New York Giants Reader Mailbag: The "Off-season Kickoff" Edition

Let's check in with our readers to see what's on their minds this week.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Feb 19, 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 or post it in our new forum (free registration required) under Reader Mailbag Questions. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity and conciseness.

What's up, Matt? I'd like to see the Giants trade one of those picks to get more picks, as I am not sure that the Giants will get a bunch of premium comp picks for losing free agents. That said, I need to see who's on the board.

From Joe G - Never say never. I realize it is doubtful, but Dallas and Philly did make a trade on draft day last year. Mr. Brown, who was with Philly, is now with the Giants front office.

If Philly covets a guy at # 7, what would you think of a trade with Philly for # 7 draft pick, Giants getting # 15 or 16 and # 19, and if required, some lower-level picks to even it out. Giants keep # 5 and get a couple of first-rounders.

One thing not mentioned a lot is that almost every team, including the SB participant Bengals, needs OL. IF Philly would be interested, a trade like this could go a long way to fixing the OL and Pass rush problems.

Joe, it all depends on who's on the board. The value rally has to match up for this to work, and unless I have a more specific scenario as to who's on the board, I can't say that it's a good idea. Are the Eagles targeting a QB?

Has Carolina, who is thought to need a QB, already gotten one? These are just some of the questions you need to be answered before you can say if it makes sense to trade down if you're the Giants.

What's up, Kevin? I think you mean the new league year--that starts March 16 at 4 p.m. ET. At that time, teams could sign players, make trades, etc. As far as cutting guys, I believe teams can do that now if they wish. I think most wait so as not to tip their hand as to what they might be planning to do.

From Chris F. - Where will the New York Giants game against the Jacksonville Jaguars be played in 2022 since the Giants are scheduled to play the Jaguars on the road at Jacksonville, Florida, or Wembley Stadium in London?

Chris, I don't believe that's been announced, nor has the game that will be played in Germany, for that matter. I would think we'll find that out probably within the next month.

Not necessarily. First, if they're going to trade Saquon Barkley--a big IF--I suspect they will do it just before the draft (and if not, then the next logical time to do it is before the trade deadline if he has a big first half of the year).

The Giants will need money to sign their draft picks, so if $7 million became available from that trade, that's where I think that money would go. As for a free-agent guard, I'd look to get one as soon as free agency begins, regardless if I had Saquon on the roster.

From George Y. - My grandson is a Sophomore in high school; he has a 4.0 GPA and is a terrific 6' 2" wide receiver on his football team. Can you divulge how you got into the sports writing world; what would be excellent colleges for him to choose from, and what curriculum did you choose?

Thanks for the letter, George. I broke into the sports writing world by working at it every day--posting on public forums and message boards and eventually interning for some publications. I didn't receive a dime for my efforts for at least ten years, which used to irk my parents to no end; thankfully, I had a job to keep me afloat. I also read a lot of authors and columnists to learn how to present facts and arguments cohesively.

I didn't have a traditional journalism education, meaning I didn't go to school for it. I just liked to write, and I was told by enough people not named TRAINA that I was good at it. I was on my high school paper (though the faculty advisor had a problem with my wanting to cover sports) and my college paper (where I covered all different sports).

Between my undergraduate and graduate studies, I took courses that I thought could help me, such as basic psychology, interviewing, statistics and data, and public relations. So even though I never majored in journalism, I felt those courses made a difference for me.

I also was blessed to find a mentor in the late Dr. Howard Livingston, the founding publisher of Inside Football. The value of having a mentor was tremendous and is a big reason why I participate in the PFWA's mentoring program.

As for schools specializing in journalism, I think Northwestern University and Columbia University have solid programs. I'm not up on that to make any recommendations since I last set foot in a classroom as a degree-seeking student back in late 1993.

So that's the story behind my rather unconventional "upbringing" in the journalism field.