OBJ Trade shows Giants are returning to their roots

As a tormented NY Jet fan, I have always been sick to my stomach at the dysfunction of that organization from decade to decade. They literally go out of their way to do things backward and impulsively. On the other hand, I have always admired the Giants, Steelers, Patriots and the Packers. They tend to do football the old fashioned way and no one player is bigger than the franchise. They are not show boats and nearly everyone is replaceable. In recent years though, the Giants and Steelers have gotten away from their blue collar roots and allowed the likes of OBJ, Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown to do what they want and act out like children. Quite frankly I was shocked when OBJ attacked the FG net in the picture above and wasn’t disciplined or at least sat down with management to remind him “We are the NY Football Giants, we don’t act like that, so knock that crap off. Instead he had one meltdown after another (attacking Josh Norman) and was a sideline headache. So why did the Giants pull the plug?

1) Antonio Brown: When AB started his twitter war with the team and walked out on the team last year it was embarrassing. Although under contract for two more years, he wanted more money. He shocked many people, including this Bozo, by accomplishing the unthinkable. He strong armed the Rooney family and forced his way out of Pittsburgh to the dysfunctional Raiders who promptly gave him $30 million in new guarantees. You don’t think OBJ was watching this carefully? He signed a 5 year deal last year but by this time next year would be going into his 3rd year of that deal with the guaranteed money and bonuses already paid. That means he would be playing the final 2 years for much less than guys like Jarvis Landry and AB now. Do you really want to put up with OBJ taking pot shots about the team and his contract 12 months from now? AB has set the bar for diva receivers to get a new contract at their whim so this was bound to blow up within a year. Cleveland should take note of this.

2) Eli Manning: OBJ spent the better part of last year taking shots at Eli and his inability to get him the ball. Truthfully, that criticism is fair and it points to the obvious: Why keep OBJ around at his price tag when you don’t have a QB to get him the ball? There is speculation that the G-men may take Haskins of Ohio State with the 1st pick but he is a rookie and will most likely spend the year on the bench while Eli has his bon voyage tour. Even if Haskins does get in, receivers like OBJ can add an awful lot of pressure to a kid trying to develop. That’s why the Cowboys parted with Dez Bryant, he was disrupting the development of Dak Prescott. The bottom line is that the decision to not take a QB last year has caused a delay in the reset and rebuild so why pay all that money for a guy who will not get the ball much?

3) NY Giants Football: I believe part of this trade (and Pittsburgh’s dumping of Bell and Brown) was to return to old school football and discipline for both teams. Build through the draft but get quiet, hard working guys like Saquon Barkley. Quite frankly OBJ is the only diva receiver I can recall in the past few decades of Giant football. In doing this trade, the Giants free up money for next year while at the same time getting the safety they desperately need in Jabril Peppers, who is on a rookie contract for less than a million and if he develops, he can be managed though extensions and franchise tags. Their previous safety Landon Collins, signed with the dysfunctional Redskins for $84 million. $84 million for a safety on a team that won 8 games in two years seems like a reach. The Giants also jettisoned Oliver Vernon who under whelmed in his time with them as well. My guess is the Giants realized the need to build through the draft and use their cap space for their own players after they develop. It is a smart move that the G-men deployed for years until recently when they began dabbling with free agents.

This Bozo thinks it was a wise choice to unload the Diva and look for the team player who may not be as flashy but knows how to win and puts the team needs ahead of his own. Last I checked Julian Edelman was the super bowl MVP by out working and out thinking the defenses.

-BSB