NY Giants Mailbag: Does Big Blue Have the Right Leadership?

Want to get in on our weekly mailbag? You can do so here, or post your questions on X (formerly known as Twitter) to @Patricia_Traina, hashtag #askPTrain. Letters may be edited for clarity/length.

With all the stuff going on about Mara‘s health, do you think Tisch will be more involved in football operations (like in 2022, when he stepped in, to fire Judge)?
— pheezy (@pheezy__) October 9, 2025

I doubt it. The arrangement has always been 50-50, and I can't see John Mara taking a lesser role in the decisions and direction of the franchise.

Besides, John isn't incapacitated. Yes, cancer treatments drain a person physically (I know from experience) but that doesn't mean you still can't function or make decisions.

With giants fans clamoring for WRs of giants past (Hodgins/OBJ), do you think either of them are feasible or realistic targets for the giants front office?

My guess would be they want to see if Wandale/Hyatt/Collins work, then they’ll give a chance to their practice squad WRs…
— BigJones(?)Energy (@BigJonesEnergy) October 9, 2025

I don't think OBJ is a realistic target, especially given the news of his PED suspension. Hodgins makes sense, but I am old enough to remember how he couldn't get on the field in his second season here. (Plus how do we know the Giants haven't reached out to him about coming over only to be told 'no thanks'?)

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

What is your view of the Giants not restructuring some contracts to free up cap space to address obvious needs at this time (particularly at wide receiver). Do you believe we should be taking a page out of Roseman’s book? – Bob A.

Bob, the Giants have, in the past, restructured contracts. What they HAVEN’T done, which Howi Roseman has, is include voidable years in contracts.

I understand why they didn’t the first couple of years as the cap was a mess, but there’s no reason why you can’t sit down and do projections regarding how much the cap is going to rise, what the high and low-end estimated market values will be for those players you want to keep, and then react accordingly.

I want Daboll out after this Eagles game, and Kafka to have a chance to see if he has it to be the next Giant Head Coach. We know Daboll is not the long term solution. Do you feel the Giants should stick with this Head Coach, who has a proven losing record or make the change after this Eagles game and perhaps turn things around? – Joe G.

Joe, do you still want Daboll out now that the Eagles game is in the books? The simple fact that Daboll pulled the plug as early as he did on Russell Wilson so he could get his quarterback in there was the lifeline he needed to get through the rest of the season.

How can you play a winless team and not get one sack when that is supposed to be the strength of the team? Are they not playing hard or not being used correctly? – John W.

John, the only explanation I can give you is that the defense the Giants ran against the Saints did not do a lot of disguising. By disguising coverages, you create doubt in the mind of a quarterback as to what he’s seeing which usually leads to him holding the ball a tick longer than he wants to.

When everything is crystal clear out there to where he doesn’t have to hold the ball, the quarterback gets it out of his hand and the pass rush, despite the pressures, comes up without a sack.

I listen to the podcast every day, and today Patricia asked for thoughts as she went through a litany of reasons why they are a mess. I think the biggest single reason is the GM Joe Schoen. The drafting has been poor.

Signing Slayton to a $36 million contract--Barkley could have had that, losing talented players, not fixing the offensive line, the list goes on.

It's his job to bring in talent,, and, other than a few exceptions (Burns for one),, he has spent a lot of money with little return. Just look at the salary cap situation. Please do a podcast on the top management failure being the real issue! – David K.

David, I am in no way exonerating Joe Schoen for his hand in what has happened, especially given how his 2022 and 2023 drafts have turned into black holes.

But ask yourself this: why is it that Banks, Nubin, Schmitz, and Phillips have all regressed after showing signs of promise as rookies? Think that might be a coaching problem?

As for Barkley, Schoen tried to sign him, and Barkley, despite what he said at the time, was chasing the money. They sign Barkley, and chances are the Burns deal doesn’t get done.

There will be a podcast that breaks down all the issues, but I can tell you this right now. I am NOT putting 100% of the blame on Schoen and giving the coaching staff a pass as you seem to want me to do.

What’s wrong with Dex
— Jason (@jasonlarsonmn) October 10, 2025

Jason, I don’t know if there is anything physically wrong with Dexter Lawrence II, but I can tell you he’s not playing over the nose as much as last year.

According to PFF’s snap counts, he’s played 114 snaps at defensive tackle, 35 at end and 112 at nose tackle, nose tackle being his best position. Could that have something to do with the sluggish start he’s had? Could be. But who knows.

Did anybody ask Brian Daboll why he called that ridiculous time out just before the half?
— Mark William (@MarkAlb69634011) October 10, 2025

I don't think so. It's not as though it made a difference in the game, right?

Was Carter worth the draft pick? Thank you
— Ralph Furley (@ralphfurley47) October 10, 2025

Yes. Don't you agree?

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