Giants Taking the Right Path, But How Much Further Do They Need To Go?

Early returns indicate the players have bought into Harbaugh's program for the season.

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh looks on during practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

New head coach John Harbaugh didn't need very long to get the players in the New York Giants locker room to start believing in themselves. They've demonstrated the hard work and attention to detail necessary to lay a winning foundation.

Now, it'll be up to them to see where they can take it once they return for training camp following their summer hiatus.

It's the annual rite of every team in every sport: a new season brings renewed optimism, no matter what the underlying reality may present, right?

The Giants' players realize the team hasn't been a true contender since winning its most recent Super Bowl in 2011. But they're still allowed to join the rest of the league in expressing positivity as they end their offseason program.

"Every year. That's everybody — that's all 32 teams feeling the same way we're feeling right now," linebacker Brian Burns said this week.

"It’s just about how you handle it during the season, how you handle the pressure, and especially how you handle the adversity when it hits. That's the most important thing, but yeah, everybody [is] feeling good and optimistic about their season."

Sometimes there's a gleam in the team's eyes that suggests a bit more than their stated off-season hopes. Burns, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, is a good example of this, as he's targeting his first playoff appearance after seven NFL seasons (the first five with Carolina).

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel this is a little different," Burns said. "I was a little excited. But at the end of the day, as I say, you’ve gotta prove it. It’s [not] just about being happy and optimistic. You’ve got to get on the field, and you’ve got to prove it against another team and impose your will on them."

Harbaugh knows exactly where the Giants are trying to go, and the players are confident that the game plan will take them there.

He earned a Lombardi Trophy and 12 postseason appearances over 18 years with the Baltimore Ravens and has been energized with the re-tooling of this roster.

"We got better throughout the course of the minicamp," he said. "All the way back to the first day back in the off-season program, we've improved dramatically. We have a long way to go, but now our arrow is pointing towards training camp."

CBS Sports analyst Emory Hunt of the Football Gameplan joins Big Blue Breakdown Live! Host Paul Dottino to discuss the state of the Giants and what to look for when the club opens training camp at the end of July. Fans can join tonight's show via chat and audio/video calls at 7 p.m. ET using this link.

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