If I were the GM- New York Giants

The Giants turned in one very disappointing season.  They were predicted by many to compete for a deep playoff run, and for the division title, and just finished .500.  (In fact, I predicted the Giants to win the NFL East.)  Their biggest lost was Steve Spagnulo getting lured away from his defensive coordinator post to become the Head Coach of the St. Louis Rams.  His replacement, Bill Sheridan, was overmatched as injuries- especially in the secondary- and personality conflicts mounted.  I liked their move to replace him with Perry Fewell, the former Bills interim head coach.  The Bills played passionately under him in his short tenure there.  I'm sure the Giants will do the same.

New York still has many strengths.  One being Coach Tom Coughlin.  I know he'll be on the hot seat if his roster doesn't perform, but he's been in this position before and succeeded.  I don't see any reason why not again.  Quarterback Eli Manning developed to become significant threat in the passing game- something that hasn't been a necessity in the past with their philosophy of pounding the ball and pressure defense.  His wideouts were widely questioned coming into the season.  The "other" Steve Smith had the better, more consistent season, leading the NFC with 107 catches and a Pro Bowl berth.  Hakeem Nicks appears to be a star in the making.  Mario Manningham showed he can be a threat.  Tight end Kevin Boss is as tough as they come, and gets overlooked, because of all the talented tight ends in the NFC East.  Their line is aging, yet still effective.  I'll dive into that more later.  Their defensive line was solid yet again, led by pass rushers Osi Umenyora, Justin Tuck, and Mathias Kiwinuka.  And biggest personnel blow occurred when safety Kenny Phillips went down for the season in the first Dallas game.

For improvements, the Giants need to fix the middle of their defense.  They started by jettisoning middle linebacker Antonio Pierce.  Age and a neck injury necessitated the move- though I wouldn't be surprised if he has a good season in another system in 2010.  Their defensive backs were torched all season long, especially at the safety position, once Phillips went down.  As good as their pass rushers were, their defensive tackles either failed to stay healthy or lacked efficiency.  As I mentioned previously, their line is aging.  Backup William Beatty looks like he can step in and man on of the tackle spots, but they should get depth.  Also, David Diehl would probably be more effective playing inside at this point of his career.  He wore down as the season progressed, and Manning took more hits as a result.  Also, the injuries to the top three running backs is concerning.  Brandon Jackson looked like he was running hurt all season.  Ahmad Bradshaw played with stress fractures in his feet.  DJ Ware was nicked up and had to miss some time.  They should think about adding another running back to the mix.

With free agency uncertain this season, they'll have to look to the draft to add the depth they need.  At 15, they stand at a good spot.  I'm sure they would love to see Rolando McClain fall to them, but I don't see it happening.  If that's the case, they should consider safeties Earl Thomas or Taylor Mays to fix that spot.  Dan Williams could possibly be available for a defensive tackle spot.  Or, they could go with a Kyle Wilson to bolster their cornerback depth.