Giants Mailbag: Harbaugh's Camp, the D-Line Dilemma and Dart's Growing Pains

Welcome to the weekly New York Giants On SI mailbag! From offseason moves to game-day strategies, we'll do our best to answer your questions. (Some questions have been edited for brevity and clarity.)

Practice Comparisons

From Andrew Bogdan (@AndrewBogdanCT): I would love to get your comparison of the training camp that Harbaugh runs vs. the camps the past 4 HCs have run, as it seems even the most cynical beat reporters are liking what they are seeing.

Aug 20, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh speaks to assistant special teams coach T.J. Weist during joint practice with the Miami Dolphins at Baptist Health Training Complex. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Andrew, for me, the biggest difference is the efficiency in how practices are being run. There is very little, if any, wasted time, and everything is done with a purpose. Combine that with the fact that Harbaugh is running practices to align with when kickoffs usually happen during the season, and I think he’s done a great job of getting these players ready for the season.

It has also helped that they have practiced in the heat, which should help with their conditioning. The fact that they were able to slog through the oppressive humidity that is Miami weather speaks volumes.

Other coaches tended to go a little too soft with practice schedules and days off, the exception being Joe Judge, who, while going more full speed, also had sessions that I thought wasted time or didn’t take full advantage of the time allotted by the CBA. Was it any wonder why they often didn’t look fully prepared at the start of the season?

If I’m a coach and my team is coming off a four-win season and I’m allowed 2.5 hours to practice, you can bet your mortgage I’m taking every available minute I’m given.

From a media perspective, I appreciate that Harbaugh has struck a balance between offering honest feedback and not being rude or tight-lipped. That was one of the things that drove me up the wall about Brian Daboll and Pat Shurmur.

At times, I just felt the communication became contentious, and while I understand that questions can leave something to be desired, there’s something to be said for diplomacy.

With Joe Judge and, to a degree, with Ben McAdoo, I thought both were often too scripted, and I questioned whether they were being sincere at times or just trying to push a selected agenda.

D-line Dilemma

From MillienForever (@Millien4Life): Easy question is what to do with that defensive line?

Aug 20, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Leki Fotu (90) and defensive tackle Darius Alexander (91) walk on the field during joint practice with the Miami Dolphins at Baptist Health Training Complex. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Millien, as I see it, there are two options: either try to coach them up, or, as I and others have been saying, keep a close watch on the waiver wire and pick someone up that way.

My guess is they will go the latter route and make the defensive line a priority waiver claim, which means if they put in claims for multiple players at different positions, a defensive lineman will be awarded to them first.

I’d keep an eye on Seattle, who has a bunch of defensive linemen who are said to be good. They won’t be able to keep all of them.

Quarterback Conundrums

From Joe (@nakedjoe): How quickly can we cut Brandon Allen?

Aug 15, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Brandon Allen (12) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When is the roster cutdown date? August 30? Probably on that day.

From Newtwit69 (@retirdlegnd69): Is Dart playing Saturday?

Harbaugh hasn’t said whether he is, but I wouldn't be surprised if he sits, given the work the starters got this week. The other thing that has me wondering if Dart is going to sit is the addition of Jake Haener.

You’d have thought that by adding Haener, they would have cut Brandon Allen, who was awful in the preseason opener. And yet, Allen is still on the roster.

Why? It could be because they’re planning not to play Dart and the starters, and they needed an extra quarterback to fill out the game reps.

On the Offense

From Matt0555 (@MAtt_Zero_Five): What’s your overall take on the offense? We’ve seen it in one preseason game now, (offensive coordinator) Matt Nagy called it a “work in progress”, and Dart said they were trying to “find their identity.” Does their slow start concern you? Or are you confident in the direction the coaching staff is taking it?

Aug 20, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) looks on from the field during joint practice with the Miami Dolphins at Baptist Health Training Complex. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Matt, no, I’m not concerned about the slow start because, quite frankly, I think every offense goes through this. I made this point on a Locked On Giants podcast, but I’ll make it again here.

Remember when the Giants replaced Kevin Gilbride as their offensive coordinator with Ben McAdoo? At that point, Eli Manning had been in the league for what, ten seasons, right? Do you remember how he struggled to adapt to McAdoo’s West Coast-based offense?

It was something he hadn’t really done, but hey, despite being a two-time Super Bowl MVP at the time of the change, he still had to learn the system, adapt his footwork, and get used to it. And as I recall, he didn’t start to look fully comfortable in the new system until about midway through that first season.

So I see the same thing for Dart and this offense. There will be some rough edges to smooth out, but I’m confident he’ll get there and have the offense running like a well-oiled machine.

The question is, will people–fans, media, critics–be patient with the process, or will they be quick to hang Harbaugh and the offensive coaches out to dry?

From James L. McMahan, Jr. (@theijames): What are your initial feelings on Mr. Dart running this offense? Are they still trying to figure out protections and timing? Is this uncovering potential challenges in how he processes the events before and after the snap? It’s very early, but I can’t decipher it from what we saw.

James, I think Dart and the offense will be fine. Why? They’ve been getting a LOT of reps in practice, and as they go along, little things get tweaked to fit the talent they have. As I noted above, this is a brand-new system for Dart that requires him to do many things he hasn’t done before.

And what’s that old saying? Practice makes perfect? We need to have some patience as things round into shape. I will become concerned if, by the end of the season, the offense doesn’t look any better than it did at the start of the year.

To Trade or Not to Trade?

From Kris Kauffeld (@dublk52): I'm in favor of keeping Kayvon Thibodeaux, but if another team offered you a second-round pick for him before the season started, would you pull the trigger?

Jun 9, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) answers questions from the press after the minicamp activities at Quest Diagnostics Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kris, I think you’d have to consider it if you’re Joe Schoen. That said, the decision on whether to trade Thibodeaux depends on other factors.

If this team is in the thick of a playoff chase, should they really look to part with a player who can help them get over the hump? Or if you have injuries at the position, do you really want to deplete your depth?

If I’m Joe Schoen, my thought process is to keep him for as long as there is a good chance of the team making it to the postseason.

Thibodeaux is likely going to get a contract that the team won’t necessarily be able to afford next year, and if everything falls into place, I am hoping to be looking at a third-round comp pick for the following year’s draft.

That’s not the same as a second-round pick, but if this team should get into the playoffs, they’re going to be drafting in the bottom half of the order anyway, so does it really matter if a comp pick is a few spots lower at the end of the day?

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