"THINGS TO THINK ABOUT"

This is courtesy of Ralph Vacchiano:

"• The uncapped year could present a one-time-only chance to dump players and just void the rest of their contracts – - something the Giants might have to think about with Brandon Jacobs. He’s got three years left on his four-year, $25 million deal, but he was awful this season and given all his injuries does anyone think he’s going to get better? Running backs tend to be interchangeable in this league. It may pay to find a younger, healthier, better option.

• Several people with connections to the Giants (but not inside the Giants) have now speculated to me that the team should or may consider a switch to a 3-4 defense. I’m not sure I see it, but I keep hearing it. Justin Tuck could be a 3-4 end, but I assume Mathias Kiwanuka would have to move back to linebacker. Clint Sintim is a natural on the other side. But I don’t think they’ve got a natural nose tackle on the team for next year. And since LBs aren’t exactly their strength, would they want to put more on the field? Again, I don’t see it. But I hear things.

• I would not cut kicker Lawrence Tynes, as I know many of you would. I think he’s a solid, accurate kicker with decent leg strength, and those are just too hard to find. The Giants trust him. That’s important. Having said that, the Giants need to stop with the ridiculous strategy of having him kickoff short (and yes, more often than not, it was apparently strategy). He’s got the leg strength to get the ball at least close to the end zone. Why are they so afraid of every good kick returner? Why not just let your coverage teams cover? And those coverage teams are really that bad that you can’t kick off deep … well, maybe Bill Sheridan isn’t the only coordinator who has (or had) some explaining to do.

• I didn’t understand it when the Giants drafted TE/H-Back Travis Beckum in the third round last April, and I still don’t get it. I have absolutely no idea how he fits in or how they intend to use him. I thought I’d learn the answer in December, in the wind and the cold, but I saw nothing. They say he’ll be a weapon, but he’ll fall behind four receivers, two running backs and Boss. And if he doesn’t start blocking better, he’s destined to only ever have a couple of plays a game. He probably could be a very good player. But he’s a very odd fit.

• I do understand why Ramses Barden, the 6-6 rookie receiver, was inactive most of the season. He was a project to begin with, didn’t play specials well enough to force the coach’s hands, and with the receivers playing well and mostly healthy there wasn’t an obvious spot for him on the active roster. I get it. But really, couldn’t the eight lineman or seventh linebacker sat just once during the team’s slide to sneak him into a game? When the Giants were struggling in the red zone – - pretty much all year – - would it have killed them to once put him in and see if he could be an option down there? Wouldn’t he have been a better guy to throw to down there than FB Madison Hedgecock or OL Kevin Boothe?

• Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese deserve a chance to turn this mess around. I know many of you want the media to “turn up the heat” on them. I’m not sure what that means, though. They’re not going to be fired. Clearly they take a lot of responsibility for this. Reese’s free agent moves weren’t good, though bad luck was involved in some. Coughlin never seemed to have a good read on his team and stayed the course when dramatic changes seemed to be needed. But two years ago they teamed to build a Super Bowl champion. They had four straight trips to the playoffs. The Giants haven’t been under .500 since 2004 when they were playing with a rookie quarterback in the second half. By any measure, this is one of the most successful eras in Giants history. They at least get one year to fix this. … But only one. "