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New York Giants Mailbag: The "Pondering the Future" Edition

New York Giants fans check in with their questions for the week that was.
Patricia Traina|
New York Giants Mailbag
New York Giants Mailbag | Patricia Traina | New York Giants on SI

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If you'd like to submit a question for the mailbag, please use the link below or post your questions on X (formerly known as Twitter) to @Patricia_Traina, hashtag #askPTrain. Please note that letters may be edited for clarity/length.

Does the injury clause in Daniel Jones’ contract specify that it only pays if he is a Giant if he got hurt?  Why doesn’t it kick in if he gets hurt while playing for the Vikings, and if so, which team’s cap is affected? -- Ralph A.

Hi Ralph. Daniel Jones was waived by the Giants, meaning that the 31 other NFL teams had 24 hours to claim his contract as is to ensure the rights to his services. 

To do so would have meant deducting roughly $11 million from the claiming team’s salary cap. As no team was going to do that, Jones went unclaimed and when the waivers expired, so too did his contract with the Giants.

That means any team that signed him to a new deal didn’t have to worry about the $23 million injury guarantee since that went away once he cleared waivers.

If we base what we saw in Hard Knocks where Schoen and Daboll seemed to drool over Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, and we then consider how those two quarterbacks have looked so far, I would say, yes, they have a clue as to how to pick a quarterback and can be trusted to make that selection. 

I think it's a combination of all of the above. We can both agree that drafting offensive linemen has not been successful for this team, which is why I believe they hired Chris Snee to help with the scouting at that position. 

I also think that in some cases, they drafted a certain type of skill set for a coach or system that changed--see Deonte Banks, who was a press-man corner in college but who has looked like a fish out of water in a heavy zone coverage scheme.  

I also think you have to throw in injuries. Evan Neal, for instance, can't seem to stay off the injury report, which is a concern and a question regarding his development. 

So it's a combination of multiple things, but I think they need to hit on more draft picks, particularly those chosen in Rounds 1 through 3. I think they have “good” players from those first three rounds, but are any of them difference-makers on the level of a Dexter Lawrence II? I don’t think we can say that just yet.  

Sorry but I'll pass. But thanks for the suggestion.

How about peace on earth and goodwill to men?  But seriously: quarterback, defensive line, cornerback, offensive line, and receiver–all things I’ve been writing about all season long.

To be honest, I haven't thought about that, but I think it's a valid question. According to his contract, Gano has no more guaranteed money owed to him in 2025, so the Giants could move on from him should his skills decline. 

I do think though that they would hold a competition next year because if nothing else, having a second kicker in camp, whether it's Jude McAtamney or someone else, would help take some of the stress off his kicking leg.

Booker, every January, I break down the last five Giants draft classes and their impact on Lindy's roster. Assuming I get that assignment again this year, I’ll be sure to pass that info along–and if I don’t get the assignment, I’ll still probably put it together, as it’s an interesting exercise. 

What I won't have, though, is how it compares to the rest of the league--that's a project that's beyond my resources.  I did do something earlier this year in which I looked at which NFC East team had the best drafts, and if I remember correctly, Dallas won that title. (That data though is outdated now as that study was done before the 2024 draft.)

Satoshi, why would Schoen and Daboll accept demotions? They wouldn't–not with this team at any rate. If ownership wanted to make a change without making a complete teardown, I think they keep Schoen and go in a different direction at head coach (though I'm not 100% convinced they will fire Daboll). 

If nothing else, I think the Giants will address the defense, which has been a glaring issue for them. Of course, once they get the quarterback position situated, I think the offense will be fine.

Just recently the Bears fired their HC. They kept losing. The Bears HC had a better record than Daboll the past two years plus they had the top drafted QB this year but were still a losing team. Goes to show all the people that are clamoring for the Giants to draft a QB that even if they do, it doesn't mean the Giants will be a winning team. 

Draft analysts have said the Bears QB is far better than any QB coming out this year. Would the Giants draft a QB perhaps not as good at the top of the draft just for the sake of drafting a QB? 

Look, Daboll's record and the fact that some of his top players are questioning him, proves he is not a good HC, his system isn't working, even though there are those that insist he is. Mara says he wants to see improvement in the team. 

Yet they have gotten worse and now with no real starting QB, defensive injuries, still obvious sub-standard ineffective play calling, going against teams fighting for playoff spots, there seems to be no way forward and Daboll will probably and should get fired at season's end. It isn't the QB. We need a new imaginative HC. Your thoughts? – Joe G.

Joe, the Bears fired Matt Elberflus in part because his clock management and in-game decision making were both awful. I don’t think the Giants will force a pick at quarterback–they had a chance to do so last year and they didn’t, so why would you think that would change this coming year when they should have some bridge options available?

Ask yourself why Daboll’s system isn’t working. How much has the play by the quarterback held them back? (Yes, we’re back to that again–a topic that you just can’t seem to let go of for whatever the reason.) How much of that was on the receivers and their dropped passes? How much of that was on the offensive line losing Andrew Thomas? 

Look, we’re going to have different opinions as to what percentage of the offense’s problem lies with the quarterback, the offensive line, the game plan, etc. It’s okay to agree to disagree.

But please stop trying to change my mind on this. Daboll faced similar circumstances last year, yet he somehow got the team to six wins. Is he completely blameless in this year's decable? No. Is he solely to blame for it? No. 

Do I see the deficiencies in his regime? Yes. And will I be writing about them? Yes. (The article should be out later today.)

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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