New York Giants Mailbag: Daniel Jones, Training Camp Surprises, and More

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I’d love to hear a brief snippet about which UDFAs are most likely to make the roster. Also, anything you can share on Turbo would be super - would love to know more about the kid
— Evan Tarracciano (@Roto_Wizard) August 16, 2024

Evan, I'm hoping to sit with Turbo before camp ends, so let's put that one on the back burner for now until I can connect with him for an article. As for the UDFAs, defensive lineman Elijah Chatman and running back Turbo Miller look like locks for the roster.

I think interior offensive lineman Jake Kubas, outside linebacker Ovie Oghoufo, and interior defensive lineman Casey Rogers all have good chances of making the practice squad. Here are the blurbs we wrote about the UDFAs after the draft.

What play would you call on offense, the first play of the season?
— Turbo McGee (@ChappySkizm) August 16, 2024

I’m guessing the only right answer is a pass play to Malik Nabers?

After weeks of camp, what does your gut say about this season?

I’m excited because I miss my team and football but also trying to be optimistic and there’s always Munich! You?
— Heather Barmore (@HeatherBarmore) August 16, 2024

Hi Heather. I always look forward to the new season because, despite the weekly grind, I miss football. I think the Giants will be much better than some skeptics have them finishing. Do I think they'll be Super Bowl-bound? No.

Do I think they'll win the division No. Do I think they can challenge for a Wild Card berth? Yes. Of course, all this is contingent on things not falling apart as they did last year. But I do think they will be better than last year.

Keep smiling!

Is there any chance the org delayed Neal’s start to avoid NY drama if they just switched him for eleumenour.
— Tyson Reno (@TysonReno1) August 16, 2024

No–why would they? Neal is a first-round draft pick, and they need to get him up and running with Carmen Bricillo ASAP. He was put on PUP because he had a setback in the spring. There is nothing more to see beyond that.

1. Is it just me, or does anyone else think that the Giants might be better than most pundits are making out?

2. Is DJ building chemistry with his plethora of wide recievers?

3. Who do you see as surprise cut and surprise inclusion in the 53.
— Howard Stevenson (@How_Stevenson) August 16, 2024

Howard, I don't think you're alone here. I see a lot of sites have the Giants winning no more than six games, and I think that's low, to be honest. I have them at eight or nine, depending on how things shape up.

Yes, to your second question and your third question, the "surprise" cut will probably be WR Isaiah Hodgins, and the "surprise" inclusion will be IDL Elijah Chatman, who was a tryout player. Thanks for the questions.

Why is some of your twitter content behind a paywall? pic.twitter.com/TVwReh7ilt
— Dan S (@dans2119) August 16, 2024

I gotta eat, don't I? Besides, you see what journalists earn these days?

We hear a lot about how bad Daniel Jones was last season, even though he had his HIGHEST CAREER passing percentage. We all know that the OL was injured, lacked talent, and played terribly, the worst OL in the NFL.

We all also know that the play calling was not good, so much so that Daboll, recognizing this and perhaps feeling pressure to win, will now call plays. We don't hear about how bad the Giants' defense was in the games he started. By halftime of his first two games, the Giants were outscored 46-0 until Jones made the remarkable comeback against Arizona.

All told, in the 6 games he started, the Giants were trailing 118-19 at halftime. In his five losses, including the games he got injured, they lost by a total of 155-37. Playing from behind forced him into passing situations. Playing behind the worst OL, the floodgates opened up, and the sacks and hurries piled up. He, in fact, got sacked more in 6 games than Mahomes or Purdy got for the season.

Was he blameless? No, but no QB could have been successful with all of that working against him. So why is it that the press in trying to prove that DJ had a bad season, did not write about the play calling and the number of points, especially in the first half, that the defense gave up in DJ's starts? – Joe G.

Joe, my friend. All I’ll say is this. I (and others) reported for months leading up to the draft that the Giants were heavily looking into a quarterback.

As we saw in Hard Knocks they tried to initiate a trade with the Patriots and would have made the trade had New England actually been willing to move instead of messing around with the Giants.

Teams who feel good about their quarterbacks don’t do that. Do you ever recall the Giants doing that when Eli Manning was in his prime or even before that when he was trying to find his footing those first few years? I don’t.

If that doesn’t tell you what the team’s brass really thought, then I don’t know what else to say other than this: If Daniel Jones himself can admit he needs to play better, if his head coach and general manager can admit it, don’t you think it’s time to take off the blue-colored glasses?