his controversial comments from an ESPN interview after Sunday’s last-second loss to the Panthers Will Hernandez Jerseys 2019 , saying he regrets nothing, explaining that he was simply displaying leadership, and claiming credit for the team’s display of effort, heart, and grit. So what does his teammates think?“I haven鈥檛 heard anything,” quarterback Eli Manning told reporters. “Odell and I have a great relationship. Our mindset will be everybody stay focused on beating Philadelphia.”聽Safety Landon Collins also pleaded ignorance.“I don鈥檛 know what comments you guys are talking about,” Collins told reporters. “I didn鈥檛 hear about them, but when Odell came to talk to us, he spoke from the heart, he talked gratefully, and we knew where he was coming from. We knew he was coming from the heart, so you know he鈥檚 a great teammate White Lorenzo Carter Jerseys , a great guy, a great person and a leader. This offense, this team, we have to look up to him, so we knew where he was coming from.”Defensive lineman Damon Harrison was the most circumspect of the bunch.“I聽don鈥檛 really want to comment on that,” Harrison said. “It was handled in house.”The comments from coach Pat Shurmur created the distinct impression that he wants it to continue to be handled in house. With the Giants traveling back from Carolina tonight — and with some possibly not fully aware of his performance from the ESPN interview — there’s a chance that one or more of them will have something to say, on or off the record, over the next day or so.The fact that the Giants have to quickly refocus on a short-week game against the Eagles could make it easer for the Giants to avoid a rash of reports regarding players who think that Beckham went too far. Regardless, it’s quite possible that many of them didn’t quite know what Beckham was apologizing for when he apologized on Saturday night. Is Dakota Allen the rangy, athletic linebacker the Giants’ defense needs?"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections New York Giants NewsGiants Training Camp 2016Giants vs. Eagles 2015, Week 172019 NFL DraftCould Texas Tech’s Dakota Allen bring some much-needed speed to the Giants’ linebacking corps?New,11commentsIs Dakota Allen the rangy Lorenzo Carter Jerseys 2019 , athletic linebacker the Giants’ defense needs? ESTShareTweetShareShareCould Texas Tech’s Dakota Allen bring some much-needed speed to the Giants’ linebacking corps?Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY SportsThe nature of offense is changing in the NFL. Thanks to a number of influences, offenses are adopting a number of strategies and concepts from the college ranks, relying on on spacing and speed to stress defenses. And as a natural response, the NFL defense has had to adjust, most notably by getting smaller, faster, and more flexible than in years past. The New York Giants need to upgrade the talent at every level of their defense, which includes adding more speed to the middle of their defense. They were gashed by running backs and tight ends over the middle, and the team could be looking to upgrade UDFA nickel linebacker Tae Davis. If so, Texas Tech’s Dakota Allen could be the athletic coverage and blitzing linebacker the team has lacked. MeasurablesProsHighly athletic linebacker. Flies around the field when he commits.Aggressive, fiery blitzer. Hard hitter and physical taking blockers.Fluid dropping into zone coverage, able to run with pass catchers in man coverage.Shows the ability to “click and close”. Reacts quickly to the offense.ConsDoesn’t appear to be overly instinctive.Can get caught up in the trash.Struggles to shed blockers.Was dismissed from TTU in 2016 after being arrested for burglary (charges were dismissed)Prospect VideoWhat They’re Saying Allen is an inside linebacker with good toughness and intangibles but lacks the speed and instincts teams look for in the middle. He plays with good short-area quickness and a willingness to stick his nose into oncoming traffic in order to leverage his gap and set his teammates up for success. With adequate athleticism and the potential to become a core special teamer White B.J. Hill Jerseys , Allen could hear his name called in the later rounds of the draft.- Lance Zierlein (NFL.com - Scouting Report)Does He Fit The Giants?If the Giants want to upgrade Tae Davis and add a “new age” athletic linebacker to their defense, Dakota Allen would be a good choice. He has the kind of range and speed the Giants have lacked in the middle of their defense, with the athleticism to drop into both man and zone coverage. He is also a capable run defender when the defensive line does a good job of occupying blockers, and flies downhill when asked to blitz. While Allen is quick to react to the offense, he isn’t the most instinctive defender and that can be used against him. He can be prone to being manipulated by offensive misdirection, and might be best suited to being a sub-package player to start his career -- though he might be able to grow into a larger role. The NFL will want to do an in-depth background check on him after he was dismissed from Texas Tech back in 2016 after being arrested for burglary (including the theft of firearms). The charges were eventually dismissed, and he earned his way back to Texas Tech in 2017 after enrolling in East Mississippi Community College. At EMCC he racked up 117 tackles, which he followed up with 175 tackles, 8.5 for a loss, and 6 passes defensed in 2017 and 2018 since returning to Texas Tech. Assuming Allen doesn’t have any lingering character concerns, the Giants could make good use of one of their many day three picks by selecting him. His athleticism and physicality would be welcome on both the Giants’ defense and their special teams.