Two weeks after on the best Super Bowls in the history of the NFL, the dust from the Eli Manning-to- David Tyree miracle play has settled and the smoke from New England's late-game implosion has cleared.
Okay, maybe not. The play is still a fixture on YouTube, it will be a staple of "SportsCenter" highlight reels for decades, Bill Belichick and the Patriots are still mired in the Spygate controversy, and endless Super Bowl XLII discussion is still rampant. Nonetheless, there is time enough to break away from the past for just a moment and instead discuss the future. Namely the future of these two esteemed franchises.
Can the New York Giants and New England Patriots make a return trip to the Super Bowl for a rematch in the 53rd edition of America's biggest sporting event? Well, the long road back begins now in preparation for the 2008 NFL Draft.
While the Patriots' offense fizzled in the Super Bowl under the constant pressure of the Giants' defensive line, that unit is obviously still borderline flawless. It's the defense that has to be addressed, and the most glaring problem on that side of the ball is without question the age of the linebacker corps. Mike Vrabel is 32, Tedy Bruschi is 34 (and an old 34 at that), and Junior Seau just turned 39. That's right; the two insider linebackers sport a combined age of 73. Yep, I'd say it's time for an overhaul.
Unfortunately for New England, the top inside linebackers available in the 2008 draft are not worth drafting with the seventh overall pick (that's where the Patriots stand thanks to owning San Francisco's first-round pick). James Laurinaitis would have been an enticing option, but he decided to go back to Ohio State. That leaves another Buckeye, Vernon Gholston, as the only real option if the Patriots want to address the linebacker position with the seventh pick. Gholston was a monster at defensive end for Ohio State, but he can also be converted to outside linebacker in New England's 3-4 scheme. Again, the more glaring need is inside, but the Patriots also could upgrade at one of the defensive end positions, so perhaps Gholston could remain at DE for a while; at least until Vrabel decides to call it a career.
If Bill Belichick really wants to meet the needs of the immediate present rather than solve the linebacker issue that could be an even bigger problem one or two years down the road, then he could go cornerback in the first round. Asante Samuel is almost certainly on the way out via free agency and the quality depth at the position is not there to sufficiently replace him from within. That means South Florida cornerback Mike Jenkins could be packing his bags for New England. Jenkins has the size, speed, and athleticism to make an immediate impact at the next level and he can also help out in the return game if the Patriots want to preserve Wes Welker's health for primarily wide receiver duties.
The decision might be made easier for the Patriots, as Gholston is coveted by several teams picking ahead of New England. At least one of two premier cornerbacks in the draft (Jenkins and Leodis McKelvin from Troy) will certainly be available at number seven.
The Super Bowl champion Giants are not lucky enough to own the draft pick of one of the worst teams in the NFL, so they will not be selecting until the very end of the first round. That's not to say the 32nd slot lacks importance or is incapable of yielding an immediate-impact player. There will definitely be players who have the talent to start as rookies available at this point of the draft, and while the Giants are the champs, it's not like they don't have any holes.
Like the Patriots, New York needs to take a long, hard look at its corps of linebackers. Kawika Mitchell flanks MLB Antonio Pierce on one side, but an upgrade is necessary on the other side. Keith Rivers of USC and Dan Connor, who enjoyed a renowned career at Penn State, could both fall all the way down to No. 32. If that doesn't happen, Oklahoma's Curtis Lofton is shooting up draft boards and should draw some serious attention from the Giants at the upcoming NFL combine.
Realizing that the Giants and Patriots are already linked by their epic Super Bowl encounter as well as their most glaring need at the NFL draft, you can probably guess New York's second biggest area of concern. Yep, cornerback. Sam Madison is 33-years-old and if Bruschi is an old 34, Madison is an ancient 33. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Antoine Cason look like potential steals at the end of the first round.
One thing the Giants should definitely avoid is taking a running back early in the draft. Some experts say they need a change-of-pace back to platoon with the punishing Brandon Jacobs. Last I checked, however, Ahmad Bradshaw handled that duty to perfection at the end of the regular season and throughout the postseason. And even if Bradshaw is not as good his spurts of brilliance would suggest, Jacobs is certainly capable of being an every-down running back in the NFL. I still think some of the Patriots' defenders must be reeling from the hits Jacobs put on them in the Super Bowl. That's right — Jacobs was hitting the defenders; the defenders weren't hitting Jacobs.
If the Giants insist on improving the offense early in the draft (they probably shouldn't), the only logical areas to address are offensive line and wide receiver. Of course now that Plaxico Burress and David Tyree have recently added a Super Bowl-winning touchdown catch and the greatest catch in Super Bowl history to their resumes, respectively, perhaps that position is no longer an issue. Offensive tackle, however, should be looked at and some possibilities at No. 32 would include Pittsburgh's Jeff Otah, Mississippi's Michael Oher, and Vanderbilt's Chris Williams.
The bottom line is that as good as the Patriots were last year and as good as the Giants looked at the end of the year, neither team can sit idly this offseason if it hopes to make it back to the Super Bowl. Sure, free agency could end up being the most important factor between now and the start of the 2008 season, but just as easily, the NFL draft could be the difference between winning and losing next year and could definite the fate of each franchise's future.
Then again, both teams could always just bag the first five rounds and draft the second coming of Tom Brady in the sixth. That doesn't sound like a bad plan.
Guess who else was drafted in the sixth round.
Yes. You guessed it. One David Tyree.
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