The NFL is an unpredictable business.
The next, he tears his ACL and is out for the season, only to be replaced by Will Hill, who emerges in a formidable tandem alongside Antrel Rolle in 2013 and sets the stage for the 2014 campaign. Then the Giants waive Hill on Monday following the announcement of his latest suspension for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse.
Now what?
It's next man up. And the Giants can look to their personnel decisions this offseason, from re-signing Brown to acquiring Quintin Demps in free agency and drafting Nat Berhe last month.
The bolstered depth creates competition at safety this summer, and it begins with Brown to play opposite Rolle. After undergoing knee surgery last September, Brown is currently participating in OTAs at that position.
"I'm not 100 [percent], but I'm also not managing it," Brown told Giants.comabout his knee before the news of Hill's release. "It's just one of those things I'm going out there and doing all that I can and watching my reps and definitely counting how many I take… If there's any awkwardness or anything like that, then we'll sit it down. But right now everything is going well and I'm feeling great."
While Brown and the Giants hope he can repeat some of his 2012 success, the other members of the group will try to find their own.
Demps, who has made most of his professional impact as a kick returner, brings over experience after six NFL seasons with Philadelphia, Houston, and most recently Kansas City. Meanwhile, Cooper Taylor, a 2013 fifth-round draft pick by the Giants, has a year under his belt in getting acclimated to the NFL level. That's where he has an advantage on Berhe and undrafted rookies CJ Barnett out of Ohio State and Thomas Gordon out of Michigan.
To gauge where they all could be lining up, Giants.com looks at Big Blue's safeties and their career starts by position.
|
SS |
FS |
3rd S/DB |
CB |
||
| Antrel Rolle |
15 |
77 |
1 |
30 |
|
| Stevie Brown |
11 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
| Quintin Demps |
0 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
|
| Cooper Taylor |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| Nat Berhe |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| CJ Barnett |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| Thomas Gordon |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
