Giants kiwanuka switches to LB

[BlueinBuf]

http://giants.com/news/eisen/story.asp?story_id=25327

You miss one sack on vince young and you're not allowed to play DE anymore i guess. I'm interested to see how it works out though.

[DeMarco Murray 29]

Did NY ever get its left tackle?

[BlueTiki21]

http://giants.com/news/eisen/story.asp?story_id=25327

You miss one sack on vince young and you're not allowed to play DE anymore i guess. I'm interested to see how it works out though.

I don't think that they are doing this to take him away from the defensive end position. They are just trying to get as many talented players on the field as possible. There's no point in wasting Kiwanuka's great talent on the bench behind Strahan and Umenyiora.

I'm excited to see how this works. There were a few of times last year where he proved he could drop back, I think he got two interceptions. I think it's a great idea.

[ptr77]

I don't think that they are doing this to take him away from the defensive end position. They are just trying to get as many talented players on the field as possible. There's no point in wasting Kiwanuka's great talent on the bench behind Strahan and Umenyiora.

I'm excited to see how this works. There were a few of times last year where he proved he could drop back, I think he got two interceptions. I think it's a great idea.

I love this idea. Kiwi was a pimp dropping back in coverage from DE and from SLB (3rd downs he played a lot, before strahan and CO went down). He also blitzed well from the linebacker spot, is good on the line, and is quick and smart. There is no way he is worse in coverage than emmons or arrington. If he doesn't pan out there he can always go back to DE, be a third down LB, or just lose his job to blackburn, Deossie, or mitchell. I am also excited because it shows someone else saw something in awasom, i think this guy has developed nicely under Strahan's mentoring (like some probowler the giants have) and is a solid backup.

[RunClintonRun26]

I doubt Giants fans would have a problem with this . . . as stated above, he showed that he is capable of dropping back into coverage or play with his hands up.

Of course, they wont be using him as a pure LB . . . or an every-down LB for that matter . . . but as stated earlier, you want the most talent on the field. And from what he showed last year, he definitely is talented.

[DWinzit]

I don't think that they are doing this to take him away from the defensive end position. They are just trying to get as many talented players on the field as possible. There's no point in wasting Kiwanuka's great talent on the bench behind Strahan and Umenyiora.

I'm excited to see how this works. There were a few of times last year where he proved he could drop back, I think he got two interceptions. I think it's a great idea.

This will be interesting to watch and surely worth a shot. He is very athletic and can cover small zones. However, teams run at him for a reason when at DE.

[DWinzit]

Did NY ever get its left tackle?

No they didn't, I think they made a big mistake. They should have taken Joe Staley when they had the chance. Actually, they should have never let Luke go, one move I'll never understand.

I am also very surprised The Giants did not jump on U Albany DB Rashad Barksdale like had been rumored.

IMO these moves will come back to bite them!

[Blue Hefner 58]

No they didn't, I think they made a big mistake. They should have taken Joe Staley when they had the chance. Actually, they should have never let Luke go, one move I'll never understand.

I am also very surprised The Giants did not jump on U Albany DB Rashad Barksdale like had been rumored.

IMO these moves will come back to bite them!

Love the switch!:applause:

For those who are puzzled by the giants not going OT early read this...

Giants Pleased with Whimper's Progress: Both Head Coach Tom Coughlin and General Manager Jerry Reese had some nice things to say about second-year LT Guy Whimper today. Whimper is expected to compete with David Diehl for the starting left tackle spot vacated by the departure of Luke Petitgout this offseason.

"I have been real impressed with what has been going on with Guy Whimper here in the off-season," said Coughlin. "We have done a lot of individual things with him. He is a very, very good athlete. Obviously he has the experience of one year here which is going to help him from having an opportunity to learn the system a little bit better. We will know more about that as we move along. I am not ready to say that (Diehl is the starter) at this time." "We won a game with David Diehl at left tackle," said Reese. "And if we have to play him out there, we will be okay. Don't forget Guy Whimper. I think Guy Whimper is a good football player. I think he is going to be a very good football player at left tackle. So don't discount Guy Whimper as a left tackle."

[DWinzit]

Love the switch!:applause:

For those who are puzzled by the giants not going OT early read this...

I've reading that crap for months and I don't buy it.

[DCsportsfan53]

This doesn't make much sense at all. This isn't a 3-4 defense where they can just move him around and make him almost exclusively a pass rushing LB. He's going to have to cover and as a starting SLB (which, according to ESPN, he's penciled in as right now) he's going to have to cover NFCE tight ends. I can't see how he possibly has enough coverage experience to do this competently. Very dumb move by the Giants. They have huge holes at LB and they're trying to take the shortcut to get them filled. I understand you want Kiwanuka on the field because he's a good player but he can't beat out Strahan and Osi but this is not the way to do it. I'll be surprised as hell if he makes it out of camp still a starting LB.

[NFC Beast]

No they didn't, I think they made a big mistake. They should have taken Joe Staley when they had the chance. Actually, they should have never let Luke go, one move I'll never understand.

I am also very surprised The Giants did not jump on U Albany DB Rashad Barksdale like had been rumored.

IMO these moves will come back to bite them!

Joe Staley is Guy Whimper with a little more expireience. Same technique, same atributes, same style and athletisism. Staley would have been a horrible pick for us in the first.

It was Joe Thomas or Levi Brown we wanted....

[Tom [Giants fan]]

This doesn't make much sense at all. This isn't a 3-4 defense where they can just move him around and make him almost exclusively a pass rushing LB. He's going to have to cover and as a starting SLB (which, according to ESPN, he's penciled in as right now) he's going to have to cover NFCE tight ends. I can't see how he possibly has enough coverage experience to do this competently. Very dumb move by the Giants. They have huge holes at LB and they're trying to take the shortcut to get them filled. I understand you want Kiwanuka on the field because he's a good player but he can't beat out Strahan and Osi but this is not the way to do it. I'll be surprised as hell if he makes it out of camp still a starting LB.

[/Quote]

You shouldn't really comment on things you don't know. Kiwanuka dropped back in coverage a lot last year. He did it very well too. He even has better hands than most of the Giants current and recently former DB's as sad as it is to say. Kiwanuka has all the tools to be a LB'er. This is a great move to get him on the field with Osi and Strahan.

[DCsportsfan53]

']You shouldn't really comment on things you don't know. Kiwanuka dropped back in coverage a lot last year. He did it very well too. He even has better hands than most of the Giants current and recently former DB's as sad as it is to say. Kiwanuka has all the tools to be a LB'er. This is a great move to get him on the field with Osi and Strahan.

Dropping into coverage from the DE position from time to time is one thing. He does not have the experience required to handle the full time coverage responsibilities of a SAM backer. Can you honestly tell me he's going to cover Witten, Cooley and LJ down the field? All I can say is I sure hope he gets the chance against us. He's going to man up with Westbrook and Portis/Betts out of the backfield? I'm sorry, I don't see it. Seems like a desparation move in Coughlin's last gasp of a season. :2cents:

[Fifty Gut]

they are desperate for LBs, are you really that surprised?

[Tom [Giants fan]]

No one has experience in doing something in the NFL until they do it. And doing it in college while giving you a bit of a head start is not the same thing as doing it in the NFL. Luckily, he has a little over four months until the season starts to work on it. I firmly believe he will be just fine. And having someone like that at that position to blitz too is a bonus.

[DCsportsfan53]

']No one has experience in doing something in the NFL until they do it. And doing it in college while giving you a bit of a head start is not the same thing as doing it in the NFL. Luckily' date=' he has a little over four months until the season starts to work on it. I firmly believe he will be just fine. And having someone like that at that position to blitz too is a bonus.[/quote']

I don't doubt he'll be an excellent blitzer. However, there's a reason you don't see DEs getting converted to 4-3 backers. It works in a 3-4 because you can do a lot more to limit their coverage responsibilities. Someone like Joey Porter hardly ever plays coverage. That's just not possible as a 4-3 backer, especially playing the strong side over the TE. You don't learn how to play REAL coverage (not the flat and short zones he played as a DE), manning up against some of the best recieving TEs and RBs in the league in 4 months. What you're expecting is completely unrealistic and nearly out of the realm of possibilities. Like I said, I'll be awfully surprised if he's still the starting SLB once the season starts and if he is, I can't WAIT to see him try to cover Cooley down field.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

']You shouldn't really comment on things you don't know. Kiwanuka dropped back in coverage a lot last year. He did it very well too. He even has better hands than most of the Giants current and recently former DB's as sad as it is to say. Kiwanuka has all the tools to be a LB'er. This is a great move to get him on the field with Osi and Strahan.

I agree. I would be excited about this if I were a Giants fan. This shows that they're trying field the best 11 defensive players possible. It may not work out, but then you just switch him back, no harm done.

[Blue Hefner 58]

I don't doubt he'll be an excellent blitzer. However, there's a reason you don't see DEs getting converted to 4-3 backers. It works in a 3-4 because you can do a lot more to limit their coverage responsibilities. Someone like Joey Porter hardly ever plays coverage. That's just not possible as a 4-3 backer, especially playing the strong side over the TE. You don't learn how to play REAL coverage (not the flat and short zones he played as a DE), manning up against some of the best recieving TEs and RBs in the league in 4 months. What you're expecting is completely unrealistic and nearly out of the realm of possibilities. Like I said, I'll be awfully surprised if he's still the starting SLB once the season starts and if he is, I can't WAIT to see him try to cover Cooley down field.

:laugh: WE SHALL SEE!

[pjfootballer]

This doesn't make much sense at all. This isn't a 3-4 defense where they can just move him around and make him almost exclusively a pass rushing LB. He's going to have to cover and as a starting SLB (which, according to ESPN, he's penciled in as right now) he's going to have to cover NFCE tight ends. I can't see how he possibly has enough coverage experience to do this competently. Very dumb move by the Giants. They have huge holes at LB and they're trying to take the shortcut to get them filled. I understand you want Kiwanuka on the field because he's a good player but he can't beat out Strahan and Osi but this is not the way to do it. I'll be surprised as hell if he makes it out of camp still a starting LB.

I agree. it will be a big learning curve for a guy used to having his hand on the ground. How do you draft a guy as a DE, then in his 2nd year switch him to LB? Strahan can't play forever. They should have kept him as the 3rd DE.

[DWinzit]

Joe Staley is Guy Whimper with a little more expireience. Same technique, same atributes, same style and athletisism. Staley would have been a horrible pick for us in the first.

There is reason why Staley went in the 1st round and the Giants grabbed Whimper in the bottom of the 4th. Staley will be a good OLT, has better tools and much more experience. He is especially good in the passing game, something Eli would have loved at the end of last season.

We'll see how horrible the pick would have been if Eli finds himself rushed and often picking himself off the ground!

[Tom [Giants fan]]

The Guy Whimper thing may be a moot point as the Giants are in talks with the Cleveland Browns for their previously starting LT.

[DWinzit]

']The Guy Whimper thing may be a moot point as the Giants are in talks with the Cleveland Browns for their previously starting LT.

Who is that, Shaffer? Very interesting! I still think Staley was their long term answer!

[DWinzit]

Are you guys surprised the Giants did not pick up a third down back? Yeah I know they chose Bradshow in the 7th, but he is not the answer. I thought they would look in the mid rounds. Is there any rumors of a FA coming in?

[Fifty Gut]

Are you guys surprised the Giants did not pick up a third down back? Yeah I know they chose Bradshow in the 7th, but he is not the answer. I thought they would look in the mid rounds. Is there any rumors of a FA coming in?

they should have picked up a first down back

[TheMostLikeThat]

thats actually kinda scary...a 6-7 linebacker could be deadly