New York Giants Mailbag: Dallas Reviews

Let's see what's in this week's mailbag.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Nov 26, 2022 8:00 AM EST

In this story:

If you'd like to submit a question for the mailbag, please send it to nygiantsmaven@gmail.com. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity and conciseness. While we try to answer all questions received, we reserve to consolidate if several people ask the same question.

(From Joel S.): Is there some player other than Golladay—ANY other player—whose contract the Giants can restructure to free up enough cap space for the rest of the season?

Joel, I've looked at the current cap situation numerous times, and at this point, I don't see any other option for the team to get additional cap space other than to redo Golalday's deal. I think the longer they wait to do it, the less it will hurt. And for all we know, maybe they won't have to touch it. The only other option is to cut players, which I doubt the Giants want to do.

Hi Elizabeth. I've always liked Brightwell, and I'm glad he's getting a chance to contribute to the offense. I thought his overall performance was mixed. His first run should have been a north-south effort; instead, he tried to bounce it outside and got one yard. From then on, he was better and more effective at running north and south. I'm still not crazy about him as a kickoff returner, but at least he secures the ball.

Mixed bag. I thought Jason Pinnock had some rough spots, especially against tight ends, but I like his size and quickness out there, and he can only hope he gets better with reps. Nick McCloud was solid and attacked well. He has very good instincts around the line of scrimmage, making one wonder if safety is in his future. Rodarius Williams was mostly solid, except when he went against CeeDee Lamb, who gave Darnay Holmes some fits. And I thought Cor'Dale Flott had a mixed bag that seemed to go downhill after he was beaten badly in press coverage on a deep middle route.

Matt, I've thought Barkley has looked overworked as well, and I was glad to see Matt Breida and Gary Brightwell get some snaps. This is the danger when you have one solid player to lean on--eventually, you wear him out, and I think Barkley has been worn out. He'll say he hasn't, but the proof is in the pudding, as they say.

James, I've always been a big Gates fan. I like how he's physical, plays to the whistle, and moves people out of the way with a force that dares them to mess with him. He doesn't always pair up well against quickness, but I think he's worth keeping in there at center, as you didn't see him walked back into the quarterback's lap or pushed around all that much. Gates had a key block on Saquon's touchdown run by turning himself into a human bowling ball. It was a very inspiring showing by a guy who never forgot that he started as an underdog.

Ted, I think that's the plan. I think Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll have a pretty good idea by now of what they have and what they don't have. I know they will have a much healthier cap next year.

Regarding Jones, I think he will be brought back, but not on a mega-money deal. Jones is a guy they can win with, and if the Giants end up drafting in the 20s, it makes sense to bring Jones back for another run. I wouldn't sign him for more than three years, and I'd have an out after two.

Nick, I think it depends. According to Pro Football Focus, Barkley averages 2.9 yards per carry when running to the middle left (where the Giants have had a revolving door at left guard) and 4.7 yards per carry when they run to mid-right. So contrary to how it looks, they've had some success running him up the gut; it's just a matter of who his lead blockers have been.