Big Blue View
Former New York Giants general manager George Young had his own version of the “Planet Theory.” Young believed having the bigger, stronger athletes gave a team a better chance to win, and that you should collect as many of those players as you could.
Young would have loved John Harbaugh, the Giants’ new head coach.
An old-school coach who always tried to build big, imposing, physically dominant teams during his 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Harbaugh is returning the Giants to their “Planet Theory” roots.
Tremaine Edmunds (6-foot-4, 251 pounds) and Arvell Reese (6-4, 243) have been added at linebacker, replacing the 6-2, 235-pound Bobby Okereke. Daniel Faalele, a 6-8, 380-pound guard, has come over from the Baltimore Ravens. Evan Neal, 6-7, 340 pounds, is being given another chance. UDFA right tackle Ryan Schernecke is 6-7, 330 pounds. Second-round pick Francis Mauigoa is 6-6, 335. Defensive tackle Josh Tupou is 350 pounds. New nose tackle D.J. Reader is 6-3, 335 pounds.
Wide receiver Malachi Fields is 6-4, 222 pounds. JuJu Smith-Schuster is just 6-1, but he is a solid 215 pounds.
Reader, who met the media for the first time as a Giant on Wednesday, had a great description for the collection of players Harbaugh has assembled.
“We kind of got a get-off-the-bus type of team,” Reader said. “You look at it, there’s a bunch of big, strong, fast guys running around. That’s exciting when you’re playing on defense.”
Reader, 31, is one of those “get-off-the-bus” type players, despite the flecks of gray visible in his beard.
Reader, of course, will man the position that Dexter Lawrence vacated when he muscled his way out of New Jersey and was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I’m not necessarily his replacement,” Reader said.
Reader said he knew when talking to the Giants that Lawrence being traded was a possibility. He wasn’t concerned about whether he would be teaming with Lawrence, or becoming the primary nose tackle.
“It was more so I wanted to be in a place with some good pieces,” Reader said.
He believes he has found that with the Giants.
“You see the special pieces on the edge. You got three edges that are proven, can play,” Reader said. “The guys in the middle, safeties, linebackers. It’s a team you kind of want to be around.
“You look at the guys, you see what is in your room. A lot of teams aren’t really built like that. If you can do it right and put it together, it can be special.”
Only time will tell if that will happen. At the least, they will look more imposing.
