What a difference 11 years makes. G Andrew Norwell and LB Alec Ogletree are about to become NY Giants.
This NY Giants blog noted time and again how Jerry Reese did not prioritize OL & LB. We deemed it serial negligence. In his first two big moves, Gettleman picked up an All-Pro Guard and a solid Linebacker. While these signings are technically not done yet, media reports are that they are “done deals.”
Let’s discuss Norwell first. He is a road grader. He occasionally has a nasty streak, which our analyst Wonder loves. Offensive Linemen with attitude? Good. Norwell was All-Pro. Free Agency is all about signing B players for A prices. Well, the Giants did not disclose the money spent, so it will be big (13M/yr?). But make no mistake, this is an ‘A’ player. He’s 26 years old! A+ price? No problem. The Giants just got a star at a high price for a Guard. Here is our calculus: whatever keeps Eli/QB upright just improved the team’s passing game. The value of Engram, Shepard and OBJ just went up because the Giants GM paid up to get a premier lineman. What took so long?!
Norwell’s PFF grades are lackluster. Not. He is ranked #8 overall in run blocking, #1 overall in pass blocking (did not allow a sack in 2017), and #3 overall at the Guard position. Wonder likes him as a run blocker even better than as a pass blocker, so he is going to help out the Giants in both phases very well.
The Giants traded a 2018 R4 and R6 draft pick for a R7 pick next year plus LB Alec Ogletree. So essentially that is a R4 pick for Ogletree. Given that the R4 pick is the supplemental pick, it doesn’t wreck that round or hurt the 2018 Draft in a meaningful way. Ogletree’s salary is ~10MM per year. He is not cheap. He is under contract for another 3 years. At 26 years old, this is the way to go, because you do not want these players at 30 when the wheels come off. Ogletree and Norwell are in their prime.
Ogletree is no stranger to this blog. We wanted to pick him in Round 1 of the 2013 draft.
Puhleez…. #nyg take OGLETREE OGLETREE OGLETREE OGLETREE OGLETREE OGLETREE … How about the 1st LBer in R1 in 29 years…. OGLETREE !
— Andy Furman (@UltimateNYG) April 26, 2013
Ogletree is not the greatest LBer out there. He has not performed up to what we saw with his potential out of college. Some of that is being blamed on a misfit with Wade Phillips’ scheme in 2017. Ogletree is competent and effective in pass coverage. He is certainly a needed upgrade (All-Pro 2016 skills) at a position which has been mostly ignored the past 11 years by Reese. It is likely that new DC Bettcher will use a 3-4. If so, he will need a lot of LBers, and Ogletree is a good start. He’ll come with speed, experience and many years left on his tread.
Dave Gettleman is showing more architecture and common sense in 2 moves than we saw in 11 years with Reese. For sure, Reese gets credit for two Super Bowls, but the circumstances of those wins must be understood properly. 2007’s win was Accorsi’s architecture. 2011’s win was a 9-7 team that dismantled much of that architecture. Once Snee and McKenzie retired, the OL collapsed and frankly the Offense has been trying to recover ever since. The only year the Giants made it back to the playoffs after 2011, in 2016, the Offense was feeble. It starts at the line of scrimmage. Reese collected the toys (OBJ, Shepard, and Engram). Now Gettleman is rebuilding the OL with an All-Pro Guard. Sound architecture.
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