There's no way the Rams could have foreseen what Kyren Williams would do for them in 2023 based on what Kyren Williams did for them in 2022.
Keep this in mind as you consider how wasted and insignificant Eric Gray's rookie season is with the Giants, and what awaits him in 2024. .
This season is the time when teams need to start anticipating what they have and what they need. Is there any way to predict what the Giants have in Gray? Was there any way to know what the Rams had in Williams this time last year?
In 2022, Williams appeared in 10 games with the Rams, and his workload was heavier than what Gray experienced this season with the Giants, but not by much. Williams gained 139 yards on 35 rushing attempts and caught nine passes for 76 yards. He failed to score a touchdown as a rookie.
But Williams was a revelation in his second NFL season, accumulating 1,144 rushing yards in just 12 games. He averages 5 yards per carry. He has scored 12 touchdowns since scoring three in the end zone in the Rams' 26-25 win over the Giants on New Year's Eve.
Gray only played six snaps on offense in the game, recording one rushing attempt for 2 yards and one reception for 1 yard.
Primarily used as a punt returner at the start of the season (ball security issues prevented him from maintaining that role), Gray had 14 rushing attempts for 29 yards and five receptions for 13 yards in 12 games. . Again, you can ignore it.
Where do we go with this?
Even the most ardent Giants supporter can't have a very positive opinion or opinion of what Gray accomplished in 16 games during his rookie year. He was a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft after splitting his college career between Tennessee and Oklahoma, but it wasn't exactly a rinky-dink program. There are many positions where it's extremely difficult for a rookie to make an impact, but running back is not one of them.
Williams was a fifth-round pick a year before Gray and entered the league coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons at Notre Dame. Williams, who spent more time sitting than playing as a rookie, became one of Sean McVay's most trusted offensive weapons.
“He did a great job,” McVay said after the win against the Giants. “I mean, they were — you have to go look at the numbers, but I think they pressured us 80 to 85 percent of the game. For the guys up front in the run game and stuff like that. That's why I thought the players up front did a great job. Kylen was patient and not every run was for 8, 9, 10 yards. I thought he did a great job picking his spots and when we got to the red zone there, hey, he just put it in for us. ”
Williams had 20 carries for 87 yards against the Giants. Without his contributions, the Rams would not have qualified for the NFC playoffs.
Could Gray achieve a similar ascension in the second season?
It's essential for teams to get results from mid-to-late draft picks, something the Giants have failed to do for years. General manager Joe Schon's administration has two drafts on its resume, third-day picks (fourth to seventh rounds) are controversial, and it's time to factor in this year's rookie class. We acknowledge that this is a premature evaluation.
Within the 2022 class, the Giants made a strong showing in linebacker Micah McFadden (fifth round) and appear to have found a useful complement in tight end Daniel Bellinger (fourth round).
There aren't many late picks in the 2023 class so far.
Remember when cornerback Tre Hawkins (sixth round pick) was introduced as an opening day starter and made a lot of noise this summer? It lasted three games. More recently, Hawkins has played two defensive snaps in the past five games, including one on defense in the loss to the Rams despite fellow rookie Deonte Banks missing the first game of the season with a shoulder injury. It is clear that he was not able to participate in the inning. The coaching staff selected undrafted 25-year-old Nick McLeod over Hawkins.
Gray is not a luxury item here. There's a good chance he'll be the only running back on the current roster to return in 2024. Saquon Barkley's one-year contract is set to expire, and it certainly seems possible that he will play his final game in a Giants uniform this Sunday against the Giants. Eagles at MetLife Stadium.
Think about it this way. The Giants and Barkley were unable to reach a long-term agreement when Barkley was recording a career-high 1,312 rushing yards. The Giants were a playoff team, and Barkley was the first in the NFL to stay healthy for an entire season. career. That's why the Giants placed the franchise tag on him.
This season, Barkley missed three games with an ankle sprain and has struggled to finish with 916 rushing yards. He turns 27 on February 9 and has more tread on his tires than he did a year ago when he was a stronger negotiator. He's not in a position to command a big deal, and there's no indication the Giants are going to give him a big deal.
Veteran Matt Breida is also scheduled to become a free agent.
All of this combined means the running back room will likely look very different in 2024. Gray will also be a part of it. How much of it remains remains to be seen.
If he can do for the team in his second season what Williams, another fifth-round pick, is doing for the Rams this season, it would have been worth the wait for the Giants.
It seems like a long time ago
What a difference a year makes!
The Giants begin preparing for a game against the Eagles in 2024, which means nothing to the Giants, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Giants opened 2023 by resting Daniel Jones and informing backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor that he would not start last season's final regular-season game in Week 18 in Philadelphia. Ta. Instead, it would be Davis Webb. It was a parting gift for Webb, who had planned to end his career as a fringe player in the NFL and take a coaching job (he currently serves as the Broncos' quarterbacks coach).
A year ago, with the Giants already locked into a playoff seed, coach Brian Daboll opted to keep most of his starters out for the final game, resulting in a 22-16 loss at Lincoln Financial Field. .
In fact, the Eagles used most of their starters. Nick Sirianni knew his team had earned a first-round bye in the playoffs and wanted to make final adjustments to key players before postseason action began.
These were the right decisions by both coaches. The Giants won the wild card playoff game the following weekend in Minneapolis, and the Eagles defeated the Giants in the NFC divisional playoff game to advance to the Super Bowl.
A year later, the Eagles have stumbled down the stretch, losing four of their past five games, and Sirianni won't be in Sunday's starting lineup at MetLife Stadium even though the Eagles are still in the hunt for an NFC East championship. We are talking about the possibility of resting some of the.
But they are no longer in control of their destiny.
If the Cowboys defeat the Commanders at FedEx Field, they will win the division and the Eagles will be the No. 5 seed in the NFC. If Dallas upsets, the Eagles will defeat the Giants and clinch the NFC East title. Both games will kick off at 4:25 p.m., so both the Cowboys and Eagles will likely have to play straight. Sirianni considering not using all of his starters sounds like something a coach would say, and it probably won't happen in reality.
Daboll won the NFL Coach of the Year Award in recognition of his accomplishments in his debut as a head coach in 2022. Sirianni was praised for leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl before losing to the Chiefs.
A year later, Daboll's team lost and Sirianni's club quickly dropped from 10-1 to 11-5 and was no longer considered a conference title contender.
Rumors persist that Sirianni's performance has declined so quickly that his job could be in jeopardy if the Eagles miss the playoffs.
“No, I'm not thinking about anything like that,” Sirianni said on WIP Radio on Tuesday. “I'm trying to stay where I'm at. How do we play good football this week against the Giants, how do we fix what's going on? That's my focus and the rest of this week. That’s obviously going to be the focus.”
Yes, things will change dramatically after a year.
asked and answered
I would like to answer two recent questions as accurately as possible.
What will the atmosphere be like at MetLife Stadium for the final game?
Now, if you're a Giants fan and don't like hearing “Fly, Eagles fly” every time the Eagles score, I suggest you stay home or attend the game with earplugs. .
There were a lot of empty seats when the Rams came to MetLife Stadium and beat the Giants, but I'm sure many of those seats will be filled Sunday with Eagles fans heading north as far as East Rutherford.
The Eagles have plenty of incentives. As you know, the Giants are going their separate ways after the season. Last year was a rare departure from the scenario that has played out too often over the past decade.
Want to catch the game? The Giants schedule and links to purchase tickets can be found here.
What will happen at right tackle next season?
Whatever happens, it has to be better than this season.
Evan Neal appeared in just seven games. He has injured his ankle on two separate occasions and will need surgery to repair the fracture in his left ankle. He should be ready for training camp. Given the truly abysmal performance on tape, it's highly doubtful he'll return as the unquestioned starter. Neal will be given the benefit of the doubt as he was selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft despite never having played anywhere close to what is expected from such a top prospect. .
His replacement this season was Tire Phillips, who started 13 games in two seasons with the Ravens and five games with the Giants in 2022, but spent the first part of this season on the Eagles' practice squad. It's unfortunate that Phillips, 26, went down with a serious injury to his quadriceps tendon in last week's game against the Rams. Following surgery, Phillips will likely miss a portion of the 2024 season.
The right tackle position is certainly in a state of flux.
