Jerry Reese's Free Pass Is Running Out

Despite a train wreck of an offseason, some media and fans are cutting New York Giants GM Jerry Reese some slack. Many insist that since the leader of Big Blue’s front office was at the helm just three years ago when the Giants won the Super Bowl, one sloppy summer isn’t justification for crucifixion.

While it’s true that Reese was presiding over the organization at the time of Super Bowl XLII, it’s not fair to give him all the credit for the team’s victory over the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

Reese succeeded long-time GM Ernie Accorsi - who retired after nine years in the position - just 13 months before the Super Bowl. He began working with the organization in 1994 and had served as director of player personnel for the previous four seasons, but Reese only became the true head-man of the front office in January 2007.

In his first offseason as the man solely responsible for transactions Reese drafted Aaron Ross, Steve Smith, Jay Alford, Zak DeOssie, Kevin Boss, Adam Koets, Michael Johnson and Ahmad Bradshaw, signed Kawika Mitchell and traded for Reuben Droughns and Lawrence Tynes. Reese also added Madison Hedgecock and Domenik Hixon during the season.

But Accorsi was the man responsible for constructing a far greater portion of the Super Bowl roster including Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Jeremy Shockey, David Diehl, Shaun O’Hara, Kareem McKenzie, Chris Snee, Rich Seubert, Antonio Pierce, Gibril Wilson, Sam Madison, Justin Tuck, Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Matthias Kiwanuka, Fred Robbins, Barry Cofield, Corey Webster and Jeff Feagles.

As Director of Player Personnel Reese undoubtedly played a pivotal role in acquiring several of the team’s impact players at the draft including Manning, Umenyiora, Diehl, Snee, Wilson, Tuck, Jacobs, Kiwanuka, Webster and Cofield, but he should hardly be considered the sole architect of the title squad. Instead, Reese was a tremendous college scout and guiding hand that provided the finishing touches for an emerging team that bust through for a surprising victory.

Since the Super Bowl Reese’s work has yielded mixed results. In his four years at the helm, the Giants have a 40-24 record, a Super Bowl title, an NFC East title and no sub-.500 seasons. But the franchise hasn’t won a playoff game since Reese’s first season as general manager and it has experienced more than a few embarrassments both on the field and off it.

In the last three years Reese has added considerable talent at the draft in Kenny Phillips, Mario Manningham, Terrell Thomas, Hakeem Nicks, Will Beatty and Jason Pierre-Paul, but he’s also overpaid players like Michael Boley, Chris Canty, Rocky Bernard and Antrel Rolle and added mediocre stopgap solutions like Danny Clark, John Carney, David Carr, Deon Grant and Keith Bulluck.

Reese has bid adieu to many participants from the Super Bowl squad, ignored glaring holes on the roster, repeatedly antagonized one of the team’s biggest stars (Umenyiora), and his poor salary cap management resulted in the departures of key contributors Steve Smith and Kevin Boss via free agency in the last month.

Reese did make key contributions to the ’08 championship squad and he has done some good things over the last few years so he shouldn’t necessarily be lambasted for the team’s unsettling dormant summer, but his grace period is nearing expiration.

Only time will tell if Reese’s new penny-pinching ways and commitment to ceding jobs to young players will pay off, but it could easily blow up in his face. If it does, Reese’s get out of jail free card will lose what remaining value it has left.