Giants Looking to Solidify Identities on Offense, Defense
The New York Giants began Year 2 of the Brian Daboll era with a much different vibe than a year ago.
That's because, this time last year, the start of the 2022 training camp was filled with mystery. But after a 9-7-1 regular season that resulted in a playoff berth, the expectations of this team have soared to new heights not seen in years.
This season, part of the team's objectives will be to solidify its developing identities on both sides of the ball. Some players have been in this organization for a few years and are now mixed with an influx of new talent added to improve or bolster positions.
As leaders on the offense and defense, Daniel Jones and Xavier McKinney come into 2023 with the confidence gained from last season and a second-round playoff berth. However, both have different stands regarding their unit's identity.
On offense, all three major pieces are locked in for the season. Left tackle Andrew Thomas signed a massive extension that will keep him with the team for the next seven years. Running back Saquon Barkley signed his adjusted franchise tender, and Jones started the offseason fireworks by signing his contract extension.
The Giants have also signed, traded for, and drafted several players expected to step in and contribute immediately.
"I think it's very much a work in progress," Jones said when asked whether the offense had developed an identity. "I think we're on the first day of training camp, and we've got a lot of work to do throughout training camp and before we get there, but we're going to take it day by day and kind of focus on what's immediately in front of us and try to improve as much as we can."
What's immediately in front of them is integrating former Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller into the offense. On the first day of training camp, Waller lined up all over the place, including motioning into the backfield as the deep back and flaring on a swing pass. His presence was heavily felt on day one and had media members astonished at the connection he and Jones enjoyed.
The offense seems to be morphing into something similar to Kansas City's offense, where the tight end is WR1.
But Jones isn't quite ready to attach any labels to the offense. However, he remains confident in Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka's abilities to design an offense that fits the players' talents.
"I think just continuing to evolve and grow and learning what we're good at and what this group can do," Jones said when asked what excites him most about Year 2 of this offensive system. "I think that's the strength of Dabs, and Kafka and the whole offensive staff, kind of how they put the pieces together and accentuate the strengths of our guys."
Defensively, safety Xavier McKinney believes the unit has taken on the personality of defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.
"It’s great to have Wink back. A lot of the guys that were here last year are very familiar with the system. We know what he wants to do, where he wants to call things, and how he wants it to look." McKinney said when asked about how the defense is taking shape.
"It’s fun being in that second year with him and being comfortable and able to go out there and play fast. We have all felt that throughout the defense, and everybody is excited to build off what we have."
The Giants defense has added speed and length in the secondary to cover the best receiving corps man-to-man. They've added speed and tenacity at linebacker to chase down ball carriers and beef up the middle to stop power run games. Having players capable of performing multiple tasks means that fans should expect this defense to be more aggressive than last season.
They secured Dexter Lawrence to a new contract extension, signed former Colt Bobby Okereke, and drafted University of Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks in the first round. Those big moves, combined with many other smaller acquisitions, have created improvements and depth on all three levels. Hopefully, those results will last to a more stout run defense, opportunistic pass coverage, and consistent quarterback pressure.
That leads to a defensive identity that McKinney characterized as "Playing hard. Being physical, being aggressive, throwing that first punch. Never letting anything break us and being resilient. Also, being closers. I think that is something that we pride ourselves on."
Jones's and McKinney's answers mirror what you would believe would come from a quarterback and a safety. The calculated and measured response that leaves room for interpretation and adjustment versus the strong and assertive answer that leaves no doubt about what the mission is.
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