From BBI
Accorsi's Annual Pre-Draft Press Conference: General Manager Ernie Accorsi held his annual pre-draft press conference yesterday. The transcript is available at Giants.com, as is the video from the conference. Items of note:
http://www.giants.com/news/transcripts/sto...?story_id=15199
Accorsi was asked if the Giants had to get a weakside linebacker out of this draft or did the team have other options: "We have options. We are not going to pick a linebacker just to pick a linebacker. That is just not going to happen. We are going to pick a player that is decidedly higher rated; we will pick the player that is decidedly higher rated. That is just the way it is going to be. There are a lot of linebackers in this league that were picked in the second and third round; they are in the Hall of Fame…There are other veterans out there. I'm not going to say a word about who they are, but there are other veterans."
Accorsi on the weakside linebacker position in the Giants' system: "(Moving linebackers around) is not as complicated in our system. That is more interchangeable in our system; that all depends on the coaches. Our (weakside linebacker) is almost an inside linebacker the way we play it, because we have a 4-3 with a 3-4 flavor. So that is not as complicated as it might be in some defenses."
On acquiring a nose tackle: "We'll get one. I think we have some pretty good players – veterans – that we have picked up over the last couple of years. But, we will end up with one…Either way (in the draft or free agency)."
On trading up or down: "I don't think anything dramatic. I think that you never know – I'm not really inclined to – I think we will use our draft choices – we have six…Unless there is something that we really feel urgent about, we probably won't because we just want to use our six picks. We don't have any supplemental picks because of all the players we signed last year. So we are not going to be inclined to do that."
Accorsi said the Giants are "more likely" to sign another veteran quarterback than draft one, but did not discount the possibility of drafting one.
Accorsi on the Giants' draft board: "I would say because of free agency, (we have ) 400 to 450 (names on our draft board). In February we read 1,000. But we have a grade that basically from that point on, we have never had to go below that to sign a free agent after the draft. Obviously we have more names than there are draft picks. The interesting thing is that I would say this, every draft board in the league that you do it by position and stagger it according to grade and you do it by round. And I would venture that every draft board in the League – when the draft is over – they still have players in the first seven rounds that they rated as draftable that still haven't been picked. That happens to everyone; it has happened in every draft, too."
On drafting on need versus value: "You have players – you might 15 players rated with the same grade. But if it is close you might go with the need, but it has to be very close. The reason being is this is no perfect formula. If there is a tenth of a point difference between two players, are two-tenths of a point difference, that is nothing but opinion anyway. So basically, like the polls on political elections, it is too close to call. That is a factor that they consider even. So if it is that close, sure you are going to go my need. But what you are hoping for is that the highest rated player is the position that you need. And that happens, it happens a lot."
Head Coach Tom Coughlin Interview: The video of Head Coach Tom Coughlin's recent interview on ESPN's Cold Pizza is available at YouTube.com.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWOMgdL-yWo
Accorsi's Annual Pre-Draft Press Conference: General Manager Ernie Accorsi held his annual pre-draft press conference yesterday. The transcript is available at Giants.com, as is the video from the conference. Items of note:
http://www.giants.com/news/transcripts/sto...?story_id=15199
Accorsi was asked if the Giants had to get a weakside linebacker out of this draft or did the team have other options: "We have options. We are not going to pick a linebacker just to pick a linebacker. That is just not going to happen. We are going to pick a player that is decidedly higher rated; we will pick the player that is decidedly higher rated. That is just the way it is going to be. There are a lot of linebackers in this league that were picked in the second and third round; they are in the Hall of Fame…There are other veterans out there. I'm not going to say a word about who they are, but there are other veterans."
Accorsi on the weakside linebacker position in the Giants' system: "(Moving linebackers around) is not as complicated in our system. That is more interchangeable in our system; that all depends on the coaches. Our (weakside linebacker) is almost an inside linebacker the way we play it, because we have a 4-3 with a 3-4 flavor. So that is not as complicated as it might be in some defenses."
On acquiring a nose tackle: "We'll get one. I think we have some pretty good players – veterans – that we have picked up over the last couple of years. But, we will end up with one…Either way (in the draft or free agency)."
On trading up or down: "I don't think anything dramatic. I think that you never know – I'm not really inclined to – I think we will use our draft choices – we have six…Unless there is something that we really feel urgent about, we probably won't because we just want to use our six picks. We don't have any supplemental picks because of all the players we signed last year. So we are not going to be inclined to do that."
Accorsi said the Giants are "more likely" to sign another veteran quarterback than draft one, but did not discount the possibility of drafting one.
Accorsi on the Giants' draft board: "I would say because of free agency, (we have ) 400 to 450 (names on our draft board). In February we read 1,000. But we have a grade that basically from that point on, we have never had to go below that to sign a free agent after the draft. Obviously we have more names than there are draft picks. The interesting thing is that I would say this, every draft board in the league that you do it by position and stagger it according to grade and you do it by round. And I would venture that every draft board in the League – when the draft is over – they still have players in the first seven rounds that they rated as draftable that still haven't been picked. That happens to everyone; it has happened in every draft, too."
On drafting on need versus value: "You have players – you might 15 players rated with the same grade. But if it is close you might go with the need, but it has to be very close. The reason being is this is no perfect formula. If there is a tenth of a point difference between two players, are two-tenths of a point difference, that is nothing but opinion anyway. So basically, like the polls on political elections, it is too close to call. That is a factor that they consider even. So if it is that close, sure you are going to go my need. But what you are hoping for is that the highest rated player is the position that you need. And that happens, it happens a lot."
Head Coach Tom Coughlin Interview: The video of Head Coach Tom Coughlin's recent interview on ESPN's Cold Pizza is available at YouTube.com.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWOMgdL-yWo
