Mr. P Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Mike Klis @MikeKlis 55m Former Broncos center JD Walton signs with NY Giants Ralph Vacchiano @RVacchianoNYDN 48m Walton was a 2-plus-year starter in Denver and is only 26. A good pickup if he's healthy. Here's one that came out of the blue. According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, the New York Giants are signing a former Denver Broncos center named J.D. Walton, who hasn't played since 2012 because of an ankle injury. Walton Walton turns 27 later this month and was a third-round pick by Denver in the 2010 draft. He started all 16 games for the Broncos in 2010 and 2011, and four in 2012 before he got hurt. So this is a dude with some real talent and upside if he's healthy. He fits the age profile of the free agents the Giants appear to be trying to sign (a little on the young side of it, actually) and also the overall profile as a guy who hasn't done much in the league yet but has done enough to demonstrate the promise of more.Should you pencil him in as your starting center in 2014? I doubt it. There remains a chance the Giants could bring back Kevin Boothe at center, and top free agents such as Evan Dietrich-Smith and Brian de la Puente haven't signed anywhere else yet. I can't imagine Walton costs much to sign, so it's likely the Giants are placing a small bet on a high-upside guy who could start for them at center right away if healthy or down the road if he needs some time to get back into the flow.The totality of what the Giants have done so far in free agency isn't very impressive at this point, but they do seem to have an idea of what they want to do, and their offseason process is a long, long way from complete. http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/giants/post/_/id/34996/giants-to-add-center-j-d-walton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedinBlue Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 If his ankle is completely healed, this is a steal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sephiroth Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Tough to imagine he's worse than Cordle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMFP Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Low risk high reward depending on the price. Would like to see Cordle as a backup, and Boothe as well.....still alot of work to do before either of those things happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigblue25 Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 Ed Valentine @bigblueview 2h "#nyg JD Walton's PFF grades: 2010 (-15.9, 31st among centers); 2011 (-28.0, 35th and dead last). Those are not encouraging numbers." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Sounds like a decent back up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedinBlue Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Ed Valentine @bigblueview 2h "#nyg JD Walton's PFF grades: 2010 (-15.9, 31st among centers); 2011 (-28.0, 35th and dead last). Those are not encouraging numbers." That's because he didn't play half the season in 2012 or all of last year when the Redskins had him because of his ankle surgery. Prior to that, he was the top center in the 2010 draft and played well for Denver before shattering the ankle. Hence what I said earlier, if his ankle is fully healed, this is a steal. His numbers when factoring in one and a half lost seasons, do not mean much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. P Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 That's because he didn't play all last year when the Redskins had him because of his ankle. Prior to that, he was the top center in the 2010 draft and played well for Denver before the ankle break. Hence, if his ankle is fully healed, this is a steal. His numbers when factoring in one and a half lost seasons, do not mean much. His not playing last year has no effect on his 2010 and 2011 grades from PFF. PFF's grades don't always tell the whole story though. Sometimes I see their numbers and grades and they make sense, other times they boggle my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedinBlue Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 His not playing last year has no effect on his 2010 and 2011 grades from PFF. Well....probably worthless then. Can't figure out why the Giants would sign the worst center in the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boohyah Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 what did Jim Cordle do wrong last year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeMesiS Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 what did Jim Cordle do wrong last year? He put on a Giants uniform... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragon Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Hoping we draft Brian Stork at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigblue25 Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Well....probably worthless then. Can't figure out why the Giants would sign the worst center in the NFL. I don't know they don't sound like decent numbers, even if they were a few years back. He was good at Baylor and I guess they are hoping he can turn into something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedinBlue Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I don't know they don't sound like decent numbers, even if they were a few years back. He was good at Baylor and I guess they are hoping he can turn into something. Stats are pretty meaningless on offensive linemen. The better you are in the middle of the line, the less you are noticed. He's terrific at protecting the QB, but not really a bruiser who will throw a defensive linemen on his back to make a hole for the RB. He's solid if he's healthy...and that's the big question. He's had two surgeries to fix his busted ankle and has missed a season and a half of football. However, he is a technician and very smart. If he's healthy, he'll be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmenroc Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I'm sure the ankle will be thoroughly examined and tested before the ink on the contract dries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 He put on a Giants uniform... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nas Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Stats are pretty meaningless on offensive linemen. The better you are in the middle of the line, the less you are noticed. He's terrific at protecting the QB, but not really a bruiser who will throw a defensive linemen on his back to make a hole for the RB. He's solid if he's healthy...and that's the big question. He's had two surgeries to fix his busted ankle and has missed a season and a half of football. However, he is a technician and very smart. If he's healthy, he'll be good. Man I hope you're right... I just don't want another scrub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sephiroth Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Hoping we draft Brian Stork at some point. Great pickup for the cool factor, but unless we want to speak to direwolves I'd pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treehugger Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Stats are pretty meaningless on offensive linemen. The better you are in the middle of the line, the less you are noticed. He's terrific at protecting the QB, but not really a bruiser who will throw a defensive linemen on his back to make a hole for the RB. He's solid if he's healthy...and that's the big question. He's had two surgeries to fix his busted ankle and has missed a season and a half of football. However, he is a technician and very smart. If he's healthy, he'll be good. The PFF OLine grades measure how well they handle their opponent. Getting large negatives means he got beat, a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Need all the depth we can find for the offensive line unless you want Cordle back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treehugger Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 I don't think Cordle did that bad. Can anyone access his PFF grades? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balloonknot Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 He put on a Giants uniform... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Wagon Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Hopefully somewhere in Mississippi...Opie is sitting around with a big payback boner for next year now that the Gmen are dropping some serious effort in getting him some protection. C. Woagn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMFP Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 I don't think Cordle did that bad. Can anyone access his PFF grades? Agreed.....Cordle has some upside, and I think he improved when Diehl was slotted between him and Pugh. If anything, Cordle is a decent backup, and may be a starting-caliber guy. As far as I'm concerned, Beatty was the biggest disappointment on that line....pretty much everyone else had a valid excuse for struggling. Beatty should have been the stabilizing force, and instead, he was hot garbage for most of the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Agreed.....Cordle has some upside, and I think he improved when Diehl was slotted between him and Pugh. If anything, Cordle is a decent backup, and may be a starting-caliber guy. As far as I'm concerned, Beatty was the biggest disappointment on that line....pretty much everyone else had a valid excuse for struggling. Beatty should have been the stabilizing force, and instead, he was hot garbage for most of the season. How excited are you going to be when Beatty is starting again this Sept? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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