When was the last time Giants fans were this excited with the results of the draft and the offseason moves in general? No Giants fan should have left this draft with a raised eyebrow or look of frustration. Nope. This draft weekend was special. GM Joe stayed true to his plan, drafted masterfully, and amassed solid talent and roster depth. Now, we look to GM Joe’s trusted team of Dabs, Wink, Kafka, and TMac to make the most of the roster.
I’ll be honest. It seems I enter every offseason licking my “wounds” of another lost season, another postseason without the team I root for. Then there comes the false hope and cautious optimism that coincides with the front office or coaching changes. Giants fans have seen too much of this over the last six seasons. Rightfully so, when the Giants hired General Manager Joe Schoen and then Head Coach Brian Daboll early this year, the hope and optimism returned, but with some skepticism because of the condition of the team’s roster and salary cap. Not any more…
Some of you may be old enough to remember “G.I. Joe, America’s First Action Figure”. G.I. Joe was a rugged, tough action hero that went to every imaginary battle a child thought of and played out in his/her backyard. He took his lumps but won every battle. I’m coining a new action hero today…GM Joe.
Prior to the draft, GM Joe had, so far, assembled an army of tough, battle-hardened coaches, traveled far and wide to evaluate this year’s talent coming out of colleges, battled his way out of a dismal salary cap situation, fortified an offensive line in desperate need of a nearly complete overhaul in order to give his wounded QB and RB one more opportunity to demonstrate the special skills they were drafted for years ago. To this point, GM Joe has performed admirably and shown no weaknesses in his plan of attack.
GM Joe rose to new heights during the draft this past weekend. First, he collected two blue-chip players in the first round, both viewed at times as the best players in this draft. Then he turned Pick #36 into Pick #43 plus two additional picks with two trade-downs. So, GM Joe entered the draft with nine picks and left with eleven quality prospects that could all contribute to this coming season. 
But, he wasn’t done. You see, GM Joe made sure every player the Giants picked was thoroughly evaluated, spoken with, vetted, and seen in person by either him or someone from his staff. People close to the team remarked that this was the first draft in many that the front office talked to every player long before the draft. GM Joe entered the draft with a battle plan that reviewed every possible event and outcome. And as he briefed the media between rounds, GM Joe handled the silly questions with professionalism and confidence in his selections. The phrase of the weekend, “Reflect on what I just said.”
Yes, GM Joe is every Giants fan’s new action hero. He has brought new life to a franchise in need of a makeover. He’s not done yet. This battle is just beginning.
Draft pick photo courtesy of Giants.com
Cover photo courtesy of USA Today
