Free Agency

The Giants made big moves in free agency that, in my opinion, make the Giants the team to beat in the NFC and a favorite to win another Super Bowl. And my conclusion is before we know if Burress will play for the Giants this year and before the draft.

First, before addressing free agency, the Giants signed Brandon Jacobs. As big as their free agency moves were, the signing of Jacobs was even bigger. With Jacobs on board, the Giants will be a "in your face" pound-it out running team for the forseeable future.

They then turned their attention to free agency and made three huge signings. They solidified weakside linebacker with the signing of Michael Boley, then improved the defensive line with the additions of defensive tackles Ricky Bernard and Chris Canty. The defensive line in 2009 will feature the likes of Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Mathias Kiwanuka, Chris Canty, Barry Cofield, Fred Robbins, Rocky Bernard, and Jay Alford. That is incredible depth. Most would start for any team in the league.

Figure the Giants to add a linebacker and at least one corner/safety in the draft. This defense is fast across the board and strong up front. It is geared to decimate other teams' quarterbacks. Ignoring special teams for the moment, the Giants are set to dominate in three of four phases -run defense, pass defense, and run offense. The only question mark is the passing game with the loss of both Burress and Toomer. There is has been much speculation that the Giants - with a bevy of draft picks - they hold 5 of the first top selections - may trade for a veteran wide receiver to replace Burress. I'd prefer to sit pat and use those top 5 selections to strengthen the team for years to come.

This team is poised to dominate for years to come. The only monkey wrench is that just when the Giants come into their own, the league is facing an uncertain future with increasing talk of a lost season in 2011 due to failing labor negotiations. The same thing happened to the Giants following the 1986 Super Bowl and they never really recovered. Hopefully that won't happen this time and ruin what appears to be the dawning of the greatest era in Giants history.