tae davis

New York Giants News, 8/29 – Giants could pursue veteran linebacker

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Should the New York Giants kick the tires on Malcolm Smith?

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

The Giants are extremely thin at the linebacker position, which is why kicking the tires on recently cut San Francisco 49er Malcolm Smith might not be a bad idea.

The seven-year veteran is preparing to hit the free agency market after a 2018 season plagued with injuries. The Giants could theoretically swoop in and grab him off the market after Saturday’s roster cut deadline.

Smith is a productive linebacker in the tackles category, breaking the 100 mark (combined) twice in the last three years. As a middle linebacker in 2015, he recorded four sacks, which shows he can be used in a diverse manner and close to the line of scrimmage.

Given that’s quite some time ago, it’s fair to say he has lost a step or two. Injuries have also surely taken their toll, but he can be a capable defender given the opportunity. The Giants currently house Alec Ogletree, rookie Ryan Connelly, and the potential cut-candidate, BJ Goodson. Tae Davis is also sprinkled in there as a “Money-Backer,” a term coined by defensive coordinator, James Bettcher.

Adding a quality linebacker with experience could be a boost to the unit’s productivity in 2019; however, it all comes down to his price-tag.

Nonetheless–

Your top news of the day!

Paul Schwartz (NY POST) – Cowboys are fearing the worst watching Giants’ Daniel Jones

Ed Valentine (Big Blue View) – What should the Giants do with Sam Beal?

John Fennelly (Giants Wire) – Corey Ballentine’s gunshot wound was ‘worse than what people thought’

Jordan Raanan (ESPN) – Giants’ 53-man roster projection includes Rod Smith, Kyle Lauletta

Alexander Wilson (Empire Sports Media) – New York Giants: Surprise undrafted defender could replace BJ Goodson

New York Giants: The top 3 takeaways from the first preseason game

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones, Bennie Fowler

The New York Giants enjoyed their first preseason game against the Jets on Thursday night. They walked away with a victory and showed their resiliency after a first possession touchdown on the back of Sam Darnold.

While the Jets second-year quarterback looked solid in his first action of the season, the real story is New York Giants rookie passer, Daniel Jones.

The top three takeaways for the New York Giants:

1.) Daniel Jones shines

After Eli Manning started the preseason with a three and out and missing a wide-open right Rhett Ellison on a play-action bootleg, Jones stepped in and stole the show.

Playing for just one drive, Jones completed 5-of-5 passes for 67 yards and one touchdown. He moved downfield smoothly, finishing the drive with a beautiful pass in the back of the endzone to Bennie Fowler.

There were concerns in regards to Jones coming out of the pre-draft screening process that his arm strength wasn’t up to par. However, he has shown great zip on the ball in small sample size and is giving us hope for the future. While the first drive was against mostly Jets second-stringers, it is suitable for him to start on a high note with an elevated sense of confidence.

2.) Tae Davis is a tackling machine

Some might call Tae Davis a linebacker, but defensive coordinator James Bettcher calls him the “money-backer.”

Davis was all over the field on Thursday night, recording four tackles and an assist in the first quarter. His speed and athleticism were on display, and he played well in coverage, stopping Jamison Crowder early on in the first possession on a crossing route.

He will be used in a dynamic fashion. The plan is to have him cover receivers on short crossing routes and running back’s coming out of the backfield.

3.)  Russell Shepard to the house

Russell Shepherd belongs on the New York Giants after a successful debut in the preseason against the Jets. Shepherd took an inside slant route to the house, breaking a tackle on initial contact and using his speed to beat the free safety. He finished the night with two receptions for 58 yards and a score.

It is clear that he belongs on the active roster and stands out amongst the backups. He can be a viable deep threat and middle slant option. However, it was interesting to see him in the slot, where Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate will be the frequent flyers.

New York Giants linebacker could steal playing time from BJ Goodson

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New York Giants linebacker, Tae Davis.

The New York Giants don’t have the most versatile and exciting linebacker corps, but they have the appropriate players to help succeed to a degree.

With Alec Ogletree and BJ Goodson acting as the expected starting linebackers, it minimizes the opportunity for other options, however, Tae Davis, second-year defender out of Tennessee, could steal playing time from Goodson.

Davis, who’s a solid cover backer, is better suited in passing packages where he can pick up tight ends and running backs coming out of the backfield. In fact, it’s possible he even fills in or rotates with Ogletree in specific scenarios. I believe, though, he will replace Goodson given Alec’s five interceptions in 2018.

Last season, defensive coordinator James Bettcher played Davis more on third downs. The undrafted rookie played in 14 games last season, starting in four. He tallied 33 combined tackles, 2.0 sacks, and four quarterback hits. I anticipate his numbers will take a jump in 2019 due to his developing skill-set.

Tae’s influence could be significant given his proficiency against tight ends. Landon Collins and Ogletree were often designated the assignment of locking down TEs last season, and the Giants ranked near the bottom of the league in defending them. Finding a solution for that problem was a priority this offseason, and Davis could certainly be it.

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How can the New York Giants make the most of Davis’ abilities?

Alec Ogletree is better suited playing closer to the line of scrimmage and stopping the run. With that being said, it promotes the usage of Davis more frequently, allowing Ogletree to spy on the quarterback while his counter-part drops back into coverage. Having Alec play in coverage wasn’t ideal last season, as he often found himself playing out of position. His numbers tell a different story, but he struggled nonetheless.

Locking down the tight end position will contain opposing offenses in a way the Giants haven’t experienced in quite some time. If David can reach his potential, the defense could be in a good shape heading into 2019.

Should the New York Giants take a flier on LB Rolando McClain?

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Should the New York Giants take a flier on Rolando McClain?

Will the New York Giants consider looking into linebacker Rolando McClain if he is reinstated?

After being suspended indefinitely in 2015 for repeated drug offenses, former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain was unable to return to the football field. Four years later and one important hip surgery later, he’s attempting to make an improbable return.

The Alabama star linebacker had massive expectation entering the league but failed to live up to them with the Oakland Raiders, being cut after just three seasons. In Dallas, he had flashes of quality, racking up over 80 combined tackles in two consecutive seasons with 18 total tackles for a loss over that span.

The Giants have Alec Ogletree, BJ Goodson, and Tae Davis at the position, none of which are consistent players in the middle of the defense. Testing out McClain on a veteran minimum theoretically couldn’t hurt. Even bringing him in for training camp doesn’t spell trouble.

However, his past issues could be a deterrence for general manager Dave Gettleman who’s trying to piece together a high-class organization after years of mayhem.

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McClain, who’s turning 30 years old over the weekend, commented on his potential return, according to the NFL:

“Every time I got in my linebacker position, it was bone-on-bone grind,” McClain said. “Not only do I feel good, I’m recovered and I’m rested. I feel better now because I know I’ll be playing with two legs.”

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While getting reinstated is the primary obstacle the former defender faces, the more challenging problem could be finding a team to give him a chance at a comeback. I don’t see the harm in bringing him in and throwing him into the mix during training camp or pre-season, but then again, finding a younger rookie with potential could be a better usage of playing time and developmental assets.

I see the Giants ultimately taking the latter route.

 

New York Giants: BJ Goodson could lose snaps to Tae Davis

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New York Giants linebacker, B.J. Goodson.

The progression of the linebacker position for the New York Giants has been interesting to witness over the past couple of seasons. Trading for Alec Ogletree, a generally overrated player to be the MIC linebacker and command the defense was a sign of desperation.

While Ogletree did record five interceptions last season, he missed a ton of tackles and was bad in coverage. In addition, BJ Goodson, who showed promise early on in his career, has struggled with injuries at times or hasn’t left a mark big enough to justify a starting position.

With that being said, Goodson could lose reps to Tae Davis, a second-year player looking to take his game to the next level. Davis is a quality linebacker in coverage, which will see defensive coordinator James Bettcher utilize him more on third-down over Goodson.

The New York Giants might have found their solution in coverage:

His impact could be significant, as limiting tight end production has been a struggle for Big Blue in recent years. Tae, in fact, has been used in dual linebacker blitzes during minicamp, which could actually indicate and even great role than expected.

In just four starts last season, Davis racked up 33 combined tackles, two sacks, and one pass defended. As an undrafted rookie, his production wasn’t bad, and it should skyrocket in 2019.

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Playing Tae alongside Alec Ogletree would allow Bettcher to utilize the MIC linebacker to blitz more and play closer to the line of scrimmage. Goodson, who isn’t refined in coverage, forced Ogletree to drop back which generally didn’t pan out. Having a linebacker that can follow running backs out of the backfield and lock of tight ends will promote a different style of defense and might even extract more value out of Ogletree.

Check out this clip – you can see Davis read the receiver’s route and athletically make the play resulting in an incompletion. I expect him to see more playing time, if not overtaking Goodson for the second starting job.

New York Giants: A linebacker position war could be forming

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New York Giants linebacker, B.J. Goodson.

The New York Giants drafted Wisconsin linebacker Ryan Connelly in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, an instinctual player that has the ability to shoot gaps and stop runners in the backfield. Considering he’s a late draft selection, there’s not much to justify him earning a starting role immediately.

Veteran linebacker BJ Goodson has been the player of choice for the Giants in recent seasons, given his tackling efficiency and run-stopping prowess. However, he’s not much of a force in the passing game as his coverage skills are below average. Connelly is an above average LB in coverage and can stop the run at an average level.

Whether his skill-set makes the transition to the NFL is yet to be seen, but he certainly has the tangible qualities to adapt with a bit of development.

The New York Giants could see a position battle between the two:

This summer will be full of position battles, one of which could emerge between Goodson and Connelly. There’s a clear favorite here, but Goodson’s injury history has derailed his career at times, playing in just 22 of a total 32 games the past two seasons.

Connelly’s health has been solid and consistent, which could present him with an opportunity in 2019. Goodson did play in 15 games last season, but was ineffective for the most part, collecting 61 combined tackles, three QB hits, and four passes defended.

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Compared to Tae Davis, a reserve linebacker for the Giants, his stats look very weak. Davis managed 33 combined tackles in just four starts for Big Blue, adding four QB hits, two sacks, and one pass defended. Davis is also a much better pass-defender, which could provide him with an opportunity to grab the starting job.

This position battle could end up being a three-player war between Goodson, Connelly, and Davis. I imagine all will play in some fashion regardless, whether it be in specific packages or on special teams.

New York Giants might have a darkhorse linebacker in Tae Davis

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New York Giants linebacker, Tae Davis.

The assumed starters at linebacker for the New York Giants are Alec Ogletree and B.J. Goodson, however, reserve option Tae Davis earned reps with the first team during OTAs on Friday.

Davis put on a show in the starting role, although he will likely only feature in specific packages. He broke up a pass intended for tight end Rhett Ellison during the two-minute drill and snagged an interception on a pass towards the middle, according to Giants.com. His solid day earned him some points from the coaching staff as they evaluate the players on the roster and help players like Davis reach their potential.

The undrafted free agent from 2018 played in 14 games with four starts last season. He tallied 32 total tackles with two sacks and four quarterback hits. His numbers look solid from afar, especially for an alternate option. If he takes on a bigger role in 2019 he could prove to be a darkhorse player for the Giants.

How would the New York Giants use Tae Davis?

Essentially, Davis would play alongside Ogletree in the middle of the field with the latter handling MIC duties. One of the more positive attributes that Davis possesses is his ability in coverage. He’s able to cover tight ends and play out in the flat against running backs. That’s where he makes a difference, as he’s not a refined run stopper like Goodson.

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That indicates his play in specific pass-coverage packages. I would like to see defensive coordinator James Bettcher utilize both Davis and Goodson throughout games to extract value at the appropriate times.

With a year of experience under his belt, Davis will likely have the next-man-up role over rookie linebacker, Ryan Connelly. The Wisconsin product has fantastic instincts, but he will likely require a bit of development before he can overtake Davis for the job. In fact, I can imagine Connelly becoming an every-down linebacker over Goodson and Davis in the future. Here’s some more info on Connelly!