Al Wilson Back Within the Giants Reach?
Guest article by Sean Carroll
As Draft Day 2007 nears, the Giants’ search for player acquisition remains as dormant as it has been since the start of free agency at midnight on March 2nd. This year, in particular has been a roller-coaster off-season as quality players were dangled before the fans, only to be scooped up by another team or passed on by GM, Jerry Reese. Players such as Lance Briggs, Kevin Curtis, Asante Samuel, Charles Rogers, Vonta Leach, Adam Timmerman and even Takeo Spikes were all considered “possibilities” at one point…but slipped away. (Wow, what a team those guys would’ve made, huh?)
What did we end up with? Kawika Mitchell, an under-the-radar Linebacker from Kansas City and Reuben Droughns, a relatively elder Running Back from Cleveland. Both have potential for success, but neither are the star-studded celebrities NY is used to seeing.
With our hearts in our stomachs, exhausted from the every day rushes of adrenaline caused by these rumors, speculations and work-outs, Giant fans are now readying themselves for the 2007 NFL Draft. It seems that on an almost daily basis, the prognosticators are generating their mock drafts, sending anything from a Linebacker to a Wide Receiver to the Giants in the first round.
Needless to say, Reese has some things on his mind.
However, with the recent release of Broncos Linebacker, Al Wilson, there is a glimmer of hope for Giant fans looking for a solid veteran to climb on board prior to April 28th. In a pre-draft press conference, Jerry Reese stated about Wilson, “Nothing is over at this point…we’ll see what happens with him in the future.”
Could it be? Are the Giants going to make one crowd-pleasing move prior to the draft? Besides being rumored in the Star-Ledger, speculation about Wilson’s potential to wear Big Blue starting in August is even hitting SI.com’s, “Truth & Rumors.” But what impact would this have?
The acquisition of Al Wilson, barring any lingering neck injuries, would add substantial depth to the Giants’ Linebacker corps, assuming Wilson started at weakside, plugging the final hole left behind by Carlos Emmons. Moreover, this would provide a tremendous amount of wiggle room for Reese on Draft Day to fill in some other desperately needed gaps.
I see no reason why the Giants FO would pass up an opportunity like this, especially with the limited amount of attention Wilson’s received since his official departure from Denver. A solid pick-up to add great depth and a deep breathe for Reese. Fingers crossed.
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38 Responses to “Al Wilson Back Within the Giants Reach?”
April 20th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
dont get my hopes up
April 20th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
I agree. Then we need to give up a draft choice and get jenkins from Carolina. We add two pro bowl players to the defense which would be a good start. We can add depth with first day selections of WR, DB or two. Unfortunately there is no solution to the OT problem as it is doubtful any OT would start before for a year or two. What happened to Fabrini? How did he get to Washington so fast?
April 20th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
ill keep my fingers crossed would ove to see al wilson on our d and it would b sick if we can get jenkins from the pnathers..ill keep my fingers crossed
April 20th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
*love
April 20th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
If the Giants dont grab him straight away - then they obviously know something about the seriousness of his injury that we dont. Regardless you pessimistic clowns will redicule Reese & FO……
Have some faith in your team dammit.
April 20th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
1. I won’t get my hopes up
2. Even if he does sign, i dread the thought of another injured player on our LB core.
3. I would still like to build our LB core through the draft even if we got Wilson
April 20th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
3 MLB SWEET.
April 20th, 2007 at 9:11 pm
I disagree Travis. I’m the guest writer who wrote that, and I believe Wilson would be just fine.
In his career he missed 3 games due to injury. He’s been in 4 pro bowls.
When he hurt his neck, emphasis on hurt, he was back the next week. He’s not like a LaVar who was a walking time bomb…this guy’s got talent.
April 20th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
The injury to Wilson may be a concern. If he can still play he would be a good pick up. Still would like to see the Giants draft a LB and CB in the 1st and 2nd rounds.
April 20th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Sean, very good article. I have heard that the Giants are going to wait and see what happens in the draft before they will even seriously consider signing Al Wilson.
April 20th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
Sean, it just seems like we have trouble with building our LB core through FA sometimes. I know we shouldn’t let the past dictate what we do in the future, but it just worries me. If he wants to come here, i am sure we will welcome him with open arms. should be very interesting.
I think day 1 in the draft will dictate wether or not we are serious about Wilson. If we don’t address the LB spot on day 1 then i think we will get him. If we get Posluszny or get someone early, i don’t think we will go after him. just my opinion though
April 20th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
I really disagree with this article in many ways.
Reese has been a smart GM. Not making splashy moves was a GOOD thing. I actually laughed when the writer mentioned how great a team those overpriced FAs would make (forget the salary cap, it’s MADDEN TIME!) Kawika Mitchell is a young, injury-free guy who still has an upside, Droughns is a great complement to relieve Jacobs’ power game. Al Wilson has failed 2 physicals and was released by a team he won Super Bowls with. If that’s not a vote of no confidence, I don’t know what is.
This type of instant gratification paranoia is just what made this team as underachieving as it has been.
April 20th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
I say go after him. The guy hasn’t missed much time due to injury. Only 3 which isn’t bad. We need wiggle room for the draft and this years LB’s class is weak
I say sign him 3ys incentive based on playing time and make it really a 1 yr audition with a Roster Bonus this time next season nothing to carzy though
Then we can draft DB’s and a WR because the draft is loaded with them.
Why go and reach for a decent LB and OT who are only highly rated due to a poor class.
We can get some sleeper day 2 guys and see what happens none of these overrated Staley’s and Timmons who are benifiting from a sub-par class
I don’t want us wasting picks on marginal guys who wouldn’t sniff Round 1 if there was actual talent coming out at that positon
MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN REESE
April 20th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Can the Giants get Lance Briggs????
April 20th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Oh, and “one fan-pleasing move”?
Do you think the Patriots were particularly excited about drafting Tom Brady in the late rounds?
You please the fans by getting players who can play, and play as a team. The last ‘fan pleasing move’ EA had led to the guy being released and probably retiring after a disappointing season.
April 20th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
Jason C, you do realize that Wilson has yet to pass a physical this off season, correct?
April 20th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Blaine, I appreciate the comments and your counter. Obviously we couldn’t have picked up ALL of those guys, but a combination would have sufficed. Additionally, I love the support for Mitchell, but if he’s such a solid player with tremendous upside, why didn’t anyone else gun for him? Did the scouts just forget him?
And yes, I realize that we don’t want to sign big names for the sake of big names…but fact is, NY likes it. And regardless, Wilson is a stud. Broncos picked up some high priced players and Wilson is 29. I’m sure they wished they could’ve kept him.
Further, if Wilson’s physical state was so attrocious, Reese wouldn’t even be entertaining the idea.
I agree with Jason C…give the guy a short, incentive laden contract and see how he does. I’d rather have a 4 time pro bowler with LOTS to pass down to Wilkinson and Torbor in lieu of a rookie question mark.
April 20th, 2007 at 11:03 pm
I think we should go ahead and pick him up, atleast as depth and be a quality back up if he can no longer start due to injuries. And sure, Kawika Mitchell may be an “under the radar” guy and not a star, but Pierce wasn’t a star either when he first signed here. Remember, the consesus was that we should either get Bell or Hartwell and look how that ended up - Pierce ended up becoming a star.
Now to play devil’s advocate for a moment: I’m skeptical of Mitchell being much of a difference in this defense. I feel the same way if we sign Wilson. We would have 3 MLBs starting as our LBing corps and two of them would be displaced out of their natural position. That normally doesn’t bold well for defenses so I wish to hold judgement until we see how they play in the season or atleast the preseason. Lacking a true Sam Back to cover a TE or blitz is a little worrisome, especially how TEs beat our LBs pretty bad last year.
April 20th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
where did you get the idea that the deal might still be on??? BC Reese said “Nothing is over at this point…we’ll see what happens with him in the future”…Is that the only reason or are there other soucres
April 21st, 2007 at 12:16 am
It’s all fun and games until a guy gets carted off the field and ruined for the rest of his life on our watch. Leave this guy alone. If he can’t pass a physical he shouldn’t play. These things are put in place to protect the player from himself. If you ask the player he’ll be ready to play everytime. It’s up to management to be responsible. Stop just looking at the player and what he can do for you and think about what you may be doing to him. If he’s damaged goods I’d rather see him forced to retire than turned into a vegatable on our home field knowing it would happen. I know we need LB’s but damn. I say we let this one go.
April 21st, 2007 at 12:27 am
David - to be honest, I think it comes down to the caliber of players that are being displaced. Diehl, while I like him, as a LT makes me nervous. But putting guys like Wilson and Mitchell into weak and strong will end up okay…I honestly believe that. With the experience and institutional knowledge of Pierce, the exp and talent in Wilson and Mitchell’s average of 103 tackles a season (at least for the last two seasons) gives me confidence there.
As for the comment about the potential for Wilson to be critically injured…I would be very sad if that happened. Who wouldn’t be? But I’m looking at it this way: if the guy is really banged up to the point where it’s dangerous to play him, then something must’ve happened in the last three games, because the neck injury took him out for only half a game. I would never condone or push for the signing of a player on the brink of physical collapse…but I just have a gut feeling about Wilson being able to throw down again if he gets the chance.
April 21st, 2007 at 1:16 am
If the doctors clear him to play I say give Wilson a shot… getting him without giving up picks (which would have in the trade) would be great. He is worth the risk and it could very well pan out in our favor.
April 21st, 2007 at 1:19 am
I’ve been saying this since his release. We would be crazy not to sign a 5 time probowler coming off a probowl season! If his injury concerns were that much he would be vertually forced into retirement. I think Reese just went into the trade figuring if he could use anything to reduce the cost he’d try. He cut it off. Then asked if they’d take less they said no. He moved on. Now if we can get a guy we were willing to give up a 4th Round pick for, for no compensation we have to make him an offer. Especially this late in free agency and just before the draft. That doesnt mean we wont take a LB anyway. It just allows us to do it in the 3rd or 4th Round instead of the first. Of course if it happens that the best player available in our draft position is a LB we might take him anyway. But regaurdless of all of the draft stuff, if we can sign Wilson we need to do it.
April 21st, 2007 at 1:30 am
No matter what anyone thinks about having 3 MLB Mitchell/AP/Wilson is an upgrade from a hurt-Emmons/AP/hurt-Arrington which was more often combinations of Torbor, Short, Blackburn, Wilkinson with AP in the middle.
April 21st, 2007 at 6:54 am
If Wilson is no risk,so cheap and such a good deal why is there no one else trying to sign him. Sean’s comment about about other teams gunning for Mitchell must also be taken into account when talking about Wilson. I think that resse and Co. know a lot more than they are talking about and that Wilson will be a desperation move done when all else fails.
April 21st, 2007 at 8:12 am
Man you would think the guy goes around in a wheel chair the way you guys talked. He failed our physical Jerry Reese even admited he told the doctors to tell him about the most minor of injuries because their were paying so much to get him. It brought up a flag and they nicked the deal and all the other teams were scared off. And Reese and co. do know more then they are letting on. They know he isn’t that injured. And don’t start saying why haven’t they gotten him yet then because Wilson only gets cheaper the longer they wait. Reese knows he can safely monitor the situation while Wilson’s value free falls and then scoop him up cheap. I say go get him he missed less games than he has probowl apperances. He would be a cheap fix and gives us draft stability not to mention adding a real monster to our linebacker core.
Ara the source for this story is the Newark Star Ledger and Sports Illustrated’s truth and rumors column. You could have figured that out by you know reading the article you are commenting on.
Blaine Al Wilson failed the Giants physical I don’t know where you get two from. Also Wilson was cut due to the signing of other big name high price guys. Wilson was due a heavy contract and bonus’ they cut him to preserve the cap. Also lack of interest in a player by other teams should never come into the evaluation equation. You need to evaluate players on your own, you never see the Patriots shy away from a player because no other teams are interested.
April 21st, 2007 at 9:10 am
we do not need him or do i want him, we have wilkenson, Antiono, mitchell starters
Rookie, blackburn, tobar backups
i think this is good enough
April 21st, 2007 at 9:21 am
on another note i say we let Mathias Kiwanuka start, this man has been nothing but a beast for us, When strahan played he didnt do anything, to me it seemed as though age was a factor, he wasnt as strong as he was last year. and i think if Mathias Kiwanuka can out play him in training camp give him the job
April 21st, 2007 at 9:25 am
Anybody see the story in the Star Ledger about Leach? Seems like the Texans pulled a fast one. I guess that’s to be expected with a rookie GM at the wheel. Another loss for the G-Men.
April 21st, 2007 at 10:50 am
would leach really made a difference, idk y ppl are so low on finn, granted he may not be the best but he gets the job done day in and day out, finn has been the most Consistent player for the giants since he arrived so y put that aside.
April 21st, 2007 at 10:52 am
Jexxel-(#26) You said it all. Cant agree with you more. Clearly if he doesnt cost us much even if Reese still wants to draft a 1st round LB, Wilson would be a great addition.
Frustrated-(#29) Do you have a link?
April 21st, 2007 at 10:56 am
Gman24-I dont think you’ll find any true Giants fan who doesnt appreciate what Finn brings to the table and how hard he plays but his style just doesnt fit the power running game. I love Finn. I think he’s a solid FB that can catch out of the backfield and has good blocking skills but he doesnt blow LBs up like you need to for a power running game. I dont know if Leach was the answer. I think he was more like a last ditch effort to secure a power FB. However if we are going to run a power running game we do have to change FBs.
April 21st, 2007 at 11:48 am
Giantthinker - No link but check out Star Ledger’s Mike Garafolo’s last two blog entries.
Gman24 - Leach wasn’t the Giants first choice (sound familiar) but was all the Giants could afford. Finn and Tiki worked well together given Tiki’s cut back running style…BJ will run up and over Finn’s back if he doesn’t do a better job of blowing LB’s out the hole.
April 21st, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Sean,
Why do you in once sentence say that Kawika Mitchell is no good because no other teams pursued him, and then not care that no other teams have pursued Wilson? Shouldn’t the same rule hold true? If lack of interest from other teams tells you so much about Mitchell, why doesn’t it tell you anything about Wilson???
April 21st, 2007 at 12:35 pm
I think that they’re different scenarios entirely. One was dismissed by other teams because of injury fears, primarily because of what happened on his visit to NY. The other was simply flying under the radar….I honestly can’t say why other teams didn’t notice Mitchell, but we either lucked out or need to keep our fingers crossed.
Different situations though…
April 21st, 2007 at 3:57 pm
No, no, no… he is older and with a bad history of injuries. I don’t see Reese making this move and thank god.
April 22nd, 2007 at 11:42 pm
Bill D-Shouldnt you research a player before you state things as fact? Wilson is far from injury prone. He’s only missed 3 games in his career. He has more ProBowl apperances than missed games!!!
April 27th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
[…] Splitting Time Hey everyone. It seems that dreams can come true. I was recently given the honor of writing a guest column on MVN.com, an very up and coming sports website. Still reeling from the excitement, I wrote a very short email to the site’s VP, Dan Benton, asking him to keep me in mind for any openings that come up for Giants 101…the site page specifically designated to the NY Giants. […]
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