Over at ESPN.com, John Clayton calls ranked the Giants fourth on his list of day one losers at the draft.
4. New York Giants: This may sound strange to list the Giants because they went 8-for-8 in the draft last year and got the player they wanted in the first round: safety Kenny Phillips. But they got greedy on a proposed Jeremy Shockey trade. Saints coach Sean Payton wanted to give them a second-round pick. The Giants wanted more, so there won’t be a Shockey trade. The Giants had five second-round options at tight end, but they took cornerback Terrell Thomas. Sure, those tight end options wouldn’t have been as good as Shockey, but he’s clearly not a happy player. They should have made the trade.
I think this is a horrible analysis by Clayton. Jerry Reese obviously knows what he’s doing. Clayton even starts out by saying it. We got the player we wanted most in Kenny Phillips, but we’re still losers? Wait, Clayton is going to tell us why the Giants are losers. The Giants are day one losers because they didn’t trade their All-Pro tight end for a second round pick! I wouldn’t call the Giants greed at all. They deserved more than what the Saints were offering. Jeremy Shockey is a proven player while you never know what you’re going to get from a draft prospect.
It would’ve been a horrible for decision for the Giants to trade Shockey and then draft a tight end in the second round. We already have Kevin Boss and Michael Matthews. If Shockey was traded Boss would be the starter, while Matthews would be the main blocker. There’s no reason to waste a second rounder and reach on a tight end. The second round pick on cornerback Terrell Thomas is justified because he’s versatile and can replace the aging Sam Madison.
April 30, 2008 at 2:48 pm
John Clayton is a fool, nice guy, but just a fool. I still cant understand how John Clayton is a frontline NFL guy for the Worldwide leader in Sports. Him and Mel Kiper, just baffle me, and more and more each day, I become more and more proud of myself for never really paying TOO MUCH attention, or believe in too much into anything they say.
John Clayton mainly speaks on a surface level platform. Now, how he concludes the Giants had a bad draft, is absolutely ludicrous, and it just goes back to my point of him speaking on a surface level platform. In addition, one could also possibly think he could be lobbying for Sean Payton and the NO Saints, because otherwise, what GM (reese), who just came off an astounding SUPER BOWL victory (nevermind the details and surrounding elements of the SB), would get rid of a 1st round pick (Shockey) who still has tremendous value, for a second round pick and to a coach (peyton) who once coached his own team (giants) and in the same conference? Wake up Clayton!! And in return of all the SHOCKEY TRADE HYPE…what really happened….and what did REESE really do….the giants got the best safety in the draft from Shockey’s alma mater (Miami)….AND THEY DIDNT DRAFT ONE SINGLE TE…..so what does that tell you CLAYTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It should tell you to wake up!!!
The skinny on Kiper is…he was a sub par tennis player at Essex Community College in NJ…never once did he play a meaningful football down. I’m still trying to find any evidence whatsoever, that CREDIBLY links HIS name, with the weak credentials his name really carries in regards to football accomplishments, to the one of the most significant sporting events of all time….The NFL DRAFT!!!!
April 30, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Giants had an outstanding draft. Manningham was a steal in the 3rd round…Manning to Manningham is gonna have a nice future ring to it.
Also, getting a big physical and versatile safety, in Kenny Phillips, to replace Gibril Wilson, was a fantastic move with the last pick. In NFL drafts going to WAY BACK, getting the best safety with the last pick of the 1st round is unheard of, and in the Giants case it played perfectly into their needs….lose Gibril…BOOM…rebound with a younger AND CHEAPER stud safety out of a football haven (Miami) sitting right there at the end of Round 1…..now, how John Clayton calls this a bad draft…is absolutely barbaric!!! And like I said….surface level analyzing by Clayton!!!
Even the CB Thomas, went extremely under the radar with all the DL & LB studs getting drafting out of USC.
Also, the QB Woodson was a devastating value in round six. I would develop him on the side and keep him as a solid backup, in order to possibly get trade bait for several years down the road….or even a higher PICK for him than the six they got him for. Excellent move here by the Giants. Again, Clayton has no idea what he is talking about.
In my opinion, and mark my word, when it is all said and done…Flacco and Brohm, who were FIRST & Second ROUNDERS RESPECTFULLY, ….will have a worst career than Woodson.
Giants fans….please take John Clayton for what he is….
April 30, 2008 at 3:22 pm
And trust me….I regularly go to the NFL Combine, the draft, you name it, and when i see John Clayton in action….he seems to be like an insect in human motion….Again, nice guy, knows some things here and there, but please, I just want to make a friendly advisory as to…dont believe any of John Clayton’s hype, and as Giants fans….we certainly cant believe anything he has to say about the Giants….after all, he thought Gallery would of been a better move than trading to get Eli….u catch my drift!!!
May 12, 2008 at 1:33 am
http://thelandryhat.com/2008/01/19/mock-draft-cbs-reggie-smith-wr-manningham-to-dallas-roy-williams-dropped/
No that this guy’s, or site’s, mock draft is anything too significant…however it was worth posting about.
check this guy’s or site’s mock draft up above at the link given herein….do you think he was listening to Clayton? According to this guy’s or site’s mock draft….the Giants have 3…YES 3 first round picks that they obtained in this years (2008) draft. Oh….and by the way…its ironically a site designated for and by DALLAS COWBOYS people, and DALLAS COWBOYS fans!!!