Giants Still Concerned With Kenny Phillips

3) The Giants signed Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant to help at the Safety position this off season. Then they drafted Safety Chad Jones in round three. What does this tell us about their prognosis of the health of Kenny Phillips?

I think it tells you a lot. It definitely tells you they're uncertain, which is what I -- and several of my colleagues -- tried to tell you from the very beginning. The Giants kept insisting he'd be 100%, he'd be the same player, etc., but there was no way they could know that. It's a serious knee condition. Many doctors, far smarter than you and I and the Giants' PR staff and coaches, insist a condition like this has the potential to derail a career. At the very least there's no guarantee Phillips will ever be the same player again. And I think you've started to hear the Giants finally admit that. In a pre-free agency interview, GM Jerry Reese said something like "we can't put all our eggs in Kenny Phillips' basket" at safety. Before the draft, Tom Coughlin said the team is "hopeful" -- not sure -- that Phillips will be ready by Opening Day.

If they were sure, they wouldn't have spent $37 million on Antrel Rolle AND signed Deon Grant AND drafted Chad Jones. That would be some insane overkill. Now, there is still a possibility Phillips will be back and be 100% and be the same player. In that case, the Giants are supremely deep at that position (and they can say goodbye to Michael Johnson). But they just don't know if that will happen. So they were smart to hedge their bets.

Click here to order Kenny Phillips' proCane Rookie Card.



(giantsbigblueblog.com)