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New York Giants Must Re-Sign Antrel Rolle

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By @Bigwoolf5

New York Giants, Antrel Rolle

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The New York Giants face a few big decisions, especially on the defensive side of the ball this offseason. The biggest one many fans will talk about is Jason Pierre-Paul and whether they should re-sign him, but Antrel Rolle is also a free agent. Yes Rolle is 32 and may be on the back end of his career, but the Giants should still re-sign him.

The argument could easily be made against the Giants re-signing Rolle. He is a 32-year-old safety who has been in the league for ten years and is coming off a season well below his usual standard. But at this point the Giants need Rolle for reasons other than his play on the field.

Last season the Giants let Justin Tuck leave and go to the Oakland Raiders. Tuck was the leader on the defense for the Giants before he moved on in free agency, and in his absence Rolle stepped forward to become the defensive leader. This season was Rolle’s fifth with the Giants, and when he came to the team in 2010 he had the reputation as the type of guy who would never become a leader; but he has changed that opinion big time.

Coming into this season, the leader of the defense was going to come down to Rolle and Jon Beason, with the slight edge going to Beason because he is the middle linebacker and delivers the play-calls to the defense. Beason ended up being hurt for the majority of the season and that led to Rolle taking a major step forward in the leadership department.

Yes the defense wasn’t very good this season, but that can be attributed more to injuries rather than Rolle’s leadership. The injuries can also explain Rolle’s below average season. Rolle was the only member of the starting secondary from the beginning of the year to play in every single game and remain fully healthy all season. Prince Amukamara and Walter Thurmond went down with season-ending injuries, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie struggled through injuries all season and Stevie Brown was benched in Week 3 for poor play, before later regaining his starting role.

Rolle’s on-field performance this season can be forgiven, because it is difficult when you’re the last man standing in a significantly battered secondary. The more important thing for Rolle this season was that he proved he could handle being a captain and that he could step forward and be a leader for a team even when things are going poorly.

The main reason the Giants need to re-sign Rolle this offseason is because they cannot afford to let another captain and leader of the defense walk away in free agency. Beason will be back next season and hopefully healthy, but he cannot be relied upon to lead the team because of his perennial health issues. Rolle will be counted on to lead the team, and he is still capable of performing if he has a healthy secondary around him. For those reasons, re-signing him should be a no-brainer for the Giants.

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