2010 NFL Awards and Playoff Picks

AFC

Jets over Texans

Patriots over Chargers

Colts over Patriots

Ravens over Jets

Ravens over Colts

NFC

49ers over Giants

Saints over Falcons

Packers over Saints

Cowboys over 49ers

Cowboys over Packers

Super Bowl

Cowboys 27 Ravens 20

MVP: Aaron Rodgers

Offensive POY: Aaron Rodgers

Defensive POY: Patrick Willis

Offensive ROY: Ryan Matthews

Defensive ROY: Rolando McClain

Comeback POY: Brian Urlacher

Coach of the Year: Mike Singletary

NFC Preview

NFC East

1. Dallas Cowboys 12-4

Reasons to hope: Simply put, the Cowboys are loaded from top to bottom. With three good running backs (Felix Jones, Marion Barber III and Tashard Choice) and three very good pass catchers (Jason Witten, Miles Austin and rookie Dez Bryant) Tony Romo could have trouble deciding just which playmaker he wants to give the ball to on each play. Nose tackle Jay Ratliff makes the defense go. He gets such a strong push up front that pass rushers Anthony Spencer and DeMarcus Ware can fly to the quarterback almost untouched at times.

Reasons to mope: The Cowboys do have issues along the offensive line. They’re counting on the unproven Doug Free to play left tackle, and his success, or lack thereof, could be a major factor. The ‘Boys have a ton of weapons, but getting each player enough touches could be challenging. For all the talent Coach Wade Phillips has had, Dallas hasn’t done much damage in the playoffs. This year will make or break his career in Texas.

2. *New York Giants 9-7

Reasons to hope: The Giants made significant additions on the defensive side of the ball in an effort to rectify last year’s biggest problem. Pro Bowl safety Antrel Rolle, linebacker Keith Bulluck, and safety Deon Grant could pay huge dividends, as will the healthy return of Kenny Phillips and a fast start by top draft picks Jason Pierre-Paul and Linval Joseph. Quarterback Eli Manning is steady, if unspectacular, and has an array of weapons at his disposal.

Reasons to mope: The Giants can’t seem to avoid the injury bug in the secondary. There’s really no way of knowing whether the D will be any better. The Giants are aging on the offensive line and the long-time quintet will soon be broken up. Big Blue also must run the ball better, but durability is an issue in the backfield.

3. Philadelphia Eagles 8-8

Reasons to hope: The Eagles are trying to rebuild on the fly, and so far so good. They’ve integrated some very good young talents on both sides of the ball including LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Brent Celek on offense and Ernie Sims and Brandon Graham on defense. Like the top teams in the division, Philadelphia has plenty of talent at the skill positions.

Reasons to mope: While moving on from Donovan McNabb may turn out to be a wise decision in the long run, it’s an undeniable downgrade right now. Kevin Kolb may turn into a star, but this team had playoff aspirations every year McNabb as in Philly and expectations must now be tempered for an inpatient fan base. The Eagles also lack toughness on defense. Coach Andy Reid finds a way to keep his team in the playoff race every year, but with so many young players this season could be challenging.

4. Washington Redskins 8-8

Reasons to hope: A new and improved coaching staff and quarterback should immediately improve Washington. Donovan McNabb is the best QB the Redskins have had in years. New coach Mike Shanahan brings a winning attitude and plenty of experience and could turn this franchise around in a hurry. The Redskins have an extremely stout defense that gets less credit than it deserves because of the futility of the team as a whole.

Reasons to mope: McNabb has had all kinds of trouble staying healthy throughout his career. If he goes down, Washington is right back where it started. The Redskins need a lot out of Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson at running back, but neither has very much to give. Santana Moss is a proven receiver, but he’s the team’s No 1. guy and that’s a problem.

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers 13-3

Reasons to hope: The Packers will have a dynamic offense led by potential MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He has three excellent options in the passing game in veterans Greg Jennings and Donald Driver and the up and coming Jermichael Finley. Running back Ryan Grant enjoyed a very good bounce-back season in 2009. On defense, the Packers have last year’s Defensive Player of the Year, Charles Woodson, in addition to a solid group of veterans and talented youngsters B.J. Raji, A.J. Hawk and Clay Matthews.

Reasons to mope: The Packers are a very popular Super Bowl pick, but they can’t hide from last season’s offensive line woes. Aaron Rodgers is among the league’s most talented signal-callers, but constant pressure can disrupt even the greatest QBs. The North is a two-team race between the Vikings and Packers, and Green Bay will have to beat Minnesota in order to win the division, something the Pack couldn’t do last year.

2. Minnesota Vikings 9-7

Reasons to hope: Adrian Peterson has been unseated by Chris Johnson, but he’s still the second-best back in the league. A strong ground game will go a long way to keeping defenders honest instead of teeing off on Brett Favre. The Vikings have a good offensive line, and arguably the best D line in the league. It’s still next to impossible to run on Minnesota with hulking tackles Pat Williams and Kevin Williams clogging the middle. A good linebacker corps and solid secondary are aided by Jared Allen’s ferocious pass-rushing.

Reasons to mope: Favre came back very late in the summer and his health is always a concern. But Minnesota has more to worry about on offense than just its quarterback; star wide receiver Sidney Rice will miss a huge chunk of the season and second-year pro Percy Harvin is battling migraines. Adrian Peterson’s image has taken a serious hit as his fumbling woes have become a major problem.

3. Chicago Bears 6-10

Reasons to hope: The Bears were looking toward this year before last season was two weeks old, as defensive captain Brian Urlacher was lost to injury. A healthy No. 54 will be far more important to the Bears than the addition of Julius Peppers. Still, Peppers was signed to a massive deal and seems poised for a big year. On offense, the Bears need Matt Forte to carry the load. He can’t be much worse than he was last year.

Reasons to mope: Same story every year. The Bears have stubbornly refused to acquire a legitimate No. 1 receiver, or even a No. 2. Quarterback Jay Cutler is reckless enough on his own; that he doesn’t have good options to throw to just makes it worse. The Bears have a questionable offensive line, so Forte could struggle again.

4. Detroit Lions 6-10

Reasons to hope: The latest Lions rebuild is looking very promising. Rookie running back Jahvid Best is drawing rave reviews and he’ll team up with second-year QB Matt Stafford to form the future of the Detroit offense (which is of course buoyed by superstar receiver Calvin Johnson). On D, the Lions expect big things from rookie DT Ndamukong Suh. They brought in some other nice pieces to help revamp the defense in DT Corey Williams and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch.

Reasons to mope: The Lions have a handful of very good young pieces, but they still have way too many holes. Safety C.C. Brown was awful for the Giants last year and Detroit could use more talent at linebacker. The Lions have a couple playmakers on offense, but could use a bit more talent at the skill positions and along the offensive line.

NFC South

1. New Orleans Saints 11-5

Reasons to hope: The defending Super Bowl champs are returning virtually everyone of importance on the offensive side of the ball. Drew Brees and company should have no trouble lighting up scoreboards again. Look for Pierre Thomas to have a monster year. The defense also looks similar to last season. It isn’t a dominant unit, but it doesn’t have to be because of the explosive offense.

Reasons to mope: Many think the Saints will miss Scott Fujita at linebacker, but the reality is that most of the defense is very average. They aren’t expected to shut down offenses, and that’s OK. Still, it will be tough for the Super Bowl champions to be as good this season when one unit is so much better than the other.

2. *Atlanta Falcons 10-6

Reasons to hope: Running back Michael Turner is healthy, Matt Ryan is poised for a breakout year, and the Falcons have an underrated group of receivers in Roddy White, Michael Jenkins and Tony Gonzalez. Atlanta reminds me a bit of Baltimore, sans the killer front-seven. The offense should really take off this year, and the defense made two very good moves by adding rookie linebacker Sean Witherspoon and cornerback Dunta Robinson. The D still isn’t a dominant unit, but it should be pretty good.

Reasons to mope: Turner’s health is becoming a concern. He has the feel of one of those running backs who could break down rather quickly. The Falcons are a good team, but may lack the real star power and identity to surpass some of the NFC’s powerhouses.

3. Carolina Panthers 9-7

Reasons to hope: Jake Delhomme is gone. It’s tough to say whether Matt Moore will be a good quarterback or whether the Panthers just needed anything but Jake. They still have the two-headed monster of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams at running back and the ever-reliable Steve Smith at wideout, but they said goodbye to many other veterans. Younger is probably going to be better, but the Panthers made a pretty dramatic overhaul and could start a little slow.

Reasons to mope: The revamped roster could pay long-term dividends, but the Panthers may suffer some serious growing pains. Moore may not be a significant enough upgrade. The Panthers defense was dominant in the preseason, but will suffer without Thomas Davis over the course of a 16-game schedule.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-12

Reasons to hope: Second-year quarterback Josh Freeman has shown brief glimpses of his potential. The Buccaneers have a couple decent offensive players in Cadillac Williams and Kellen Winslow Jr. Rookie Gerald McCoy is a star in the making at DT. The Bucs secondary should be pretty good.

Reasons to mope: The Buccaneers are very thin on talent on offense. Their two good players, Williams and Winslow Jr., are extremely injury prone. There’s not much behind them as rookie wide receiver Mike Williams was quite the head case at Syracuse. The defense will be better, but not good enough.

NFC West

1. San Francisco 49ers 12-4

Reasons to hope: The 49ers will literally have to try to not win this awful division. The defense, led by linebacker Patrick Willis, is getting better and better and will be among the league’s best. On offense, Michael Crabtree should be huge in his first full season. Last year proved what tight end Vernon Davis is capable of. Quarterback Alex Smith is a question mark, but with those two receivers and running back Frank Gore, he could quietly have a nice year.

Reasons to mope: Smith seems like he’s finally settling in at QB, but until he puts together a full season the 49ers have to be worried about him. Frank Gore had a very nice season, but the 49ers were hurt by the loss of backup RB Glen Coffee. Gore’s new backup, ex-Eagle Brian Westbrook, was once a game-breaker, but is now a shell of himself. The offensive line could start two talented rookies, but rookies nevertheless.

2. St. Louis Rams 6-10

Reasons to hope: I love what I’m hearing out of St. Louis. Rookie quarterback Sam Bradford seems to have brought in a new positive attitude that is rubbing off on everyone in the organization. A new, talented, and healthy quarterback will give RB Steven Jackson a shot in the arm. On defense the Rams have a few nice young pieces. The keepers are young, but stop-gap acquisitions Fred Robbins and Na’il Diggs are decent players.

Reasons to mope: The Rams may have worse targets for Bradford than the Bears have for Jay Cutler. He has the talent, but without the weapons it will be hard for him to produce (unless the Rams get Vincent Jackson). The Rams have a few good players on D, but are held together at a few spots by shoestrings.

3. Seattle Seahawks 5-11

Reasons to hope: The ‘Hawks have the only quarterback in the division that has enjoyed success at the professional level in Matt Hasselbeck. They also have productive veteran players in Julius Jones and Deion Branch. A lot will ride on RB Justin Forsett and TE John Carlson’s progress. The defense has four good players in Lofa Tatupu, Aaron Curry, Marcus Trufant and Jordan Babineaux. If rookie safety Earl Thomas makes an immediate impact, the D could surprise.

Reasons to mope: The Seahawks front four combined for just 4.5 sacks last season. The back-end is good, but if they can’t get pressure on the quarterback and struggle to stop the run it will be a long season. Seattle had major issues with T.J. Houshmanzadeh, but letting him go makes the wide receiver corps awfully thin. New coach Pete Carroll has not been successful in the NFL. The Seahawks really need to start over.

4. Arizona Cardinals 5-11

Reasons to hope: The Cardinals did make it to the NFC Championship game last year. They lose key guys but there has to be some talent left, right? Larry Fitzgerald is among the game’s best talents, and the other receiver, Steve Breaston, seemed to be held back by Anquan Boldin. If Derek Anderson can get them the ball, the Cardinals may still be able to move the ball through the air effectively. The Cardinals replaced Karlos Dansby with Joey Porter and Antrel Rolle with Kerry Rhodes, both downgrades to be sure, but still effective players.

Reasons to mope: Kurt Warner’s retirement left the team in shambles. They don’t have another viable option at quarterback and won’t be able to overcome the loss. The Cardinals strengths have been throwing the ball and a bend-but-don’t-break defense, but they won’t be able to match that formula this year. If they can control the clock a bit, the Cardinals could tread water. But Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower haven’t shown the ability to do that just yet.

New Season, New Drama For Big Blue

New year, new drama for the New York Giants. What was once of the more squeaky clean organizations in sports has suffered through a monsoon of me-first personalities, legal issues and players whining to the media in the last few years. The latest distraction came last night when RB Brandon Jacobs voiced his growing displeasure to an ESPN reporter.

Following last night’s preseason finale in which he didn’t get a single carry, Jacobs made his discontent very clear.

"No question," Jacobs said. "To be in this business you have to know that. No one's your friend in this business. This is a cutthroat, backstabbing business. That's just the way it goes. It's been like that before me. If you expect anything else out of a business like this you're crazy."

Jacobs has obviously been leapfrogged in the backfield rotation by third-year pro Ahmad Bradshaw. It’s understandable that Jacobs would be disappointed in his demotion, but the reasons are clear. Jacobs was awful last year and has been unable to return to form following a string of injuries. Anyone who watches the Giants would agree that Bradshaw is simply the better player right now. Jacobs can whine all he wants, but it’s the truth.

The problem is that the Jacobs situation seems well on its way to becoming a major distraction, the latest in a run of recent off-the-field issues the G-men have endured.

It’s hard to pinpoint when this all began, but Jeremy Shockey’s rookie season is a good place to start. The electrifying tight end thrilled the team on the field where he frequently bowled over opponents and sought physical play every time he touched the ball. But Shockey couldn’t limit his devil-may-care attitude to the field and frequently called out members of the organization to the media and made more than a few eyebrow raising comments about lifestyles---his own, and others’.

Next Tiki Barber, once the poster-boy of New York sports, made comments following a 2005 playoff game about how the Giants (and Tom Coughlin) had been out-coached by John Fox and the Panthers. Barber turned into more and more of a dissenting personality from that point on and was a constant critic of Eli Manning upon his retirement in 2006.

Everyone knows about the Plaxico Burress incident in 2008 when he shot himself in the league. Without Burress, the Giants were upset by the Eagles in the playoffs despite having a first-round-bye.

And last year, Osi Umenyiora turned to the media when he lost his starting job and made his frustration with the organization very clear. Umenyiora indicated that he’d rather retire than be a second-stringer.

Though none of these issues have really destroyed the Giants, and they’re certainly minor compared to the actions of some NFL players, they are part of a disturbing trend. Big Blue gets enough attention simply because of the team’s location and history. Though the team has had plenty of success this decade in spite of distractions, it hasn’t been the same since the Burress incident. And last year, the G-men had one of the worst defensive performances in team history.

In 2010, the Giants are mostly healthy and have plenty of reinforcements. Last season’s embarrassment should be fresh in the players’ minds and barring injury, they should be ready to compete for a division title again. Hopefully that’s the case, but Jacobs’ me-first attitude is exactly what the Giants don’t need. One would hope that Jacobs and the rest of the Giants would have learned their lesson about staying in line. But Jacobs' ego is obviously greater than the team.

Maybe this won’t turn into a season-long issue, and maybe it will. The problem is that there shouldn’t be trouble in the first place. The ball is in Jacobs’ court. Perform, and you’ll play. The Giants have made that very clear. So instead of crying to the media, Jacobs should get himself back into elite form and show the coaches why he should be the starter. It’ll be up to Jacobs and the rest of the team to show some maturity and recognize that one player can, and has, disrupted the team’s chemistry and momentum. If Jacobs has paid any attention to recent history, he’d know that. Tom Coughlin better shut Jacobs up, because the Giants season could well hinge on whether the organization can avoid distractions like Jacobs.

Previewing The Giants Offense

The Giants will look very similar on offense to last year, but they’re not without questions. The Giants must be able to run the ball, the offensive line must stay healthy and the young core of receivers must continue to improve.

Because of all the problems the Giants had defensively last year, the ineffective running game got less criticism than it deserved. Not only did the group fail to show any sense of consistency, but it really hurt the defense by not being able to control the clock. With all the injuries and issues on the other side of the ball, an effective ground game could have saved the season. The Giants made plenty of changes to the D, but a revived ground attack could be just as much of a help.

Big Blue made a huge error in allowing Derrick Ward to leave via free agency last year, and with injury concerns surrounding Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, the team could look to add a running back very early in next April’s draft. Jacobs has never been spry, but nagging injuries have further hindered his mobility. He’s at his best running downhill and plowing over defenders, but far too often he struggles to make it past the line where he can square his shoulders. Until he gets himself completely set, Jacobs is much, much easier for defenders to take down by simply getting their hands on his ankles and chipping his knees. Because of injuries, Jacobs isn’t able to turn up-field quickly enough now, and his career has rapidly declined as a result. He had a couple impressive moments during the preseason but it remains to be seen if Jacobs can approach his past productivity. As for Bradshaw, the question has never been about his skills, it’s all about his durability. Bradshaw has seen his workload increase from 23 carries in his rookie year, to 67 in 2008, to 163 last season. He averaged a stellar 4.8 yards per carry last year, but 163 carries is nowhere near a full workload. The Giants will depend more on Bradshaw this season whether Jacobs stays healthy or not, and it’s up to Bradshaw to show that he can be a feature back. He has already endured several nagging injuries in his career and because he relies so much on stop-on-a-dime cutbacks, the Giants better hope his ankles hold up. There’s no denying Bradshaw’s talent, but I’m not very confident he can handle a bigger role. Beyond Bradshaw and Jacobs, it will be interesting to see what the Giants get out of second-year RB Andre Brown. He was impressive last summer and again this year, so we’ll see if he gets a few carries as the year goes on. At fullback, Madison Hedgecock will continue to pave the way for the backs, but he’s no threat whatsoever running the ball or in the passing game.

I’m not the biggest Eli Manning fan in the world, but there’s no question he’s better than at least 20 of the league’s quarterbacks. The season flashed before our eyes when blood spouted from Manning’s forehead after being crushed by two Jets defenders. Manning has taken it easy since the injury but he should be ready to go for the start of the season. As I wrote yesterday, if Manning misses any time the Giants would be forced to rely on Rhett Bhomar or a veteran they may soon add, but they would be basically writing off any games Manning missed.

The Giants passing game could be dynamic if Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks catch up to Steve Smith. Smith had an incredible year despite absorbing huge responsibility with the departures of Amani Toomer and Plaxico Burress. Smith had a team record 107 catches and over 1,200 yards, but Manning became a little too reliant on Smith at times. He showed the capability to perform like a No. 1 receiver but the Giants will really thrive when Nicks takes that role. The Giants could drop Manningham to permanent slot receiver, where they wouldn’t have to depend on him as much and his inconsistencies could be masked. Nicks got better with every game in his rookie season and has emerged as the team’s best big-play threat in years. If he continues to earn Manning’s trust, he could score double-digit touchdowns. Though everyone raves about Ramses Barden’s abilities, he’s done nothing in any game situations to indicate that he’ll have any success in the NFL. UMass rookie Victor Cruz had arguably the best preseason of any player in the league, albeit against second and third-stringers. Manning hasn’t worked with Cruz in game situations of yet, but it looks like it will be difficult to keep the dazzling freshman off the field.

The Giants made a huge move to add to their offensive line depth with the acquisition of three-time Pro Bowler Shawn Andrews. Andrews is probably a ways away from returning to his once dominant form, but he could be a huge buoy as the year goes on and especially if the Giants continue to battle injuries. The starting line of David Diehl, Rich Seubert, Shaun O’Hara, Chris Snee, and Kareem McKenzie has been together seemingly forever, but there are significant cracks in their armor. They’ve battled injuries all summer and Seubert’s job has been threatened by Will Beatty. It’s likely that the five will start off the year together, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Andrews and Beatty move into starting spots at some point during the season. In any event, this year will likely be the last together for the quintet.

Kevin Boss is steady if unspectacular at tight end. He’s earned much respect from Manning, the fans, and the coaches with his tough play across the middle. Boss is reckless almost to a fault with his body, but he’s exactly the type of player teams need to win and teammates love to have around. Bear Pascoe should see an expanded role as he’s proving more and more valuable as a blocker. More was expected of Travis Beckum by this point, but the kid can’t stay on the field and has been inconsistent. If he ever gets fully healthy, he could be a weapon.

Compared to the defense, the Giants attack has seen few changes in recent years. It’s rare for New York’s offense to carry the defense and face higher expectations than the Big Blue D, but GM Jerry Reese has collected an enviable array of weapons. With all the questions facing the D, Manning and company had better put points on the board.

Giants Show Interest In Matt Leinart

According to Adam Schefter, the New York Giants are one of three teams interested in acquiring Arizona quarterback Matt Leinart. Leinart, 27, has had a horrible professional career since being drafted out of USC in 2006. Cardinals coach Ken Wishenhunt has repeatedly shown no faith in his young quarterback and has handed over the starting job to former Browns quarterback Derek Anderson.

That Anderson, who was dispatched from Cleveland in favor of Jake Delhomme, has outperformed Leinart should be enough to convince most teams to stay away.

But the Giants lost their backup quarterback, Jim Sorgi, for the year with a shoulder injury and appear reluctant to allow second-year QB Rhett Bhomar to be the undisputed second-stringer.

Leinart's NFL career is doomed no matter where he's traded, but one would have to assume he'd rather be moved to the Bills or Raiders, where the quarterback situations are much less stable, than the Giants.

Whether he'd be an upgrade over Bhomar or not is irrelevant. If Eli Manning goes down for any length of time, the Giants' season is over. Then again, the same goes for any NFL team if it were to lose it's starting quarterback.

Leinart has shown far more interest in partying and hanging out with celebrities than becoming a good NFL player, so he's not exactly the type of guy the Giants typically go after. But he has been in the league for a few years now, and coach Tom Coughlin has made it clear that he'd like a veteran backup. Leinart isn't the most reassuring choice, but at the likely cost of a late round draft pick, it would hardly be something to get upset about.

The only thing that is unclear is who this is worse for, Arizona or Leinart? Arizona went from being in the Super Bowl two years ago, and making the Divisional round of the playoffs last year, to losing Kurt Warner and a host of others and now being a long shot to even approach .500. And Leinart couldn't even hold onto the starting job that was handed to him on a silver platter with Warner's departure, and allowed Anderson to take his position. The outlook isn't very good for either party.

Peter King Says The Giants Defense Will Be Better, I Say Who Knows?

In this week’s Monday Morning Quarterback, Peter King announced that he expects the Giants to be a “top-10 defense, and maybe top-five” defense in 2010. Disclaimer: King was referring to fantasy defenses. Nevertheless, it was a lofty prediction for a defense that was absolutely shredded down the stretch last season.

King's full quote: "N.Y. Giants: Only two teams -- St. Louis and Detroit -- allowed more points than the Giants last year. That'll turn around this year, in a big way. The Giants will be a top-10 defense, and maybe top-five. Once defenses start going off the board, I'd take the Giants."

I asked Giants beat writer Ralph Vacchiano on Twitter if he agreed with King: "@kevinbaumer No. Not from what I've seen so far."

In the final two games of the 2009 season, the Giants gave up 41 points to Carolina then 44 to the Minnesota Vikings. They allowed 40+ points three other times last season, to New Orleans and Philadelphia twice. And there's this, via Yahoo, "The Giants ranked 30th in the league last season in points-allowed (26.7), just behind the Chiefs and barely ahead of the Rams. In 2008, New York's defense finished fifth in both points (18.4) and total yards (292.0). The team recorded only 32 sacks in '09 after placing sixth in the NFL in '08 (42) and first in '07 (53)."

Yikes.

Last season was among the worst defensive performances in team history. Still, a very good defensive year in 2008 begs the question, was last year a fluke?

It shouldn’t be an excuse, but Giants defenders couldn’t stay healthy to save their lives last season. Key players Aaron Ross, Kenny Phillips, Antonio Pierce, Chris Canty, Jay Alford, Michael Boley and Corey Webster missed significant time.

Not only will the Giants be adding several now-healthy pieces to the mix, but they were not shy about addressing their weaknesses this offseason. Changes came in the coaching staff, through free agency and at the draft.

First, Big Blue replaced defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan with fiery Bills coach Perry Fewell. The players have already voiced a far more positive response to Fewell’s scheme and attitude than at any point last year. The Giants also added Pro Bowl safety Antrel Rolle, veteran linebacker Keith Bulluck and strong safety Deon Grant via free agency. In June, the G-Men spent their first four draft choices on defenders: defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, tackle Linval Joseph, safety Chad Jones (who is out of the equation following a car wreck) and middle linebacker Phillip Dillard.

No one can accuse the Giants front office of sitting back and pretending last year didn’t happen. GM Jerry Reese was extremely active in trying to fix last year’s debacle, and he didn’t just fill the team’s many holes with stop-gap solutions. Bulluck may not play more than one year with the team, but the Giants added several pieces that figure to be important to the team this year and even more so down the line.

The question is: will all these changes yield actual results?

Really, the Giants can’t be any worse than last year. But they still must face the high-powered Colts, Texans, Vikings and Packers, and the Eagles and Cowboys twice each. If the D isn’t improved, those eight games could result in 40 point firework shows just like last year.

Barring more significant injuries, the Giants figure to have a much-improved pass rush, a dynamic tandem at safety, and serious depth across the board. Based on talent alone, there aren’t many defenses that should be better than the Giants. Much can go right if Perry Fewell communicates his wishes to his players accurately, a task Bill Sheridan couldn’t handle. And if Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle are both on the field at the same time, the Giants should be able to force quite a few turnovers in the secondary. And when healthy, Aaron Ross, Corey Webster and Terrell Thomas are among the league’s best young cornerback trios. And even if Keith Bulluck is on his last legs, he’s still an upgrade over pretty much everyone the Giants had at linebacker. And if Michael Boley can stay healthy and young linebackers Clint Sintim, Bryan Kehl and Jonathan Goff make strides, the Giants could have an extremely unsexy, yet effective group. And if Justin Tuck can conquer nagging injuries, he’s one of the best pass-rushers in the league. And if he can get even a little help from the underachieving Mathias Kiwanuka, and Osi Umenyiora stops whining and starts performing, and Jason Pierre-Paul harnesses some of his freakish natural ability, and Dave Tollefson builds off an impressive offseason, the Giants should be able to create more pressure than they have since their Super Bowl season. And of course, it wouldn’t hurt if Jay Alford, Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty can stay healthy at defensive tackle, where they’ll join stalwart Barry Cofield and mammoth rookie Linval Joseph. You’d think that would be a tough quintet to run through.

Then again, Perry Fewell is changing things for the second consecutive offseason, always a tough task for players. And Phillips has gigantic healthy concerns. And Rolle, while a very good player, may not really be worth the money the Giants gave him. And Ross already has a serious injury. And Bulluck’s legs really could fall off. And Boley has injury issues too, which could thrust way too much responsibility on the youngsters who may not be talented enough for starting jobs now, or ever. And despite the talent the Giants have had on the ends in recent years, the results have never quite been what we’ve expected, so why should that change now? And don’t hold your breath that any of the defensive tackles will play more than half the season.

Basically, it’s impossible to tell. The Giants could, and probably should, make a dramatic improvement on last year’s horrid defensive performance. Whether they’ll finish in the top-five or ten as King suggests is another story. That’s way too big of a leap for a team that was as bad as the Giants were last year. Still, there’s no way they can be that bad again, is there? The schedule as a whole is probably a touch easier than last season, but there are several matchups that could cause major problems for the Giants. If you’ve read this far and your head is spinning, I don’t blame you. At this point you probably have no idea what to expect from Big Blue. And neither do I.