Big Blue View mailbag: Daniel Jones, Brian Daboll, offensive line … the usual

Pete Vindigni asks: The Giants cannot (should not) repeat last year’s mistake of allowing free agents to leave for no return (Saquon and Xavier). The Giants are too far away from completing their rebuild and need to maximize cap space and draft position and quantity of draft choices.

In addition to Slayton, who else needs to be on the must trade list this year?

Love our ownership but business needs to be business and they need to allow the football people to run that side of the business in a clinical manner.

Ed says: Pete, let’s back up to last season. Ownership was not going to sign off on a midseason Saquon Barkley trade. There was still hope of keeping him. As for Xavier McKinney, he did not play well the first half of last season. There was no market for him.

Now, I do believe that the Giants should be in the market for additional draft picks if they get worthwhile offers. I have said before that I believe Darius Slayton would bring the best return. Azeez Ojulari is a possibility, but he won’t bring back a lot. Maybe Devin Singletary, but I don’t know if there would be a market for him.

As for “business being business,” what was letting Saquon Barkley go? Emotionally, John Mara wanted him to stay. The business decision was to put that money elsewhere. Also, as much as Mara has always believed in Daniel Jones he was clearly willing to sign off on drafting a quarterback if Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll could get the player they wanted.

---

James Stoll asks: Ed, listening to Dex in his post-Dallas interviews was painful. It sounds like he is thoroughly demoralized. If that is accurate, how long until he and his teammates tune Daboll out completely? The Giants are on track to be 1-7 at the turn, and from there on out nothing on field matters. Are you seeing it this way? Do you think Daboll even makes it to the end of the season? Every year, the Giants find a way to take the fan base lower than it has ever been. We are there again.

Ed says: James, I was in that locker room after Thursday’s game. I have written about that and talked about it on my podcast — I do not see a team that is turning on each other or the head coach. I saw a team that was disappointed. Dexter Lawrence in particular is not willing to accept the losing, and as a guy who is emerging as THE leader of the Giants, he was making that clear.

Could the Giants be 1-7 a month from now? Sure. They could also be 4-4. Just let it play out. With a couple of plays in Weeks 2 and 4 they could be 3-1 right now, and the conversation would be different. They are what they are, and they have played themselves into 1-3. The Giants will be underdogs in those games, but I don’t see any super teams that can’t be beaten.

Do I think Daboll makes it to the end of the season? Absolutely. This is not a Ben McAdoo situation where the locker room is imploding. If that happens, then maybe I would revisit this, but right now I don’t see it. As I have also said before, I think it is far too early to conclude that Daboll won’t be the coach beyond this season.

---

Ronald Buchheim asks: The consensus from reporters and fans seems to be that Jones is a limited quarterback who can manage the short game but can’t throw deep passes. But I’ve read that in 2020, he led the NFL in deep passing proficiency. I’m not sure that’s correct, but I’ve read elsewhere that he was at least near the top in deep passing before he injured his knee and neck. People. speculate that those injuries may be affecting him now, but that doesn’t seem convincing to me. I think a more likely explanation is that we’re dealing with a small sample size of 15 passes. Deep passes are more difficult than short ones obviously, and it may simply take more time to get them right after a long layoff and relatively few deep attempts in the past few years. Alternatively, he may simply be in a short-term slump, as often happens to athletes. Do you think those more optimistic interpretations are worth considering? I do hope we can suspend judgment for a few more games, especially since he seems to be excelling in other areas, as witnessed by PFF giving him the highest offensive grade against the Cowboys.

Ed says: Ronald, of course that view is worth considering. No one knows exactly why any of those throws was missed. And, no, for those who just want to say “because Daniel Jones sucks”, that’s not a reason.

Look, the reality is that the farther you throw the ball the more difficult it is to be accurate and to complete the pass. There are currently 23 quarterbacks in the NFL who have attempted 11 or more passes of 20+ yards. Only three — Sam Darnold at 61.5%, and Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers at exactly 50% — have completed at least half of such throws.

The midpoint is probably Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills. He is 11th in terms of accuracy at 37.5% (6 of 16). Here is the full list:

I am not defending Jones. There have been a few deep throws that you would expect to be better, undoubtedly. I asked Daboll the other day if it could be confidence-related, if Jones could perhaps be aiming those throws rather than just letting the ball go. The coach didn’t really answer.

In 2022, Jones completed 10 of 26 passes of 20+ yards, 38.5%. That placed him 10th in the league among 36 qualifiers. So, we have seen him be fairly efficient on these throws not that long ago.

---

Carl Pellegrino asks: With the obvious improvement in the Giant pass blocking, and with an eye on the future, what do you see in Evan Neal’s future as a Giant? With his rookie contract set through the 2025 season, do you think he has a reasonable chance to stick around (and maybe, still, excel) at a guard position or even RT? Can he still be (a productive) part of the future?

Ed says: Carl, that’s a hard question to answer. We don’t see practice now that the season has started. Offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo said Friday that Neal has continued to practice exclusively at right tackle.

I would say if he can remain healthy he has a chance. His first two seasons, and the beginning of his third, were constantly interrupted. It’s hard to get better when you can’t practice consistently.

---

Bill Lamont asks: I agree with your post that it is too soon to think about changing the coach and GM. For the sake of argument though, if the season ends poorly and one or both are gone, could the issue go deeper with ownership/management choosing the wrong people over the past number of years?

Ed says: Bill, of course ownership has made mistakes. Some fans have already made up their minds, but I don’t know yet that hiring Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll was one.

Pushing Tom Coughlin out the door while blaming, but keeping, Jerry Reese was a mistake. Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur, Dave, Gettleman, Joe Judge were all mistakes.

Not every team can have Pittsburgh Steelers-like stability, but constantly changing coaches and GMs isn’t a recipe for success. On the flip side, look around the league. I’d venture there are more hiring mistakes at GM and head coach than success stories.

There is no perfect formula. And the Mara and Tisch families are not selling the team. So, yes, mistakes have been made. I don’t think that means they are bad owners.

---

Doug Mollin asks: The Giants’ OL is playing fairly well in pass blocking this season. From Nick’s article on the OL:

• 17th in overall pass blocking by PFF.
• 3rd lowest percent of pressure drop back responsibility.
• They lead the NFL in the average time for a quarterback to throw until the pocket collapses.

DJ has struggled with his long-ball accuracy and big time throws. But overall, he hasn’t been terrible: his PFF score is a kind of mediocre 66.7 but QBR is 55.7 (14th) and EPA is 17.8 (10th).

What is not clicking with the offense? Why do we have the 3rd-fewest points in the league? It seems like the Giants should be doing better than they are.

Ed says: Doug, if you have watched the games you know that there are several factors. Yes, Jones has missed some throws that would have either been touchdowns or set up touchdowns. Drops and penalties at bad times have been an issue. The placekicker situation in Week 2 cost the Giants points. We can argue about the play-calling which, I think, at times has been too conservative.

It isn’t just one thing.

---

Alan Backman asks: Just wanted to get your opinion on why others seem to have success finding a QB off the “scrap heap” and having success with them? Here’s a small sampling of recent QB’s teams have obtained:

– Geno Smith – He’s done great since going to Seattle. Pro bowler.

– Sam Darnold – PFF of 78.2 and that’s before today where he looked great.

– Justin Fields – PFF of 76.4

– Baker Mayfield – PFF of 75.0

– Even Malik Willis – PFF of 74.0

What do Giants have? We all have discussed Jones issues (PFF 66.7). But it’s not just Jones. Drew Lock is one of the few QB’s with a passer rating worse than Jones (81.4).

Why is it so hard? I confess that it’s hard to find a rookie QB. But I’ve given you the veteran NFL QB’s. You already had a guy like Tyrod Taylor who showed last year he could run this offense effectively (and better than Jones). Why wouldn’t you get someone better (or the same) as a backup? Do you think the deck was cleared to avoid competition for Jones? Why would you rely on Jones given that he’s at the end of his contract and you just tried to trade up to replace him? Lastly, do you think that Schoen/Daboll have earned the right to pick Jones’ replacement?

Ed says: Alan, let’s please not judge quarterbacks based on Pro Football Focus grades. If you want to do that, you are telling me there are a dozen quarterbacks better than Patrick Mahomes. And that Jared Goff, even after his 18 for 18 game on Monday, is the 33rd-best quarterback in the league.

While acknowledging what Sam Darnold is doing, let’s be wary of four-game sample sizes overriding several years of data.

It isn’t easy to find a quarterback. Period. Veteran or one on a rookie contract. If it was easy, everyone would have a top tier one and teams wouldn’t be so desperate to upgrade at the position.

Why is it so hard? First, in my view quarterback is the most difficult position to play in all of sports. You have the ball in your hands on every play, have to digest so much information, have to process tons of information in a matter of seconds, make the right decision, make accurate throws — and do all of that while massive human beings are trying to crush you. Success for a quarterback can often be determined by a lot more than talent — the team you join, the coaching staff and organization you are with, etc.

As for Tyrod Taylor, I don’t understand why the Giants thought Taylor might return this season. The Giants burned that bridge when they chose to continue starting Tommy DeVito last season when Taylor was ready to return from his broken ribs. Taylor was a pro about it, but he was unhappy. He was never coming back.

Do I think the deck was cleared for Jones? Not necessarily, but if you were Darnold or Gardner Minshew would you have wanted to come to the Giants where it was crystal clear who the starter would be, or go someplace where there was an obvious opportunity?

Do I think Schoen and Daboll have earned the right to pick the next quarterback? I think you have to let this season play out, but I do hope they get the chance. The Giants can’t keep blowing things up and starting over.

---

John Anderson asks: After watching the Commanders destroy 2 teams after we played them, are they better then we thought? Conversely, does that make us better then we thought? The Vikings are still undefeated, and the Commanders and Cowboys both barely beat us. How good or bad are we truly? Help me figure this out.

Ed says: John, you can drive yourself crazy — and apparently are — trying to play the “if/then” game. Fact is, the Giants found ways to lose two games they could have won. The difference between the best and worst teams in the NFL is really not that big. Most games are determined by just a few plays. The better teams have a habit of making those plays. The rest find a way to screw things up. We will find out how good or bad the Giants are over the remainder of the season, but right now the Giants look like a “find a way to screw things up” team.

---

Bryan Waagner: Are there any vets sitting home looking for a job that could provide so leadership and mentoring while offering a bit better play on the outside perhaps against the opposing team’s No. 1 receiver? It’s going to be a long year with the Achilles heel being the backfield. The front has done an inconsistent job getting pressure on the QB even within games like Cleveland. The fourth quarter almost slipped away because the Giants front could not or was not dialing up the pressure on Watson.

Ed says: The short answer is ‘No.’ Here is the list of available cornerbacks as of a couple of days ago. Honestly, don’t you think that if the Giants could have found an upgrade in free agency or when teams cut their rosters from 90 to 53 players they would have done something other than turn back to Adoree’ Jackson, who wasn’t good for them last year?

In Week 5, you aren’t going to find a street free agent or a player sitting on a team’s practice squad who is a guy you would be comfortable matching up with the No. 1 wide receiver on opposing teams. That’s just not realistic.

---

Eric Chavis asks: What happens on a week to week basis in practice where we can expect to see an improvement in deep ball completion percentage and Jones more frequently hitting players in stride (even on shorter throws)? Are they able to practice much of this or are most practices mainly strategy for the upcoming week?

Ed says: Eric, we do not get to watch practice during the season. All I can tell you is that every practice includes some individual work early in practice. Most or regular-season practice, though, is devoted to game preparations for the upcoming opponent.

---

Dan Masella asks: Hi Ed, longtime reader here. I know Jones issues with the deep ball have been talked about a lot already this young season but I wanted to ask a question from a different angle.

Is there a possibility his struggles there related to his ACL recovery? Is there any data out there that might help shed some light on if QBs post ACL recovery have had similar struggles specific to the deep ball?

Ed says: Dan, I do not think it is physical. Granted, injuries can change things about how your body works. Still, we saw Jones miss some deep shots long over the first few games. He admitted this week that he may have over-corrected in an effort not to overthrow receivers.

I think it’s about confidence. Seeing it, ripping it, trusting it. Not worrying about overthrowing it or whether the window is too tight. Just let it go and trust your arm. For his career, he has been pretty much a league average deep ball thrower (34.1% completion rate).

---

Ken Forrest asks: Giants offensive line has been much improved in pass blocking. Do they need to add in a run blocking guard? Would Evan Neal fit that role?

Ed says: Ken, as I said in a previous answer, nobody knows for sure if Neal can play guard. Maybe he can, maybe he can’t. The strength of his game, even if hasn’t shown in his first two seasons, should be run blocking.

Look at the players on the Giants offensive line and it’s pretty obvious that 34-year-old Greg Van Roten is a stop gap for this year. Whether Neal is the long-term answer there, I don’t know. Neal at guard certainly does not seem to be an option the Giants are exploring this season.

---

Adrian Lockasks: I’ve been following the Daniel Jones situation in New York and 99% realize he isn’t the guy.

Drew Lock is not what I would consider an adequate replacement, although over the years Drew has thrown several impressive deep balls. He just has the bad habit of making the same mistakes over and over again.

Rumors are the NYG may be looking at Zach Wilson. Why would they want to do a nitwit thing like that.

I would suggest the club make a trade with Denver for Jarrett Stidham.

Although he has only started four games in his NFL career, he has played well. A couple of years ago, while with the Raiders, Stidham played very well against a stout 49ers defense.

In Denver, Coach Payton only has eyes for “Hobo” Nix, so I believe Stidham could be available.

Ed says: Adrian, what crazed social media rumor did you read about Zach Wilson?

As for Jarrett Stidham, you want to trade for a guy who is on his third team in six years and has four NFL starts? Why? Forget Jones. What evidence is there that Stidham, a former fourth-round pick, is better than Tommy DeVito?

A single good game here or there doesn’t prove anything. To me, the reality that he has been hot-potatoed through three organizations already tells me more.

---

Don Freeze asks: Kayvon Thibodeaux, for all his swagger and yak, has not shown much on the field so far this year, and I am beginning to wonder if he might be (like Neal) a bust?

Your thoughts?

Ed says: Don, a year after the guy produced 11.5 sacks, we’re still having the ‘Thibodeaux is a bust’ discussion?

Thibodeaux is not a bust. He is a good player. What he has not been is a great player, which he happens to think he is. When you draft a player No. 5 overall you hope you get a great player. In that sense, it is OK to be disappointed in what Thibodeaux delivers — or doesn’t deliver — at times.

Calling him a ‘bust’, though isn’t right.

---

Robert Conyea asks: I can’t believe I’m asking this question after just 4 games. I’ve never been a Daniel Jones hater. He’s a likable guy who works hard. But it’s becoming clear that he just doesn’t have the gunslinger instinct that a quarterback needs. Following the Cowboy game, I’ve never seen so much praise heaped on a quarterback who failed to get his team in the end zone. Not exactly Fran Tarkenton in 1967 when the Giants scored more touchdowns than any team in the NFL. (you and Tony aren’t the only guys who remember that stuff) Daboll and Schoen will have to change their tune pretty soon. They’ve been singing it since last Spring when they announced the job belonged to Jones. While at the same time, trying to maneuver to draft his replacement. I think the big question now goes beyond how well he plays in the next game or two. Is it still even conceivable that Jones will be on the team next year? If not, how and when should Giants management approach this. Take a shot with Lock or Devito? At some point don’t they have to try something different? Tarkenton was only with the Giants for 5 years. Jones is in year 6, and he’s still trying to figure it out?

Ed says: Robert, at this point let’s just acknowledge what Jones is. He is an average quarterback. Not a great one. Not, despite what some Giants fans think, a horrible one. He is middle of the road.

How long will he continue to be the quarterback? The reality is that Jones and Lock came into the league at the same time, and Jones has been better. That’s why he is playing and Lock is on his third franchise as a backup. Now, if the Giants reach a point in the season (and, no, it’s not now) where they realize they aren’t going anywhere and they want to avoid the possibility of Jones’ injury guarantee kicking in next year, they will move on.

As for next year, anything is possible. I think they would want a less expensive veteran bridge quarterback on the roster. Considering all of the baggage, that might be the best move. Then again, they were willing to draft a QB and make Jones a lame-duck bridge quarterback this year. So, while I think it is unlikely, I don’t think it is impossible.

---

[EDITOR’S NOTE: A couple of hints about getting your question answered. Send a long, angry rant disguised as a “question’, and I’m probably not touching it. I also much prefer questions from those who are willing to put their names to them.]

Submit a question

Have a Giants-related question? E-mail it to [email protected] and it might be featured in our weekly mailbag.