Giants Country

New York Giant Mailbag: "This 'N That" Edition

Let's check in with the readers to see what's on their minds this week.
Patricia Traina|
New York Giant Mailbag: "This 'N That" Edition
New York Giant Mailbag: "This 'N That" Edition

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New York Giants

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

(From Howard L.) I'm certainly not going to rip Joe Schoen, but isn't it time to acknowledge that he certainly hasn't hit on close to all of his big moves? It is harder and harder to envision Thibodaux and Neal as the fifth and seventh-best players in their draft year, Glowinski turns out to have been a terrible add, Okereke looks significantly overpaid, the Campbell add appears pointless despite all the talk of Schoen getting the guys who fit with the coaching staff's desire. He's made good moves, too, and of course, the jury is still out on this year's draft, but can we at least acknowledge he's not a GM genius?

Howard, I don't think anyone views Joe Schoen as some sort of wunderkind general manager. He hasn't been perfect; I'm sure he'd be the first to admit that.

That said, ask yourself this. Are the players he's drafted being coached properly? We did a study on Thibodeaux's usage in the pass rush a couple of weeks ago--you might want to check that out if you were expecting him to be on the level of Micah Parsons or Aiden Hutchinson, both of whom are deployed differently in their respective defenses.

As for Evan Neal, yes, he has struggled, but so has the entire line, consisting of two first-round picks, a second-rounder, and now a fifth-rounder in at right guard. Is it the talent, or is it the coaching, or is it a combination of everything?

You mention Parris Campbell. Are you aware that the Giants have yet to tap into his speed? He's averaging 0.59 yards per route run--is that the best use of Campbell's talents?

Right now, this team's record is, in my opinion, an organizational-wide fail, not a Joe Schoen fail. The good news is that this is a bright group of executives and coaches, and I'm optimistic they'll figure this out.

(From Ed H.) I'm curious how the NYC fans feel about so many Buffalo Bills castoffs being on the Giants' roster and practice squad. Has there been any noticeable grumblings? And what are your thoughts on this?

What's up, Ed? Apologies for the late reply on this, but your e-mail went to spam, so please use the JOTFORM link moving forward, as those submissions don't end up in spam.

As for your question, I can't and won't speak for the fans. Speaking for myself, I can see where this approach would be viewed as being lazy--I was very critical of the last regime for this very same reason. In thinking about it, does it matter where a player comes from so long as he's good enough to help the team win?

No one was complaining about all the former Bills on the roster last year when its team was catching everyone by surprise, right? Why would or should it be an issue now?

(From Frank O.) Is there any limit on how much teams can spend on Coaches? If not, Giants should spend whatever it takes to bring in the best.

What's up, Frank? There is no salary cap for coaches. Some teams might have budgets based on staff size, etc. And also, remember that there are some top coaches out there who might not prefer to go to certain teams for whatever reason.

(From Kip S.) Giants spent capital on defense and a bunch of receivers who seem to need time to get open. Where is the o-line to protect Jones long enough to have them get open? We knew Glowinski was not the right guard to play next to Neal. As a veteran, he should have been an asset to Neal. He was not. Protect Jones to see what he and the receivers are capable of doing.

What's up, Kip? With all due respect, I'm not sure anyone knew how Mark Glowinski would turn out. And I think you know that things can be done (e.g., max protect) to help out the offensive line and that receivers, at least to a degree, can be schemed to get open. That said, yes, the offensive line needs to play better.

(From Dave S.) Everybody who saw Saquon Barkley try to come back early from a high ankle sprain, including Saquon and Brian Daboll, saw a player who could not get anything going and looked like a shell of his best self. It's fine to keep an opponent guessing. But why would you play him this soon, losing downs for no gain and being unable to be a difference-maker?

What's up, Dave? The answer is, although no player is every 100 percent, you wouldn't play a guy who relies on his legs unless he was at least able to do what he needed to do at a decent enough level. And if Barkley is at a point in his recovery where playing could worsen his injury, he's not playing Monday night. 

Pete, Ojulari is under contract through next year. Outside of cutting him, which I don't see them doing, there are no other options. As far as his latest issue, I talked to him yesterday, and he said he was doing a lot better to where there is optimism he'll be good to go on Monday night. I mean, apparently, his injury wasn't bad enough to warrant putting him on IR, which would have been another option. 

Hi Ed.  If I had to guess, I'd say mastering the fundamentals like tackling, getting off blocks, finishing blocks, etc. have to be high up on the wish list. 

Yes, I grew up a Giants fan. My late father had season tickets for over 40 years, so it was natural for me to take a liking to his teams. I always loved writing and practiced it as a kid growing up. I knew I wanted to be a writer when I got older, and when I developed a love of sports, that's where I knew I wanted to go. I got a few unpaid chances along the way, but it allowed me to learn about the game and the craft. And when I got my first paying gig with Inside Football all those years ago, I decided to go all in and try to make a go of it. 

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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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