LBs are ready to tackle new duties
B.J. Goodson has yet to finish a season how he envisioned.
His rookie season ended with him tallying just nine tackles in 15 games and primarily being utilized on special teams. Last season began with a promotion to starting middle linebacker and ended with Goodson on injured reserve.
In his third season, the 25year-old expects the future to finally align with what’s been in his mind since being drafted by the Giants.
“We definitely can be very, very special, and I’m looking forward to it,” Goodson said. “I still feel like I’ve got a lot to prove.”
So does Goodson’s backup, Ray-Ray Armstrong.
Now, on his fourth team in six seasons, Armstrong had his best season with the 49ers last year and was the team’s second-leading tackler through 10 games, when he was surprisingly released. The Giants picked up him up in late November, and he appeared in five games.
“I didn’t understand, why but it is what it is,” Armstrong said of being cut. “It’s something that will always be in the back of your mind. You thought you were doing well for someone, and then all of the sudden you’re not there anymore. When I came here had to erase that and put it in the back of my head and keep moving forward.”
As both linebackers move forward, they could become two of the team’s most impactful defenders.
Goodson, a fourth-round pick out of Clemson, revealed a new height to his ceiling in last year’s season opener, in which he recorded 18 tackles against the Cowboys. But the athletic run-stopper then missed the next two games and never felt as healthy the rest of the season. He was limited to just seven games because of shin and ankle issues.
“The biggest thing with the injury was coming back too early,” Goodson said. “It was just being too excited
to be out there with my guys and pushing myself out there before I should’ve came back.”
Goodson no longer will be the “mike” linebacker in the team’s switch to a 3-4 scheme under new defensive coordinator James Bettcher, but Goodson said he hasn’t had to adjust to any other changes in his role in the new system. Playing on the inside with Alec Ogletree, Goodson said he believes he could finally fulfill his potential — briefly showcased last season when he ranked third in tackling efficiency among inside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus.
Armstrong’s potential has been put on display in the preseason. The former college safety — undrafted out of Miami in 2013 — has excelled in coverage and been one of the Giants’ best defenders in the preseason, recording five tackles (four solo) and an interception through two games. Pro Football Focus has graded Armstrong as the third-best linebacker in the NFL’s preseason (minimum 50 snaps).
During Sunday’s practice, Armstrong earned a spot over Goodson on the first team, and the former again subbed in for some first team reps during passing situations Tuesday.
“As a linebacker, he’s long and he can cover,” coach Pat Shurmur said of Armstrong this weekend. “He’s what linebackers should look like and he’s made progress. We feel like he’s done some really good things as we work through training camp, so it was good to see him have some success. We felt like he had a winning performance in the game the other night.”
The audition continues, and Armstrong’s opportunities could grow.
“I always had confidence in myself from the get-go that I was always able to perform and compete as a high level in this league,” he said. “It was just the cards I was dealt, but now being a veteran going into my sixth year … I’m comfortable now.”