The New York Giants fell apart at the end of what should have been a promising 2010 season. There's quite a bit of uncertainty surrounding this team with Osi Umenyiora not happy again, and there is a laundry list of free agents. Barry Cofield, Kevin Boss, Ahmad Bradshaw, Steve Smith, and Keith Bulluck are the key players among the many that the Giants will have to make a decision on once the lockout is lifted.

Kevin Boss and Steve Smith are the Giants' only true possession receivers, and the Giants would be starved of talent at tight end if Boss were to leave. Smith is the best possession receiver in the NFL, and he's probably going to walk. If the Giants want to avoid a lack of depth at receiver, they will have to bring back either Derek Hagan or Dominik Hixon. I would choose the latter over the former.

Ahmad Bradshaw is one of the best all-around backs in the league, and he is a priority for the Giants to re-sign. Brandon Jacobs makes a nice tandem with Bradshaw, but he is the number two back on this roster. Kareem McKenzie is one of the best right tackles in the league, and Rich Seubert is a very good veteran guard. The Giants can live with Shaun O'Hara and Chris Snee, but left tackle David Diehl has become a horrible player. They need to find a new left tackle, but it doesn't seem like he will be replaced this season. That's a key weakness to watch out for in pass pro.

If Osi does leave and Matthias Kiwanuka walks as expected, then Jason Pierre-Paul will be able to start at right end. Justin Tuck is a force on his own, and Pierre-Paul is a physical specimen and was great as a rookie last season. Barry Cofield is a key player for the Giants, and he should be brought back even though the Giants drafted the promising Marvin Austin. Chris Canty is a solid and underrated defensive tackle. The Giants have a monstrous defensive line, and they will still be very good there if Osi leaves.

Jonathan Goff is one of the best linebackers in the NFL against the run but poor in pass coverage. Michael Boley is the exact opposite, so he's mainly used as a nickel corner. Clint Sintim is a talented linebacker who is best suited for the 3-4 and also struggles to stay healthy. The Giants don't have much depth at linebacker, and I think they need to try to bring back Keith Bulluck at a low price.

Terrell Thomas is a good corner because of how physical he is, but he isn't a good corner in coverage. The Giants have a lot of question marks at corner, and they desperately need Prince Amukamara to produce as a rookie. I think he will, but I still don't like their group of corners.

Antrel Rolle is one of the most overrated players in the NFL. He can tackle and make plays, but he is horrible in coverage. Kenny Phillips is talented, but we don't know how explosive he will be after an injury. Michael Johnson is set to become a free agent, so that hurts their depth. Deon Grant is gone, and he was key in their three-safety sets. I think they are alright at safety, and the real upgrades in the secondary need to come at corner.

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5/24 NFL Rumors: The Free Agent Wideouts

May 24th 2011 14:02

Randy Moss had the most receiving touchdowns in an NFL season with the New England Patriots in 2007. After an ugly breakup last year, the Pats' biggest rivals could sign Moss. This would only happen if the Jets were unable to re-sign either Santonio Holmes or Braylon Edwards. Holmes and Edwards are better players than Moss at this point in time, but Moss would fit right in in New York.

Mike Brown is the worst owner in the league, and he has the most interesting QB situation on his hands. We all know about the Carson Palmer quandary, and Brown has reiterated the fact that the Bengals will keep Palmer. If Palmer holds true to his statement and retires, then Brown says the team will just put in Andy Dalton. He also added that Palmer would be the starter if he stayed. I think the Bengals need to move on and trade Palmer. They'll also get good value for him as opposed to getting nothing in return. Palmer was terrible at the beginning of the year, but he was great in the last few weeks of the season. Was it injuries or luck? Either way, I think there are going to be teams that will try and give too much for him.

The Carolina Panthers will start Cam Newton when he knows the offense, and when they assemble a solid supporting cast around him. Read: get another receiver to play next to Steve Smith. They will make a QB competition with Newton and Clausen, and Newton will act more of a game manager when he first plays. Yeah, they're going to play John Fox ball early on.

The Dallas Cowboys probably won't release Roy Williams, and I honestly wouldn't either. Why? Because there's this thing called trading where you can get something in return. Williams is way too expensive for a receiver who is only average. The Cowboys would also have to give about 12 million dollars to him if they released Williams. Yeah, not happening. Williams is a solid red zone target who can have that occasional big game when he and Romo click.

Barry Cofield wants a new and long-term deal. The defensive tackle is set to be a free agent, and the Giants should grant his request. He's one of the most vocal leaders in the NFL who is also a force on the line for the G-Men. Pay the man and give him a deal that gives him some security; he's earned it.

Mike Sims-Walker is good friends with Brandon Marshall, and he wants to join him in South Beach. I don't think the Dolphins should sign Sims-Walker because he's too similar to Marshall. They're both athletic possession receivers. I think the Fins need to sign a deep threat instead. It's not that I think Sims-Walker is a poor player. It's just that he's not the type of player the team needs. Sims-Walker is a very talented, but also very a inconsistent receiver who struggles against press coverage.

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: NFL, Patriots, Jets, Braylon Edwards NYJ, Santonio Holmes, Dolphins, Brandon Marshall, Mike Sims-Walker JAX, Bengals, Andy Dalton, Carson Palmer CIN, Mike Brown, John Fox, New York Giants, Barry Cofield NYG, Cowboys, Roy Williams DAL, Tony Romo, Panthers, Cam Newton, Jimmy Clausen, Steve Smith

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2011 Scouting Reports: Barry Cofield and Hakeem Nicks

March 19th 2011 13:21

New York Giants DT Barry Cofield

Barry Cofield is one of the numerous defensive tackles that never get credit for doing a good job week in and week out. Tuck and Osi can't do what Cofield does on run defense. Cofield is a block in the middle. He is also one of the biggest leaders in the NFL that says the right things and was one of the main representatives for the NFL Union. QBs aren't the only players that have important leadership qualities.

Cofield had the 15th highest WPA among DTs last year. WPA measures a player's ability to help his team win games. He also had the 7th highest EPA, which is a player's ability to help his team put points on the board. Cofield was the 9th best tackling defensive tackle, which further shows his importance to the Giants. His 5 sacks are solid for a D-Tackle, and he had the 9th most QB hits. While Cofield isn't a superstar, he is a quality player that goes about his business without garnering much attention. Note: EPA and WPA are from www.advancednflstats.com.

New York Giants WR Hakeem Nicks

Hakeem Nicks has all the talent out there. Nicks is a quick receiver that is a commanding big target who is at his best in the red zone. Nicks is perfect in a vertical offense, and he has insane athleticism. The catches he makes are stunning. The faults to his game are his poor route running and his many drops. Hakeem Nicks is a beast, and his raw talent alone puts him in at 13 on my latest WR rankings on February 26th.

Hakeem Nicks had the 14th best EPA and the 11th best Success Rate. Expect much better things to come in the future once Nicks puts it all together. One day, he will be one of the elite receivers in the NFL. For now, he's one extremely difficult weapon to keep out of the end zone.