Keith Bulluck is not the answer for the Giants at middle linebacker.
It’s not what you think.
Bulluck, signed in the offseason supposedly to move in as the starting middle linebacker, was told Monday he’s now going to line up as an outside linebacker. For the past 10 years, outside (weak side) linebacker is where Bulluck played and started for the Past eight seasons with the Titans.
“It can be tough, just a matter of getting in our book and studying your material,” Bulluck said of the sudden change. “It’s a little bit of a challenge but I’ll be all right.
“I’m just happy to be in the situation I’m in. I’m getting an opportunity to learn the system, to play, we’ll see what happens. My guess is just as good as yours. I know it always helps the team when you have players that can be versatile and flexible to play multiple positions.”
The move probably has little to do with Bulluck, who is coming off ACL knee surgery last December. The starting linebacker trio in training camp and in the first two preseason games was Michael Boley and Clint Sintim on the outside and Jonathan Goff in the middle. The common perception was eventually, Bulluck would simply slide into Goff’s spot. Well, that’s not happening. The Giants seemingly are happier with Goff in the middle than they are with Sintim, who was thrust into a starting role in his second season. After the second preseason game, when the coaches evaluated the position, they seemed to determine that for now, their three best players are Boley, Goff and Bulluck and they switched Bulluck in and moved Sintim out.
“I’m not really surprised,it’s not something I think about too often,” Sintim said. “I just think it’s another good player at a position to help me out and to compete with. He’s been at that position for like a decade. He knows what he’s doing. You can always use more help, especially with a guy like him who’s played the position for so long, you can only benefit from somebody who knows the position.”
Bulluck wants to start but is just a bit confused. Learning a new system is plenty of work and he hadn’t ever even looked at the assignments for outside linebackers until he was told to do so yesterday.
“I’m playing the same position I’ve always played,” Bulluck said. “It’s a different system, for the last month or so I’ve been practicing at the middle linebacker ands the last two I’ve at he outside linebacker. I just want to get out there and help and contribute.
“I don’t anticipate playing anywhere on Saturday. I don’t know. Maybe I should ask some questions and get some answers. I’m kind of just going with the flow at this point. It’s not bothering me either way. I came here with the anticipation of playing linebacker somewhere and I hope that’s still in the organization’s interest as well.
“If I’m a starter in this defense that’s what I’ve been working towards with the limited reps I had. If I’m not I feel like I’m too talented not to play so we’ll see. It’s a long season.
“You know what? I don’t know what my role is. I’m just here right now learning the positions they’re putting me at, learning the system, I’m learning the New York Giant way. I don’t portray myself as a starter or anything right now. I just portray myself as another one of the guys learning, I’m the new kid learning the system.”
