It was a bloody darn good fight. Georges “Rush” St. Pierre is back. After a long four year hiatus from the UFC, Georges made his comeback debut.

And what a debut it was. Coming in much larger than he has ever fought before, moving up a weight class to challenge then middleweight champion Michael Bisping. The fight started off well for GSP, landing the better strikes and out working Bisping with his jab. GSP finished round one with a big take-down. In the second round, Bisping started to find his grove. Landing more shots than GSP, Bisping started to find his range and landed several hard punches that seemed to stun the Canadian. In the final round of the fight we saw the most action. Georges scored an early take-down but actually took more damage from Bisping’s strikes from the guard. Bisping utilized short strikes from the bottom and cut St. Pierre twice, one cut on the bridge of his nose and the other on his forehead. After a mad scramble both fighters ended up on their feet. Georges then landed a heavy left hook that staggered Bisping and dropped him. St. Pierre wasted no time, pouncing on his downed opponent, landing multiple punches and elbows which forced Bisping to roll on to his stomach. That is when the Canadian saw his opportunity and choked out the champion unconscious via rear naked choke.

Georges St. Pierre has officially put the UFC back on notice of his greatness. He has become only the fourth fighter in UFC history to have won championship belts in two different weight classes and improves his record to 26 wins to two loses. With this win, Georges ties Michael Bisping with most victories in a career in the UFC with 20.

Georges return could not have come at a better time. With Conor McGregor taking time away from the UFC, there is a major need of a superstar. Insert Georges St. Pierre who seemingly has a whole country behind him. A renowned Canadian athlete, Georges has won Canadian Athlete of the Year three times. With MMA being bigger than it ever has before, Georges has a chance to further push his stardom to new levels. I expect we will be seeing a few more super-fights in the near future with Georges being a main attraction for fans.

What went wrong?

Many things have contributed to the New York Giants’ misfortunes but a few of them stand out more than others.

Lets start with the decision to not upgrade the offensive line in any sort of capacity this past off-season. Widely regarded already as one of the worst units in the NFL, it was common belief that big blue’s management would address the teams biggest need. In short, they did not.

Secondly, injuries has devastated the Giants’ roster. Losing Odell Beckham Jr. in week 5 completely derailed the offense. Without Beckham, the Giants could not move the ball. An anemic running attack would only make matters worse for quarterback Eli Manning.

Thirdly and my final point is that the Giants have given up on their coach. Ben MacAdoo has shown no leadership and has completely lost the hearts and minds of his players. No better evidence proves this more than watching this past Sundays game versus the 49ers. The 49ers were winless and sport one of the leagues worst rosters, devoid of talent in all phases of the game. The Giants however have decent talent with mostly all the same players from a deep playoff team from 2016. The 49ers outplayed and out coached the Giants from beginning to end.

With the Giants now 1–8, they have the second worst record in the NFL with only the win-less Cleveland Browns beneath them. Not great company to keep. Many fans like myself have given in to the fact that the team needs to retool.

This is the big splash type of play Derwin James is capable of.

Run Game

Derwin shows elite tackling ability. He packs a hefty punch at 6'3, 211 pounds. He has elite speed and explosiveness needed at the safety position. Florida State often uses him near the line of scrimmage on early downs to help their run defense. He has even played some outside linebacker showing toughness to battle through 300 pound plus offensive lineman. He does an excellent job shooting gaps as they open. He is most effective playing in the box, making big splash plays.

Pass Game

James’ versatility also shows in the passing game. He has shown great man coverage ability, able to lock down elite college tight-ends. Derwin can easily be an all-pro free safety. He shows elite speed to cover large distances on the field and has good ball skills at the point of contact. His range on the field rivals top safety prospect from last year, Malik Hooker.

Here is his interception vs Ole Miss in 2016.

My pro comparison for Derwin James would be Eric Berry. They show many of the same traits that is needed in an all-pro safety. Rare cover skills mixed with an old school toughness that sets the tone for an entire team. He is a lock first round pick and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is taken in the top 15 picks of the 2018 NFL draft.

Team Fits

Obviously any team can use a player like James but I’ll name a couple that might have the chance to draft him depending on their draft spot.

1. Chicago Bears

Chicago has a young defense with a great front seven. They have shown the ability to stop the run on early downs. Derwin would immediately be an impact player for this defense. Chicago’s defensive secondary is below average and James would upgrade them to an elite defense.

2. Indianapolis Colts

Derwin James paired up with Malik Hooker is a beautiful idea. James would step in and become a leader in a defense that is in desperate need of one. The Colts defense has been historically bad for a franchise once known to have elite defenses led by future Hall of Famers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. James would bring excitement back to Indy and possibly turn the franchise around with Andrew Luck.

However, old school football is making a comeback. A few teams in the league have not gone with the general flow and evolution of the game and have opted to bring back a certain nasty style to their game.

Insert Saquon Barkley, a running-back that plays for Penn State. Since 2011, six running-backs have been selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Saquon is head and shoulders above all of those players.

Saquon is a powerful but slippery runner. He shows world-class burst and balance at the point of contact. Rarely will you see him tackled in the backfield. Weighing in at 230 pounds you wouldn’t expect a man of his size to move the way he does. He is as powerful as Leonard Fournette but with the speed and agility of a satellite back such as Christian McCaffrey. He also shows rare poise and patience for such a young player. He lets his blocks set up and uses his patience to wait for openings in the line.

In this video you can see his ability to make defenders miss and shows off his elite athleticism.

In the passing game, Saquon is a weapon. He has excellent ball skills, and plucks the ball out of the air with soft hands. He can line up as a receiver and run routes effectively. Young running-backs often struggle with pass protection. This is not the case with Saquon. He shows elite toughness picking up blitzing linebackers with ease.

Every NFL team would love to have Saquon Barkley as their star player on offense but only one team can draft him. Barkley is a lock as a top five pick in the NFL draft next year. The teams that can be expected to take him are the New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Bucs, and the Cleveland Browns.