Tampa Two Means WHO?

Today we will take a look at the Tampa Two defense and how it will affect the Giants 2010 draft.

The season ended on a high note as NewOrleans beat the Colts in a fun Super Bowl watched by the largest audience in television history. Pro Football is BIG! I was going to examine the defensive tackles in this years draft but this is UltimateNYGiants and first we have to look at our needs and then who is available in the 2010 draft. This is tough for me on several levels. Perry Fewell is the new defensive coordinator and he has always run the Tampa Two. I am NOT a fan of prevent anything and that is precisly what the Tampa Two is. It was devloped by Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy years ago when Dungy was head coach for the Bucs and Lovie worked for him. I am not a fan of the Tampa Two as it is designed to bend and not break. In other words you need personnel specificy to play that scheme. It relies on the defensive line to put pressure on the quarterback and that’s about it. The blitz is NOT a feature of the Tampa two. The linebackers are responsible to make tackles but also must have the ability to cover when the other team throws it. The defensive backs play a zone where each person is responsible for an area. The defensive backs must be excellent tacklers as this defense gives up the short pass and is supposed to stop anything long. I don’t know for sure what Fewel plans but if history is any guide it’s Tampa time. I hate this scheme as I believe (a) that the Giants do NOT have the personnel and(b) it is a dinosaur that doesn’t work! The very good teams in pro football today use complicated blitz schemes in the belief that if you get qurterback pressures and sacks you basically neutralize him. This is what Jimmy Johnson did for years and what brought us a Ring. The last time we ran a prevent defense was under Coughlin(of course) and his personal choice for D.C. Tim Lewis. Lewis was a “bomb” much like Sheridan and we stunk. I never thought that Spags was Tom’s choice and this choice is just more evidence of who he really is.

We drafted guys like Kiwi and Osi and Tuck. We had Strahan and all of them were perfect for the blitz. Pierce filled the last great need at middle linebacker and we have spent most of the last 3 drafts trying to get defensive backs,wide receivers for Eli and spent some middle round picks and free agency to plug the holes at outside backer. Our glaring need is MLB but we need  help on the offensive and defensive lines as well. It they go Tampa two my bet is they go for a defensive lineman first unless Rolando McCain is still there. Free agency is not free this year. One could become a ufa after 4 years with a team. Next year it goes to six years because of the impasse over the salary cap. What that means is that most guys will be rfa which means a team that signs one must give up “equal” value in the draft. DeMeco Ryans for example would cost a first and a third and the Giants won’t do that. It really hurts the players and means that teams will get to keep who they really want to keep. We have to keep all of this in mind when we pick who we think will(a) be there and(b) who fits the Tampa two. I am a big Osi fan but upon reflection he may just be gone and I hate it! We are the N.Y. Giants. We play hard nosed, agressive, in your face defense. We don’t play PREVENT defense but we do play PREVENT offense.

I apologize for not naming names tonight but I will do the defensive linemen available as I believe that position has quality and depth. I think safety and db has depth and there are some quality outside backers. We have plenty of time to get it down and plenty of things that inevitably will affect our final picks. Of course the Giants are our focus but we try and do it all so we can have fun making our draft board. The Giants signed an offensive lineman off waivers today. His name is Herb Taylor who was a sixth round pick of K.C. in 07 and was with Denver when waived. He did start 18 games in the last two seasons and played at T.C.U. Looks like the Bosses are listening as we have noted the need at O.L. See ya next week.