The New York Giants finished second in the NFC East last year, making their first trip to the playoffs since they won the Super Bowl in 2011. This year, the Giants are hoping to return to the playoffs, only this time, with the best record in the NFC East.
Last season, the Giants were unable to get inconsistent results from the kicking position because they released veteran kicker Josh Brown after allegations of domestic abuse surfaced. Since they cut Brown during the season, they were unable to find an adequate replacement for him.
This year, New York is making sure it doesn’t repeat the same mistake as last year and the team brought in Aldrick Rosas to try out for the kicker position.
Last season, Rosas played in three preseason games for the Tennessee Titans, and made his only field goal attempt, which was a 33 yarder. He also converted four of four extra point attempts.
Usually, when teams bring in kickers in training camp and the preseason, they bring in at least two kickers so there is some competition and the team has the luxury of picking the kicker that performs better.
However, the Giants didn’t bring in any other kicker to compete with Rosas, which means the job is his if he wants it, as long as he performs well.
Despite not having another kicker in camp to compete with, Rosas said he still has a lot of competition for the job because he watches other kickers around the league and knows that if he messes up, the Giants can easily pick up another kicker in free agency or one that is released by another team during the preseason.
On Sunday, after watching Rosas kick for the first time, Giants coach Ben McAdoo said he thought the kicker did a nice job, but he also wanted to watch some game tape on Rosas. McAdoo said the way Rosas responds to game action will help determine if he makes the team’s final roster.
McAdoo said the best way to see Rosas react to game time situations is to put 80,000 people in the stands and see how he performs. The head coach also credited the fans for keeping Rosas on his feet because they show up in force and yell things that helps put pressure on the young kicker.
Despite the assistance from the fans, McAdoo said there is nothing that can substitute for the real thing, which is playing in front of a packed stadium either during the preseason or regular season.
If the Giants decide not to keep Rosas, they might bring in Dan Carpenter, who played for the Buffalo Bills last season. Even though numerous reports have Carpenter as their backup plan for Rosas, the 31-year-old struggled last season and might not be a good fit for the Giants.
Since the Giants are looking for stability and consistency at the kicker position, going with a younger kicker makes a lot of sense. However, if Rosas can’t handle the pressure of playing in New York, expect to see the Giants make a change.
