The early returns on the new West Coast offense implemented by the Giants are not good, but that is not a huge deal for Jon Gruden, the former Raiders and Buccaneers head coach who will be in the booth with Mike Tirico in Detroit when the Giants face the Lions on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”
“I’m more concerned with the personnel right now and the question marks that they have on the offensive side of the ball than I am with the system,’’ Gruden (inset above) said Tuesday on a conference call.
Gruden said he has been “studying the Giants carefully for the last couple weeks,’’ and it hardly is a revelation that his view of their offense is “it’s been up and down throughout the preseason.’’ In particular, Gruden sees a different Eli Manning as he works out the kinks in the new offense.
“Eli Manning has changed his fundamentals — he even stands differently in the shotgun,’’ Gruden said. “There are a lot of different receivers, there are new linemen, there are new running backs. So not only is he learning a new system and learning new coaches, he’s had to react to a lot of new players everywhere. It’s going to be, I think, a process throughout the season.’’
Manning has said the same thing, that the offense is a work in progress. He managed to direct just three touchdown drives in 17 series with the starters and did not complete half his passes. These things take time.
“I remember when we went to Tampa, we weren’t very good at all the first few weeks, but by the end of the season, we were clicking on all cylinders and got hot at the right time,’’ Gruden said. “Eli Manning has to stay committed to it. He has to continue to keep an open mind, and hopefully they get Odell Beckham back, because they don’t appear to have the firepower at wide receiver or tight end that Giant teams have had in the past, and the offensive line is still a big question mark from the personnel standpoint regardless of the system.’’
Tuesday was the first time teams could put players on injured reserve/designated to return. A player on that list cannot practice until the sixth week of the season and cannot play in a game until after Week 8. The Giants did not place guard Geoff Schwartz (dislocated right big toe) on the short-term IR list.
In need of added depth on the offensive line, the Giants are expected to sign Adam Snyder, a 32-year-old veteran guard who also has experience at tackle. Snyder has 87 NFL starts for the 49ers, who waived him this summer.
With Schwartz sidelined and Brandon Mosley — penciled in as the starting right guard — missing time with a bad back, help is needed to avoid a repeat of last season’s meltdown on the offensive line.
TE Jerome Cunningham was with the Giants in training camp and was signed to the practice squad.
