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New York Giants | The "What Now?" Mailbag Edition

The Giants blew a golden opportunity to make up ground in the NFC East. So where do they go from here?
Patricia Traina|

The Giant s blew a golden opportunity to make up ground in the NFC East. So where do they go from here?

That's what's mostly on the minds of readers this week, so let's jump right into the mailbag.

Thanks for the question, Kevin. My guess is they would rather keep Jones in the pocket as much as possible. The more you roll him out or call for designed runs, the more at risk he is to an injury. 

I realize you can’t coach scared, but at the same time, you have to coach smart, and the quarterback’s first job is to throw the ball.

Hi Oscar. As of right now, yes, I do think Gettleman gets another year. I know the track record hasn’t looked the greatest, and there have been some headscratchers here and there. 

Still, it’s my understanding that ownership is planning to be patient for at least another year, especially considering how Gettleman recently revamped the scouting and personnel departments. 

They want to see everything take root before they completely weed out the garden. I think they also understand that there would be some growing pains with this group of young players under a new coaching staff and with no off-season. So add it all up, and I do think Gettleman will get at least one more year.

Hi Joseph. My understanding is that if a player opted out, that means they’re staying away from the facility and are not permitted to attend meetings or any team activities.

Hi Pete. It can, depending on the player. When you flip the tackles, that means you have to take the first step with a different foot and do everything the opposite of what you were used to. So it’s like writing with your left hand all your life and then having to switch to your right hand.

The Giants have been cross-training all their tackles to be able to play both sides because you never know when an injury may strike.

Hey Flipp. I thought I saw somewhere in my readings/travels that Victor was dealing with a hamstring issue or maybe was dealing with one. If that’s the case, then that would explain the delay in his development.

Hi Scott. Sterling Shepard is one guy and a player who runs crisp routes and who, as I noted in this article, can find the sweet spot in zone coverage every time. With that said, I don’t think one guy is going to be the spark necessarily. I’ve said this before and will say it again: It’s a team effort. If you have an offensive line that can’t block to save its lives, then it doesn’t matter who you have in the backfield, at quarterback, or receiver.

I’ve always wondered that. I think the answer is because both positions require different skill sets. You have one who is kicking off of a placement (the kicker) and one who isn’t (the punter). And my understanding is it’s a lot easier to kick off a placement than it is freestyle. 

Then you have teams who have their punter serve as their kickoff specialist while the place-kicker does the scoring. Anyway, I think kicker/punter combos are rare, and even then, teams feel better having two guys rather than one for both roles. 

(The Giants have Ryan Santoso on their practice squad who can do both jobs; how well at the NFL level is the question.)

No, I don’t see the Giants being buyers (nor do I see them being in the NFC East race, not after what they put on tape Thursday night). As I’ve noted before, the Giants have six draft picks thanks to trades they made (they previously had five before the Markus Golden deal). 

As I’ve said before, the Giants are not projected to get comp picks next year, and right now, their cap situation needs improvement. So I don’t see the Giants as being buyers this year.

Hi Joey. No, the Giants should draft a No. 1 receiver. Enough with this "trade for a player" stuff. This team isn’t one player away to afford to keep giving up draft picks and assets. As for how they should approach the off-season, I’m working on a big article on that very same topic full of little details, so be on the watch for that.

That’s a great question, Anthony. Losing can become a mentality, no doubt about it. I mean, if you keep on busting your hump and you don’t have the results to show for it, after a while, you’re probably like, “Why bother?” 

I can’t say for certain what Joe Judge and the coaching staff are doing to keep this attitude from seeping into the locker room, but I sure hope he has something up his sleeve.

Joey, I’ve said it before and will say it again. The Giants need to be sellers. Certain guys will not be part of the long-term plan on this team—guys like Kevin Zeitler and Golden Tate and maybe even Evan Engram. Move them if you can. 

Try to get a Day 3 draft pick for as many of those guys as possible. If you can’t move them now, I think they end up getting released, which is fine, as their contracts are much to carry. But at least try to get something.

John Mara said back at the end of August that there were no plans to sell the team.

Sorry but I disagree. Engram had no one in front of him. Why not extend further or dive for that ball knowing that if you make the catch the game is over?

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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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