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New York Giants Mailbag: Post Combine Edition

Let's check in with the readers to see what's on their minds this week.
Patricia Traina|
New York Giants Mailbag: Post Combine Edition
New York Giants Mailbag: Post Combine 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.

Kris, I think it's a combination of things, starting with the player himself. if he's willing to really work at his craft, he can and will improve. But if he comes in thinking he's already a star and doesn't have to work as hard as the next guy, he's destined to fail (and we've seen a few of those over the years). I also think to a degree, the role the player is asked to play factors into the equation. If he shows himself capable of excelling in what he's asked to do, chances are he'll be asked to do even more.

(From George G.) Hi, would the Giants have any interest in a trade for Hendon Hooker? Loved him in college and hopefully he has fully rehabbed from the injury. Would a mid-round pick be worth a flyer?  

Hi George. No, I don't see that as a realistic possibility.

(From Dave S.)  Why not use a much more substantial portion of cap space and draft to the OL than any other group, by a mile? It's been holding everybody back, for years.

Dave, what you're proposing is similar to buying a new gadget and then tossing it aside for a different model because you can't figure out how to get the most out of it.

Let's go back and look at the recent drafts, shall we? Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal were first round picks. JMS was a second-round pick. Joshua Ezeudu was a third rounder. Other than Thomas, the others haven't developed. 

In free agency, you had Mark Glowinski, who was serviceable. Oh, and remember Nate Solder and how the team had to overspend on him after whiffing on Ereck Flowers?

How about this team start with better coaching to develop some of these younger guys, something they really haven't had since the days of Pat Flaherty being in charge of the line. I think maybe that might be the common denominator as to why the line has been so bad.

 (From Jerry P.) Daniel Jones is a nice guy, a hard worker, a smart kid from Duke, etc., but....he is not an NFL starting quarterback. Jones completed just 12-of-36 passes thrown over 10 yards last year. His 33% completion rate was the worst of any QB who was their team's week's 1 starter since 2020. Of the 129 QBs w 35+ att the last 3 yrs, he ranked: #128 in comp % and #127 in success rate #124 in EPA/att. It's time to move on. I would support trading up or taking a shot with McCarthy. Thoughts?

Jerry, I'm fully on board with moving on from Daniel Jones and giving Schoen and Daboll the chance to pick their guy and develop him. Jones's injury history really concerns me a lot, and I'm also tired of all the excuses being made for him, how he didn't have this or that. Phil Simms didn't have a lot either in his career, and he made it work after a rough start. Jones is a great person, but I think he needs a fresh start elsewhere.

 Brett, I still think the Giants go receiver if they sit tight at No. 6. On the most recent Locked On Giants podcast, I outlined a potential scenario where they trade back into the bottom of the first round for either a quarterback or an offensive lineman. As for what the Bears do with Justin Fields, I don't think that will affect the Giants' decision about the quarterback. They'll have their grades and if the guy they want is sitting there at six, they'll take him.

 Might want to give my latest podcast a listen to, Carlos. ;)

I think they would have to get deals done before the first wave of free agency concludes. I do not think they will be able to bring back both, and whereas I thought Saquon was more likely to return, now I'm starting to think that McKinney might be more likely to return given he's younger, still ascending to his prime and sounds like a player new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen would love to have in his defense.

I tend to favor Drake Maye of UNC. I think he'd be a good overall fit for the team. But I'm not so sure he will make it to the Giants at sixth, even though there have been some whispers that Maye isn't as highly regarded a prospect by the scouting community as he is by the media and fans.

That's certainly a possibility. You'll see roster holes start to get filled while others might start to develop. But that said, I don't think the Giants are going to panic if they, for example, lose Saquon Barkley in free agency to where now it' becomes imperative to draft a replacement by the end of Day 2.

Plenty. There's the jumpstart on meeting with the agents of pending free agents they want back, and also, there are preliminary discussions about trades that start to take place--the Odell Beckham Jr and Olivier Vernon trades to the Cleveland Browns originated at the combine, remember? 

I suspect part of the reason had to do with how he was deployed at Tennessee versus how the Giants planned to deploy him. It also didn't help that the team went through as many quarterbacks as it did due to injury, but I do remember noticing the extra time Hyatt seemed to spend with receivers coach Mike Groh at practices.I like and respect Saquon Barkley a lot, but this team isn't in a position to where it can keep nor overspend on "mascots." If the Giants are going to spend on him, it needs to be because he can help them ON the field. The other stuff is secondary.  

I like and respect Saquon Barkley a lot, but this team isn't in a position where it can keep or overspend on guys who morph into "mascots." If the Giants are going to spend on him, it needs to be because he can help them ON the field. The other stuff is secondary.  

That's an excellent question, Edwin. and one I wish I had thought to ask Hall of Fame voter Bob Glauber, whom I had home on my podcast a few weeks ago, to discuss this very same topic of the strength of Eli's HOF candidacy. 

I think that would have been possible--if I did my math correctly, he would have finished with a 78-57 record, two Super Bowl championships, and two MVPs,  and three of his eventual four Pro Bowl nods, not to mention the league record for passing yards in a postseason: 1,219 (set in 2011) ad the longest touchdown pass (99 yards, tied). 

I've always been of the opinion that the Giants wasted the final year of Manning's career, just as you can argue that they screwed Daniel Jones over at the start of his career.

Perspective, John. Hawkins looked good in a controlled environment (training camp) and in playing against competition that was more or less on his same level. He also came from a small school and was a late Day 3 pick. Not sure what you were expecting given all that, but it's better they pulled dhi from the starting lineup so he could receive more seasoning than to leave him in there and risk potentially destroying the kid's confidence.

I could see that happening, assuming they have similar grades for Odunze and Nabers. I'd be in favor of it, actually, if it means adding to this year's draft capital.

I suppose it might be an issue for some players, but as I see it, at some point, all players have to play on turf, as most NFL stadiums do have artificial surfaces.

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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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