New York Giants Mailbag: Saquon, Training Camp, and More
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(From Robert K.) Did Schoen smash the spirit of Saquon Barkley, who was the reason we got to the playoffs, to the point that we must question whether he can draft a marginal player in the fifth round but not understand the big picture?
Thanks for the question, Robert. Look, the NFL is a business, and anyone taking anything personally needs to step back and take the rose-colored glasses off. Is Saquon disappointed? Sure--who wouldn't be?
As I've said repeatedly, we all see ourselves as worth more than we are--that's human nature. But when you think about it, Saquon had three good years sandwiched between two injury-filled ones. Also, when you look at it, most running backs solidify their case for big paydays in their third season, which is when Saquon suffered his knee injury.
I don't want to discredit Saquon's contributions to last season's playoff run. I think you're selling the rest of the team short, just as you're selling Eric Gray, the running back drafted in the fifth round that you've described as a "marginal player" despite the fact he's yet to take an NFL snap, short.
Last point I want to make: Schoen had a set price regarding how much he was willing to go with Saquon. I applaud him for that because those GMs who say, "Oh, well, it's just a million or two more," are the ones who end up having to scramble later on to fix their cap.
This team still doesn't have an ideal cap situation, though it's getting better. So I have no problem with Schoen sticking to the price point he set for any players. And I admire Saquon for having had an epiphany in realizing that it was in his best interest to show up, play and be the face of what will hopefully lead to more equitable compensation for running backs in the future.
Yes and no. It's not like it was in Albany, where we could freely roam between fields. Now we are given a set area where we can move up and down along the path if we want, but moving between fields isn't something we're allowed to do very often, probably because there are so many more people on the sideline for camp than usual.
Tom, I don't have one or two specific guys I'm anxious to see in full pads. I'm looking forward to seeing the entire team in pads because that's about as close to real football as we'll get.
What's up, Anthony? Who says it has to be one or the other? Who's to say that Lemieux won't win a backup role? Now, I think it depends on whether he can still give them snaps at center, which I'm not sure is necessarily the case. But we shall see in the coming weeks if he can.
(From Rodney B.): Andrew Thomas just signed a 5-year contract “extension.” But he is currently still on his rookie contract. Does his new contract have any impact on what he earns this year?
UPDATED ANSWER: What's up, Rodney? I posted this article breaking down the numbers. From what I can tell, his new contract doesn't really impact what he earns this year due to the guarantees in the original contract.
Great and fair question, Jackie. I like to think Waller is this good just because he can separate from defenders and high-point balls. But as the great Bill Parcells once said, "Let's not put him in the Hall of Fame just yet."
But yes, I think Waller is a significant upgrade to the receiving corps, and I can't wait to see what he does against live competition.
Good question, Dan. I haven't found that answer for you yet as, to be honest, I didn't have as much tie to hunt it down, but if you'll remind me next week, I will try to dig it out as I think I know where to find it. (It just will take some calculating on my part to add it all up.)
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