well. Through four games, he has applied consistent pressure to the Quarterback and has tallied one sack. He has shown every sign that he is on his way to becoming one of the elite Defensive Tackles in the NFL.

The average play of Odell Beckham Jr. and Landon Collins

Through four games, Beckham Jr. has looked rather underwhelming for Cleveland. Besides one big game against the Jets, Beckham has struggled to find his rhythm with his new team. He has compiled 21 catches for 308 yards and a score thus far. While these numbers certainly aren’t bad, they’re nothing to gloat about. Giants Tight End Evan Engram has recorded more catches, yards, and touchdowns than Beckham on the exact same number of targets (37).

The Washington Redskins made Landon Collins the highest-paid Safety in NFL history. Through the first four games of the season, it looks as though Washington might’ve overpaid for him. He has recorded 36 tackles, good enough for tenth in the league. He is yet to record an interception, sack a QB, or force a fumble, however. Collins’ replacement, Jabrill Peppers, has played excellent thus far. Against Washington on Sunday, he had two passes defended and a pick-six. He was a much cheaper option and has outplayed Collins to this point in the season.

Perhaps Gettleman did indeed make all of the right decisions. The players he brought in have shined, while the players he let leave have underperformed. Respect goes to the Giants GM who looked like a mad-man just a few months ago.

Elijhaa Penny Could Just be the New York Giants Lucky Penny

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This past March the New York Giants re-signed fullback Elijhaa Penny after a stint with the team last year.  He had a season total of eight receptions for 50 receiving yards and seven carries for 25 rushing yards.  Penny was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Arizona Cardinals.  He had quite the 2017 season here as he had two rushing touchdowns and four receptions for 38 yards.

Penny has always proved his athleticism. At Norwalk High School, Penny had a total of 1,338 yards for 20 touchdowns in just a single season!  This earned him very well-deserved accolades.

In his college career as a running back, playing for the Idaho Vandals, he totaled 1,748 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns and 346 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns, setting school records in his first season for most rushing touchdowns by a Vandal.  Penny also is a great contributor on special teams.

Penny is a very versatile player who shows great potential due to his drive and determination.  In Sunday’s game against Washington,  Penny had 3 carries for 12 yards.  Being so adept at many positions, Penny can most certainly be a bright star in the New York Giants rushing game, along with Wayne Gallman and Jonathan Hilliman.

Athleticism is in his genes.  Penny’s younger brother Rashaad is a running back for the Seattle Seahawks, while youngest brother Brionne just started for the San Diego State University Football Team.  Another thing they share is their love for giving back.  Together, as part of their 2twocentsfamilyfoundation, the Penny brothers host a youth football camp for kids in elementary school to high school teaching them skills for football and fitness in general.  They have also done a backpack drive for those less fortunate and have hosted a Celebrity Basketball game as part of a backpack drive and book drive.

Penny is truly a great player and an even better guy!  He shows a lot of heart and skill in each and every endeavor he takes on. No matter what he faces, he is grateful for the opportunity and chooses to see it as a blessing and something positive.   In his own words, “it’s never bad!”

Brooklyn Nets Bring Lance Thomas Home

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The off-season slowly comes to an end along with summer and Brooklyn Nets Basketball is around the corner. September 27th brought news of the Nets signing a Brooklyn born player and bringing him into the fold. No not that guy, but Lance Thomas.

Many of you will know Lance Thomas from his for the last four and a half seasons he’s spent with that other team in New York. His time with the Knicks was by far the most he’s had with any team thus far in the league. The terms of the contract haven’t been released as of yet, but here’s what the Nets newcomer brings to the team.

Sean Marks and the Brooklyn Nets love players who are true professionals. That cannot be argued with Lance. Marks can sleep relatively easy and not worry about any issues with him as his 8 years in the league have are pretty much spotless. He will be someone the younger plays can lean on for wisdom and mentorship like much of the roster. Another mature player in the locker room will be a great help.

Lance Thomas also brings the Nets another trustworthy shooter from 3. Coming into the league Lance wasn’t much of a shooter from beyond, but since coming to New York State, he’s shot a terrific percentage. Out of the four and a half (let’s just say five) seasons with the Knicks, Lance shot 40% or more three times. One of those times he shot a tick under 45% (.447%). He’s coming off a season shooting below 30%, but nothing was going well for the Knicks last season.

At 6’8″, 240lbs, Lance Thomas can play the small forward and power forward position. With Wilson Chandler out for a big chunk of the season and the question marks around Rodions Kurucs, Lance Thomas fills a position of need for the Nets.

Now, this signing isn’t exactly what Nets fans asked for, but it was something. I’m sure there were critics who were not fond of another ex-knickerbocker coming into the Nets fold, but there was no real push back. What did not go well with the fans out in Brooklyn, was how much Lance Thomas seemed to gush about his former team. Now I get as a native New Yorker, growing up there was only the Knicks. I get him being a fan of the team due to that. No one was asking him to trash his former team now that he’s a member of the Nets. And even some of his compliments of Knicks management can be excused. I love players candor, but you have to be careful. Him saying “I’ll always be a Knicks fan” might not be something you say on Nets media day. Maybe saying how much you wanted to be brought back vs how much you wanted to come to Brooklyn isn’t the first impression you want to leave with the fans.

But as the former captain of the Knicks for the last few seasons, Lance Thomas has the ability to win people over. Let’s hope he can do so in Brooklyn and he does his best to contribute and help bring New York it’s a first chip for either organization since the 70s.

New York Yankees: Should the Yankees be concerned about Voit’s drought?

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New York Yankees, Luke Voit

The New York Yankees will begin their postseason campaign on Friday and there’s still a ton of questions in terms of roster decisions. Luke Voit – who had been believed to be undoubtedly on the roster – has questions surrounding his play now.

Every since he was on the injured list in August, Voit batted .194 in the month of September. He’s 14 of his last 72 at-bats and is one for his last 32. To give Voit credit, there was a stretch during those at-bats where he seemed to just hit the ball right at someone every time.

Up until this drought, Voit was believed to be undoubtedly on the postseason roster. Due to this long slump, there are some questions if maybe he shouldn’t.

These thoughts are absolutely absurd.

This is a guy who came into last season new to the Bronx and went on a tear where he hit ten home runs in September with 22 runs batted in. Not to forget that this season Luke Voit had a 42-game on-base streak.

Not only is Voit capable of going on offensive tears, but he’s also a guy that the team likes to have around in the clubhouse regardless if he’s in the game or not.

“He’s been great,” said manager Aaron Boone. “He’s been a really really good player for us. The on-base, the tough at-bats… he makes it very difficult for the pitchers.”

It’s baseball, slumps are going to happen. Voit will most likely take this week and figure it out in the cage and in simulated games. This break should be good for him as it seems part of this drought could be a mental thing.

Besides Voit at first base, the Yankees will carry veteran Edwin Encarnacion as the second first-basemen. Mike Ford will most likely be left off the roster as there’s no reason to be carrying three first basemen.

New York Jets: Sam Darnold gets cleared to throw, timetable still unclear

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New York Jets, Sam Darnold

The New York Jets’ beginning to their season has been a nightmare. Winless and without their starting quarterback, the Jets are clinging onto the little bit of good news on Sam Darnold that came out.

Diagnosed with mononucleosis, there was a concern that Darnold would miss a big chunk of the season. Fortunately, it seems like his time off is serving him well as he received partial clearance to begin throwing and do non-contact work.

There was a little spark of hope that the 22-year-old QB would be available to play this Sunday against the Eagles, but coach Adam Gase said today that it’s “questionable” that he returns this weekend.

“(The test results were) not the clear-cut answer we were hoping for,” said Gase. “There’s just a lot of gray area right now.”

The Jets will most likely have to start their former practice-squad quarterback Luke Falk for the second consecutive week. Trevor Siemian was originally the backup quarterback until he suffered an ankle injury that will cause him to miss the rest of the year.

In his one game this season against the Buffalo Bills, Darnold went 28-41 throwing for 175 yards with one touchdown.

“We have to see how practice goes, we have to see how he feels, we have to see what his conditioning level is,” said Gase. “There are a lot of boxes we have to check before we can say, ‘Hey, we’re rolling on Sunday.”

The New York Jets shouldn’t rush Darnold back, however. There’s no need to rush him back from a serious illness that could potentially only cause more harm to him and the team.

Should the New York Yankees let Brett Gardner walk next year?

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New York Yankees, Brett Gardner

Brett Gardner has spent his entire career so far playing in the Bronx for the New York Yankees. In his 12 years wearing pinstripes, Gardner was apart of the magical 2009 World Series team and was an All-Star in 2016.

The 36-year-old signed a 1 year / $7,500,000 contract with the Yankees where he’ll be eligible for free agency for the 2020 season.

After having a career-high 28 home run season while batting .252, Gardner will most likely find himself back in pinstripes for another year.

Gardner sure definitely wants to. “I would love to come back next year, I’ve always been very honest about not wanting to play anywhere else.”

The only concern regarding Gardner’s role is that with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Aaron Hicks all being healthy, Gardner will not have an everyday role. He found himself in 140 games this season because all three of those star outfielders have been out for significant amounts of time due to injury.

Yankee fans would definitely like to see their veteran center fielder back for another year. He’s everything a team could want – hardworking, a leader, and selfless. He hustles all the time and never slacks off.

“I’m focused on my stuff on the field, and I’ll let all that other stuff take care of itself when the time is right,” Gardner said. “I’m focusing on the team and I’m not really concerned about my contract right now.”

The Yankees would most likely only sign him to a one or two year deal because of his age and because they already have those the “big three” (Judge, Hicks, and Stanton) in the outfield.

“I’m definitely very grateful for the time that I’ve had here,” Gardner said. “It’s been a really good run and we’ll see what happens next year…I’ll worry about it when the season is over. But I do want to come back next year.”

New York Yankees: Gio Urshela endures a mild sprain

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New York Yankees, Gio Urshela

When’s the last series the New York Yankees didn’t have an injury scare?

Gio Urshela gave the Yankees yet another scare Sunday against the Texas Rangers when he limped off the field during the fourth inning attempting to field a groundball. He was removed from the game following the incident.

The Yankees announced that he suffered a “mild ankle sprain.” Tyler Wade took Urshela’s spot following his removal.

Fortunately, Urshela said after the game that he’s gonna be okay.

“Feeling good,” said Urshela. “Just a little backstep… but it feels really good.” He added, “I don’t think an MRI is necessary, I think just ice (will do).”

The Yankees begin their 2019 postseason campaign against the Minnesota Twins on Friday, which is why the Yankees had so much concern. However, Urshela doesn’t have any concern about an absence. “Yeah for sure, I’ll be ready.”

Urshela has been what most fans believe as the “surprise player of the year.” Originally in the minor leagues working things out, he’s been a consistent threat offensively for the Yankees.

“He feels like he’s been a starter all year long, but he wasn’t,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “He had to fill in for the injured Miguel Andujar. And, man, he became an integral part of this entire journey.”

Urshela has slashed .315/.356/.535 this season during the regular season with 21 home runs and 74 runs batted in.

“I’m still here,” Urshela said confidently.

The 27-year-old will be a big part of the plan for the postseason as he’s proven himself at the plate. Strong defense is a priority during the playoffs so he’ll find himself with a lot of innings at third.

New York Yankees set to play Twins for ALDS

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New York Yankees, James Paxton

The New York Yankees will begin their postseason run this Friday where they take on the Minnesota Twins in game one of the American League Divison Series.

“They’re a beast,” said manager Aaron Boone. “We know how dangerous they are…and not to just cover all my bases here but I look at everyone that’s in this playoff mix as very real, very scary and capable of beating anyone.”

The Yankees hold a 4-2 record against the Twins this season and have historically always dominated them.

“We understand the history,” said team president Dave St. Peter. “Organizationally, I just say it’s time to slay the dragon, right?”

The last time to two teams matched up in the postseason came during the 2017 Wild Card game when the Yankees beat the Twins 8-4.

The series will definitely be filled with high-scoring games. Both teams have slugged the baseball all year long, where the Yankees are currently at 305 home runs and the Twins have slugged 303 bombs.

“Let’s go. Bring ‘em on,” St. Peter said. “We don’t get to pick who we play. No time like the present to break that curse, so to speak.”

Hal Steinbrenner, son of George Steinbrenner, has other plans. “We’ve got as good a chance as anybody. October is still October, right? Got to stay focused…(There’s) a long way to go, but we’re going in strong.”

It’s believed that James Paxton will be the game one starter for the New York Yankees. Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino are believed to be the apart of that starting rotation for the playoffs.

New York Jets’ Arthur Maulet, From Underdog to Top Dog

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New York Jets

New York Jets cornerback, Arthur Maulet has had a rather arduous road to get to the NFL.  Undrafted he signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2017.  After being released from the New Orleans Saints in 2018, he was claimed by waivers from the Indianapolis Colts, only to be re-signed by the New Orleans Saints practice squad just a few months later.  Finally, in this past January, Maulet signed a reserve/future contract with the New York Jets.

In high school he was also quite the athlete, playing basketball and soccer as well as football.  Maulet was even named to the all-district squad at defensive back.

At the University of Memphis, Maulet recorded a collegiate career total of 111 tackles, 4.5 sacks, four interceptions, and two forced fumbles.  This earned him the Memphis’ DeAngelo Williams Most Valuable Player Award at the end of his senior season as a Memphis Tiger.

Maulet has not let anything get in his way of achieving his dream of playing in the NFL.  No matter what life has thrown at him, he has continued to persevere and work at being the best he could possibly.  He has taken any negativity and adversity and turned it into a learning experience.  He also inspires others to never give up through all of the trials and tribulations this game and life itself have to offer.

Maulet tells those who aspire to reach their goals and dreams that it’s “not all about the glamour and fame, it’s about your hard work and pain, a channel that and it will take you a long way and refuse to be denied with whatever you do”.

Just four days ago, Maulet earned his first career touchdown against rivals, the New England Patriots.  With his attitude and all of the work and grind he puts in, this most certainly will be the first of many.

What sets Maulet apart from the rest is his drive and his character.  Through each and every obstacle and challenge life has presented to him, he handles it with nothing but steadfastness and determination.  Maulet hasn’t let his “underdog” status get the best of him.  He is always so humble, grateful and appreciative of every chance he gets and it shows.  Maulet hustles to provide for his family and those less fortunate without anything in return.  He is thankful for the hard times because they made him who he is today-“#GreedyButHumble!”

 

New York Jets: Neville Hewitt Is Breaking Out

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Before this season even began and injuries bit the team incredibly hard. One injury started it all, that was the injury of Avery Willamson. Avery and C.J. Mosley were going to take the league by storm and become an elite linebacking duo. When Williamson went down for the season it immediately created a void someone would have to attempt to fill. That man surprisingly has become Neville Hewitt.

Background on Neville Hewitt

A former linebacker at Marshall University, Neville Hewitt broke into the league with a chip on his shoulder. That only grew when he went undrafted. Then Hewitt signed with the Miami Dolphins. Hewitt was mostly a rotational guy with some starting minutes for Miami. He wanted to explore other opportunities and he got the opportunity to just did that when he signed with the Jets.

His Career Prior To This Season

In his first season with Miami, he had 32 tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 QB Hit, 1 INT and 3 pass deflections. In his second season, he saw even more playing time and had a great season. He had 57 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 QB Hit, 1.0 Sacks, 1 FR, and 1 Pass Deflection. Then despite his success in his first two seasons, he saw minimal playing time in his 3rd season. Then last season with the Jets he had 39 tackles, 1.5 Sacks, 1 TFL, 4 QB Hits and he started 4 games.

Breaking Out Filling In For Avery Williamson

Now, filling in for Avery Williamson, Neville Hewitt has broken out in a big way. He’s started all 3 games this season and has 18 Tackles, 3 TFLs, 2.0 Sacks, 2 Pass Deflections and an INT. Hewitt has become a leader and a big force this season. Hewitt has become one of the best moves of the old regime and when Mosley returns it may even free him up more. Hewitt has come alive and he still has 13 games to continue to impress.