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New York Giants Reader Mailbag: The "Big Concerns About This Team" Edition

Readers want to know what the heck is going on here with this 0-3 Giants team.
Patricia Traina|

What's going on with this winless Giants team and is there hope for the future? Let's explore this week's mailbag and try to answer some of the questions.

Hi Tony. Yes, I remember those days as well. Offensive line coach Marc Colombo said this past week that it takes thousands of reps before an offensive line comes together. 

At one point, I can even remember when the offensive line that formed between 2007-10 was once thought of as the worst offensive line in football by some national analysts.

I don’t want to sound like I’m making an excuse here—I am not. I see some of the technical issues with some of the offensive linemen, and if I see them, you can bet Colombo sees them and is working on getting that corrected.

But as I have pointed out before, this rebuild isn’t complete. Cam Fleming is keeping the seat warm until Marr Peart is ready to go. And given how things are unfolding, I wouldn’t be stunned if Kevin Zeitler isn’t here next year, replaced by Shane Lemieux.

I also think given how impatient people have become given the losing, that every facet of this team is on a shorter leash to turn it around. The sad reality is that it doesn’t work that way.

What’s up, guys and gals? I thought I remembered that question coming up with Jones a while ago and tried to find the exact quote in my archives as I didn’t want to go off memory. 

I couldn’t find it (what I found had to do with line protection calls). So let me see if I can slip that question into a future media session.

Hi Adrian. Regarding Will Hernandez, there could be several factors at play here, including playing next to two guys who are new to their positions at the NFL level. 

But one thing I have noticed, at least what I believe to be on film given the available angles, is that at times Hernandez seems to be back on his heels instead of putting his weight forward to take better advantage of his leverage.

As for Julian Love, I don’t think it’s a speed issue, otherwise, you probably wouldn’t line him up at safety. I think the guy to look for at cornerback is going to be Madre Harper. 

I got the sense from listening to Joe Judge the other day that they wanted to sign Harper to their practice squad after camp, but he chose to stay in Las Vegas. 

The Giants wanted Harper so badly that they gave him a $25,000 signing bonus to come over. So that should tell you a little something about what they think about him.

Thanks for the letter, John. I think you’ve raised an excellent point. If this game is all about the fundamentals, then you’re right, the Giants should technically be more competitive than they have been.

Regarding the scheme, having an intimate understanding of it helps you think less and react faster—it’s like when I was first learning how to make videos for the site, it would take me almost two hours to make a 1:30 video, a process that now takes way less time for me to do since I have a better understanding of what to do.

I think the blowout against the 49ers’ B-team shows jus how much further this roster rebuild has to go. The question is, at what point do you get it right? They’ve started from scratch when Dave Gettleman came in, and it’s still not where it needs to be. 

Meanwhile, as I’ve noted before, you’re going to get Barkley and Jones and Lawrence to where they are all going to want new contracts; meanwhile, you don’t have a full understanding or appreciation of what they bring to the table given some of the talent issues around them, and that’s disturbing at this point.

Hi Matt. My guess is you won’t see either unless there is an injury, and of the two, I think Matt Peart has a better chance of playing at some point this year (maybe even after the bye week, which wouldn’t stun me).

Hi Tyler. I think to some degree, yes, there is an overreaction to Daniel Jones’ poor start. His offensive line hasn’t jelled. He has had his full group of offensive skill players for what, one quarter of play? 

He’s lost Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard, the former a guy who scared defensive coordinators and the latter a guy who was very underrated when it came to finding soft spots in zone coverage. And he’s dealing with a new offensive system that is vastly different than what he ran in his first season as a pro.

I also think it’s worth looking more closely at his turnovers. How many of them are actually on him versus something else happening? So I guess what I’m saying is you can’t write Jones off just yet, but certainly, this is something to keep a close eye on moving forward.

Hi Antwuan. I think Andrew Thomas has had his ups and downs so far. He’s been inconsistent with his hands, which I see as his most significant issue, but there’s a lot of upside to this young man’s game. I think the more pro-level reps he gets to refine his games, the better. 

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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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