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Giants Franchise Direction Continues to Take Center Stage in Latest Reader Mailbag

Plus, we answer questions about the Giants' defense, ownership, officiating, and more.
Patricia Traina|
New York Giants Mailbag
New York Giants Mailbag | Patricia Traina | New York Giants on SI

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New York Giants

Welcome to the weekly New York Giants On SI Reader Mailbag! From offseason moves to game-day strategies, nothing is off-limits. So, let's dive right into your questions!

I'm sure you've watched the games, so this shouldn't be a surprise, but hands down it has to be the run defense, especially given the investment made in the unit, which I talked about on this week.

Still on IR. I don't think we'll see him again this year, as it makes no sense for him to come back and risk any further issues when he is set to hit free agency, and with the season sliding down the tubes. But we'll see if the team and the player agree.

He's not signed, so I'd assume that means that they're not interested in each other.

You're free to reject the excuses whenever you want, but in my experience, a good player doesn't suddenly drop off a cliff in terms of his production without there being a good reason. 

While I can't prove it for sure, I would not be surprised if Lawrence’s elbow has been part of the problem with the other part being that they have moved him around much more this year than in the last two years.

Dom, if I had that kind of insight, I'd be a retired billionaire psychic.

I very seldom disagree with you, as I think you are one of the best in the business, but your take on the game regarding the team's performance was surprisingly harsh. The final score certainly indicates a rout. The stats indicate a one-sided game. 

But a 14-point swing to the Eagles due just to officiating as bad as I can remember (tush push, Slayton pass interference, and more) has to be considered. It not only widened the score differential and team statistics but alsodirect and negative impaimpactedteam momentum. It (the officiating) has been getting lambasted on quite a few media sites. 

Do you agree that the team’s momentum and performance were heavily influenced by very bad officiating and, perhaps, not as bad as the final score indicated? – Bobby A.

Bobby, while I was not a fan of the officials' performance in the Giants-Eagles game, were they to blame for the poor angle Tyler Nubin took on Saquon’s 65-yard touchdown run?

Were they to blame for Saquon being so wide open on his touchdown reception?  Were they to blame for that one play where Deonte Banks got caught inside and left the edge open, which Tank Bigsby exploited for a huge gain? 

Again, I didn’t like the job the officials did. There were missed holds and other head-scratchinghead-scratching calls and non-calls. I think it’s pretty well known how much I despise the “tush push” and want it removed from the game — the inconsistent officiating continues to make the case for that becoming a reality. 

But good teams overcome mistakes, whether their own or others'. The Giants have not shown that they can do this, and so I’m not going to sit here and say that the Giants lost that game just because of the officiating–I think the only time you can make that kind of argument is if it comes down to a final play in a tight game. That was not the case here. 

(This letter has been shortened.) Big Blue's head coaching and GM track record is one of the worst over the past decade. After a relatively impressive 12-year stretch under Tom Coughlin that churned out two Lombardi Trophies, it’s been the same exhausting cycle — hire the wrong guys (GM and coach), fire them a year or two later, rinse, repeat. What’s your take on Mara and the current staff? – Dan D.

New York Giants co-owner John Mara (left) and General Manager Joe Schoen, speak with Head Coach Brian Daboll.
New York Giants co-owner John Mara (left) and New York Giants General Manager, Joe Schoen, speak with New York Giants Head Coach, Brian Daboll. | Kevin R. Wexler / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dan, regardless of what I or anyone else thinks, you can’t fire the owners of a team. I’m really not sure what fans are expecting here.

The Mara and Tisch families have not indicated any desire to sell their majority ownership stakes in the team. So complaining about their presence and whatever involvement they choose to have in their investment is a waste of precious breath because it doesn’t change anything. 

Now that said, can they do things differently to stop this vicious cycle they seem to be caught in? Sure. When the George Young era kicked off, Young, remember, was recommended by then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle after Wellington and Tim Mara couldn’t agree on a general manager. 

Young was then given complete control over all football decisions, including the head coach. Maybe that is what needs to happen moving forward?

I do not think Roger Goodell can force a hire on the Giants, just as Young wasn’t forced on the Giants back in the day. I think given his credentials and the fact that he was neither Wellington’s nor Tim’s specific candidate, that’s why they agreed to his hiring. 

But again, all this complaining about Mara and Tisch won't change the team’s ownership status.

As for the current coaching staff, let me put it to you this way. I am generally open-minded enough to see the logic behind decisions, even if I strongly disagree with them. 

Over the last two years, there have been numerous decisions this coaching staff has made that I not only don’t understand but have left me shaking my head. 

For example, why did they have Dart on designed runs late in the Philly game with the game pretty much decided? We talk about the quarterback needing to cut his losses when on a rushing play. 

Well, shouldn’t a coach do the same thing if a game has basically been decided, rather than expose the franchise quarterback to injury risk? Stuff like that leaves me shaking my head.  

Is it better to trade anticipated free agents now or let them sign elsewhere and get compensation picks for them? -- Robert C.

Robert, there are two schools of thought here rather than a one-size-fits-all answer. The first is that if a pending free agent is a key part of your team that you think you might not be able to re-sign, you don’t part with him. 

For example, Wan’Dale Robinson figures to be among the marquee names in what right now looks like an underwhelming free agent class next year at receiver. And yet you don’t see anyone saying the Giants should move him. Why? Because he is a valuable part of the offense.

The second school of thought is that you’re better off trading pending free agents who are not in your plan now, rather than letting them walk away. This accomplishes two things. First, you can control where they go–this is what the Giants should have done with Saquon Barkley, IMO.

Second, you get a draft pick you can use right away rather than having to wait two years for a pick that, by the way, may or may not even be awarded since comp picks are based on free agents lost vs. free agents signed the previous years. 

Kris, Daboll has final say over all three phases of the game and is involved in planning game plans and personnel usage for the week. But does he do the in-game stuff? No.

Naturally, as an offense-minded coach, he might have a little more of a hand in the offense, but I don't think it's fair to say he's not as involved in the other areas of the team — that's a big reason he relinquished play-calling this year, so he could be a little more hands-on across the board.

I sure hope so. Someone's gotta do it if they're going to limit that 49ers offense, right?

Nimar, never say never, but I’m not 100% convinced that the dismissal of Chris Grier is going to make a difference.

For starters, if the Dolphins want a second-round pick in next year’s draft, that’s not happening. You can book that, as there is no way Joe Schoen leaves himself with zero draft picks on Day 2.  

Waddle’s current contract runs through 2028. He’ll have cap hits of $1.215 million next year, $23.390 million in 2027, and $25.764 million in 2028. His guaranteed money ends in 2026 ($16.361 million). 

So the Giants would have to do some cap gymnastics to make it work–not impossible, but that’s something that would undoubtedly have to be agreed to before any deal is made.

Personally, I think the Giants would be better off drafting and developing a top-flight receiver they can put on a rookie deal. 

Next year, the Giants have TEN PLAYERS who have cap hits of $10+ million.

That’s about as top-heavy as you can get, so I don’t see them taking on another big contract knowing that they have a ton of work to do on next year’s cap (they are already in the red as far as effective space goes for next year, which is NOT good). As it stands, they’re going to have to cut dead weight. 

That said, I don’t think it makes sound business sense. You have Dart, Nabers, and Skattebo all on rookie contracts. 

Get another receiver in here on a rookie deal–given how the draft order is shaping up, and hope that you get this team to the playoffs before those contracts have to be extended. 

If the Giants stay in the top 10, they should have their pick of the litter, as the other teams vying for a spot in the top 10 are going to need quarterbacks.  

This way, they can afford an extension for Thibodeaux and add another offensive lineman. They can also probably bring back one or more of Robinson, Flott, or McFadden as well if they want. 

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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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