Giants Country

New York Giants Mailbag: "Off-season Needs" Edition

Let's check in with the readers this week to see what's on their minds.
Patricia Traina|
New York Giants Mailbag: "Off-season Needs" Edition
New York Giants Mailbag: "Off-season Needs" Edition

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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.

Satoshi, I have always thought--and I think players and coaches will agree--that there is no substitute for live reps. I don't know exactly what Daniel Jones is doing regarding his mental reps, but it is encouraging to know that he's trying to push forward.

I'm not surprised at all, Ed. Change was inevitable when you have the kind of season that this team had. I did think Wink might stay, and I didn't see the Wilkins brothers firing coming (though the more I learn about that situation, the more it makes sense). But like I said, change was inevitable.  

David, I've been asked this question, it seems, every week, and every week, it's the same answer. The coaching and development of the players have been bad. Look, if it's one player not grasping the concept, you say it's on the player. When a group is struggling, you look at the coaching. Some might be experts in their fields but are not necessarily good teachers. I think that is what happened with the Giants.

While I am a firm believer that everyone has to start somewhere, I think in this instance, if I'm Daboll, I would probably go for a defensive coordinator with experience rather than gamble on a first-time DC.

Sure, that's certainly a possibility. I would also venture to say that if Daboll were as smart as I think he is, he'd explore the candidates before making snap decisions.

I wouldn't want someone yelling at me just because they can't control themselves in the heat of the moment. I'm not a child and if you can't rationally speak to me, then don't speak to me at all. 

That said, I understand that sometimes people get emotional and slip up. So long as it wasn't personal, I probably could tolerate a certain degree of yelling in certain situations, but if it contains expletives and such? Nope, sorry. Go yell at the wall, which has a better chance of listening than I will. 

Dabes is a passionate competitor, but I would hope for his own sake that he learns to chill as he ages as getting one's blood pressure up over something that's happened instead of calmly addressing it to fix it can't be good for his health. I also would not necessarily compare this situation to what Tom Coughlin's issue was. Coughlin was remote and distant from his players; Dabes is not. 

The idea behind this tactic is to give yourself extra years to lessen the prorated signing bonus's impact. Given that the salary cap is starting to rise significantly now that we're out of the pandemic, the projected increase in the cap makes it easier for teams to absorb the dead money that is part of a voidable year. Signing bonuses are maxed out over a five-year proration, which helps structure these multiyear blockbuster deals for quarterbacks. 

I'm not privy to the Giants scouting process or if they do things differently than what The Scouting Academy teaches, but I would say the best approach is to scout for football players over athletes. 

That was a big problem with one recent regime on this team, and it used to drive me crazy. Don't get me basketball players for the offensive line; get me football players and then coach them up, which is another problem this team has had.

(From Joe G.) Instead of the Giants wasting a high pick on a QB, how about if the Giants were to explore a trade for Justin Fields from Dallas?  

Joe, Justin Fields is with Chicago, not Dallas.  

(From Rich S.) I do not see any reason why there is all this talk about not resigning Barkley. He is the face of the franchise, a team player who gives 100% all the time. Yes, running backs can be cheap in the draft, but we need to show a sense of loyalty to the fans and the team. Why would we not pay him a bit more than whatever the market value is to reward his and the fans loyalty in him?

Rich, Saquon is a fantastic player and a great representative of the team. He's also another year older and dealt with another lower-body injury. He's not the same player he was prior to his ACL tear. And when you have a team with so many needs, paying a guy "a bit more" than the market value is not a good way to run a business. You do that and you lose out on another player at another position who can probably help your club. 

What's up, Cliff? I haven't done any comparative studies, and even so, given that when guys have popped up on the injury report, it's hard to say if the injury originated on turf or grass. Early on, the feeling was that the new surface was softer and gave a little bit better.  

(From Andrew G.) Which position groups would you target in free agency, given all this team's needs? Are there any positions that have a higher success rate in free agency?

Hi Andrew. I don't know if there have been any conclusive studies done on positions that have a better success rate in free agency versus the draft. I think I'd try to add a veteran offensive lineman, defensive interior lineman, and an edge rusher if I'm the Giants, and then look to fill in the rest of the needs via the draft.

(From Tom S.) I watch a lot of Justin Fields. This season, I think he showed he can be a top quarterback. I'd love to see the Giants pick up a game-changing WR with the 1st round pick and use the 2nd and 3rd round picks to get Fields and an O-lineman. If Fields works out, we re-sign him and let Jones go at the end of next season.

Tom, if I'm the Giants, I'm drafting a quarterback (and it doesn't necessarily have to be in the first round, as I'm discovering). I keep my draft assets, and I use them for other needs. And I tell Daboll to develop that drafted quarterback from scratch.

I really don't understand the obsession some people have about Jsutin Fields. He's entering the final year of his deal in 2024, so a decision will need to be made about his option year. 

Do you honestly think the Giants will make that decision without getting him in here and letting him play in the system for a year? They didn't do it with Daniel Jones when they inherited him, so why would they do that with Justin Fields on whom they'd have to use premium draft assets to get? That makes no sense from where I'm sitting.

 (From Matt P.) You have, in my opinion, been pretty spot on regarding your views on Jones over the last few years, even though some fans have been trying to kick him to the curb for years. Recently, however, I noticed you have seemed to just give up the fight on him by expressing your view that he has regressed and the Giants should move on, stating that they need a quarterback you can work behind literally the worst offensive line in the league.

I may be on the minority side of fans who still believe Jones can recover mentally from the beating he took this year, but the former players I trust the most agree with me.

I noticed this week that you have backtracked on Jones in your recent podcast about how you now believe the Giants should “run it back” with Jones. I’m sure your change of heart has something to do with the fact that ownership, management, and head coach have all stuck to their guns about Jones being the starter when healthy. I would love it if you would explain your views you have taken on Jones over the last few months.

Matt, fair question. As you know, at the start of the season, I had high hopes for Jones to take the next step. But then I saw him not be comfortable in the pocket, stare down receivers, take forever to process and make his throws (anything over 2.5 seconds is generally considered too long, and he averaged 2.83 seconds to throw this year, per PFF), and miss wide-open guys, and that concerned me because his 2022 offensive line wasn't that great either (finished 26th per PFF, four spots higher than its 30th place ranking this year).

I know about the injuries. As I have said repeatedly, good quarterbacks find a way to overcome imperfect conditions, and the excuses have to stop being made at some point. Can you tell me that the offensive line that Tyrod Taylor had to work with was any better than what Jones had to work with?

Regarding Jones and running it back with him, unless this team trades him (which is unlikely), his guaranteed money means he will be on this roster in 2024. So if you draft a young quarterback, as I think they might do, you let Jones start the year if he's healthy, and you work to get the young kid up to speed, much like the Giants did when Eli Manning was a rookie. This way, you get a quarterback on his rookie deal, and you can use the money you save on the Jones contract to fill in other needs to build the roster up.

And regarding management's backing of Jones, that has ZERO to do with my change of heart. What do you expect them to say? This has everything to do with being objective and applying common sense to the situation based on the information that's been available to me. 

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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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