New York Giants Reader Mailbag: What a Haul!
If you'd like to submit a question for the mailbag, please send it to nygiantsmaven@gmail.com. Note: 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.
Note: I didn't address questions received during the draft about "what will we do in Round 4?" since the draft is already done and we know what they did in each round.
Curious to know what you think Shep's future is now that Golladay and Toney are in the mix. --@JonBurton32
What’s up, Jon? Golladay doesn’t have as much impact on Sterling Shepard’s future than Toney, as the latter projects to the slot.
That said, Shepard is due to receive the last of the guaranteed money owed to him in his current contract, so he's not going anywhere this year. I do think the Giants will continue playing him in the slot and on the outside, but I also think that if he misses a large chunk of playing time for a third straight season, he'll make the decision to move on from him after this season easier.
I'm assuming we're picking an OL in the 4th. What happens if we don't? -- @QuackatoaComics
Well, you assumed correctly, as they didn't pick an offensive lineman at all (they had their eye on some guys, but they went off the board before the Giants were on the clock).
But I wouldn't worry too much about it. How many times has this team drafted offensive linemen that turned out to be busts? And they have reportedly added a couple of undrafted free agents to the roster--and do I need to remind anyone that Rich Seubert and Shaun O'Hara were both undrafted free agents coming out of college who became solid offensive linemen.
There are also the post-training camp roster cuts as another source for talent. And worst-case scenario, if they need to poach an offensive lineman from another team's practice squad, they can do that as well.
Can you please compare the value that Dallas received for trading their 1st rounder to the Eagles versus what the NYG received for trading their 1st rounder to Chicago? Wondering why Dallas didn’t trade with the Bears. -- @TweetingNYPJA
I don't think this is an apples-to-apples comparison, given that Dallas was one spot ahead of the Giants and probably would have wanted a lot more to make up for the difference. If we go by this trade value chart, Dallas' original spot would have been worth 50 more points than the Giants'.
Then there is also the possibility that the Cowboys had their heart set on Micah Parsons and didn't want to risk moving down to lose him. In contrast, the Giants, after seeing Waddle and Smith come off the board, figured they had nothing to lose since they had a cluster of players graded in the same neighborhood.
What did you learn about the Giants management and coaching you did not know Wednesday, especially about fixing the team. Thanx for your good work. -- @BlackBanjotony
Honestly, Tony, nothing new. About the only thing different is that I sense more of a pressing sense of urgency given how they handled free agency out of character, but then again, shouldn't every off-season have a sense of urgency?
Pat, these have been productive and creative free agents and draft moves.
But as the dust settles, Daniel Jones still has a middle-of-the-road, questionable, and limited experienced O Line with little depth. Will this still be our Achilles heel in 2021? -- Gary P.
What's up, Gary? I have said countless times before and will say it again: the Giants view their roster and needs differently from those outside the organization. The Giants feel better about their offensive line depth, having a full year of experience under its belt and having all new coaching coming in to work with the unit.
Who will end up right, the organization or the fans/media? That remains to be seen, but I agree with you that things will get ugly very quickly if that offensive line falls apart.
I think you're underestimating the value of Micah Parsons. The same concerns you listed regarding his character could have been said about an earlier New York Giants linebacker, Lawrence Taylor, who became the best football player I have ever seen. I also think that the head coach can get the best out of him. Don't you think that kind of talent is worth taking the risk? -- Gordon B.
I know it's after the fact, Gordon, but when I start loudly banging the drum for a specific direction, usually it's because I have insight into the thinking and the direction they might be going. And not to brag, but I've been in the ballpark if not on the money in every draft Gettleman has run for this team.
That doesn't mean I always agree with the direction--my personal opinion of Micah Parsons or any player in this draft had nothing to do with the bigger picture.
As we got closer to draft day, I had heard that there wasn't as much interest in Parsons as there was in getting another playmaker on offense for Daniel Jones in that first round (they wanted one of Waddle or Smith).
They didn't get either because they were off the board by the time they went on the clock, but I'm very comfortable saying that had one of those two been there, the Giants' first-round pick would have been different, and there probably wouldn't have been a trade down.
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