Antrel Rolle 2014 Grade

Antrel Rolle
Rolle's 10th season in the league, and fifth with the Giants, also doubled as one of the worst performances of his career. Coming off of an excellent 2013 season, in which he made the Pro Bowl as one of the top safeties in football, the expectation was that Rolle would continue to be the rock of the defensive backfield, alongside his newly-signed buddy Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and an emerging Prince Amukamara at cornerback.

But that's the problem with relying heavily on players on the wrong side of 30 — you never quite know when the wheels will completely fall off. What's interesting about Rolle's 2014 is that he actually got off to a good start before tailing off dramatically a quarter of the way through the season. He recorded three interceptions and a forced fumble in the first three games, then none for the rest of the season.

Those numbers really tell the story for Rolle. He's a guy who has made a career off of being a playmaker in the secondary, but those impact plays were nowhere to be found at crucial moments this season. His -13.9 Pro Football Focus rating placed him as the seventh-worst safety in the NFL. His rating was dragged down by Rolle's poor season as a run defender, and his seven penalties were the second-most on the team and tied for third-most among safeties. That three of those penalties were of the unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct variety is a bad look for the Giants defensive captain.

We've spilled a lot of ink speculating on whether the Giants should re-sign Rolle to one last contract and allow him to retire with the team. Ultimately, the question comes down to this: are they confident that Rolle's 2014 season was a fluke? And do they have a capable replacement waiting in the wings? We don't yet know the answer to the first question, but the answer to the second question is a pretty resounding "no."

Grade: C-

Pros: At his peak, Rolle was a Swiss Army Knife defensive back, whose experience as a former cornerback made him invaluable as a safety for his ability to cover tight ends and slot receivers. In the past, Rolle has been a real ball hawk, with 26 career interceptions. For all of his flaws on the field this season, Rolle also remains a strong voice in the locker room. If ex-Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell did not have Rolle as a strong ally, things might have gotten ugly for him this season.

Key Stat: Three interceptions

It may not seem like a lot, especially since Rolle had zero picks after Week Six, but that total did tie him for second on the team. But those three picks mostly served as a reminder of what Rolle used to be in his prime.

Cons: Rolle has never been as comfortable as a "box" safety playing close to the line of scrimmage against the run, but his rush defense fell off dramatically this season. His -10.5 rush defense rating (via PFF) was third-worst among NFL safeties in 2014, and his run stop percentage was a pedestrian 4.2 percent (the highest being Kam Chancellor's 8.7 percent). He also did a mediocre job of wrapping up receivers in coverage, and was a big part of the reason the Giants were so bad at defending the middle of the field against the pass.

Key Stat: 17 missed tackles (tied for 8th-highest among safeties), 244 yards after the catch allowed (sixth-most among safeties).

Normally a sure tackler, these numbers are hardly encouraged for those in the "Giants should keep Rolle" camp. As the last line of defense in the secondary, Rolle simply can't afford to give up that many yards after the catch and is perhaps a sign that he was half-a-step slower than he used to be as he gains more tread on his tires.


(nj.com)