Matt Smith asks: Listen to another Giants media person (PT) say on a podcast that “The plan is to transition Evan Neal to guard in the spring.” Have you all heard this as well?
Ed says: Matt, here is what I know. The idea of playing guard has been broached with Neal. To my knowledge, he has not been formally asked to play guard or told that he will be playing guard. I believe the Giants would like him to be a guard.
I get asked all the time why the Giants don’t just move him to guard and get it over with. We know Neal has been resistant to the idea. Going back to last year, following the initial misdiagnosis of Neal’s 2023 ankle injury, I think there was a reluctance on the part of the Giants to push Neal to do something he didn’t want to do.
Honestly, playing guard would be best for both Neal and the Giants at this point. Will that happen? I can’t say for certain.
Jeff Applegate asks: What do you think about the Giants signing Carson Wentz as a bridge QB? Think about it, he has been around some pretty damn good coaching in the last few years. He certainly hasn’t been beat up as well. And, he should come much more cost effective, than say a Sam Darnold or even Justin Fields. Let’s see, fuel left in the tank at 33. Due to his age and travels, alot smarter and wiser. Healthy after the last few years sparse use. And the big one, CAP FRIENDLY.
Hopefully, the Giant front office does their due diligence on him. Who knows, he could do for the Giants, what Darnold and Mayfield did for their respective squads? What say you, Mr. V?
Ed says: I have no issue with Wentz, provided the Giants pair him with Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders and look at him as a temporary starter until the rookie is ready, or a pure backup. You just can’t sign Wentz and think he is the solution to your quarterback problem.
Joel Friedberg asks: I know we as Giants fans think Eli should have been selected for the Hall of Fame but very few make it on the first try.
My question is some are saying next years 1st time eligibles include Drew Brees and Philip Rivers. How can anyone think Philip Rivers deserves being in the Hall ahead of Eli. He never won a Super Bowl and doesn’ have any where near the # of playoff wins that Eli has.
Eli is a two-time Super Bowl MVP he must get in next year.
Your thoughts?
Ed says: Joe, you are preaching to the choir when it comes to a Rivers-Manning comparison. The problem is, there are many people who don’t look at it the same way. They see Rivers’ superior regular season career (eight Pro Bowls to four, a better won-loss record, more passing yards and a higher quarterback rating) and automatically put Rivers ahead of Manning.
I can’t. I keep saying I think you have to grade on a curve, and that Manning’s postseason accomplishments have to carry additional weight. Obviously, not everyone agrees.
As for Manning getting into the Hall of Fame next year, if that is the stand you want to make you are setting yourself up for another disappointment. Brees is getting in before Manning. Ben Roethlisberger (eligible in 2027) is getting in before Manning. Tom Brady (2028) is getting in before Manning.
We are probably talking about 2029, when we might have a pure Manning vs. Rivers debate, before Manning has another legitimate chance to be selected for the Hall of Fame.
Derick Gross asks: Just finished your episode with Bob Glauber from the Hall of Fame voting committee. Great discussion, I’m glad to have that deeper insight into how the process works. You said that the voters ended up holding things against Eli that he can’t change (like whether the front office could put together a winning roster). I think the committee judged Eli for who he is as a person. His “once a Giant, always a Giant, only a Giant” comment expresses just how loyal he is. A different type of person might have forced a trade to a contender by 2015 to make the most of his last few good years as a player. But Eli gave everything to the Giants, from desperation interceptions to his very last snap, and some people just don’t respect that.
And so he ends up the topic of discussion among 49 HOF voters who never competed in the NFL… or so I thought until I checked the committee members and saw two names that caught my eye. Tony Dungy, who coached the Colts to a Super Bowl victory the year before Eli first won, and Bill Polian, who was the GM for that same Colts team. I don’t care much about the opinions of a bunch of media members (no offense to you and others who approach the work with humility), but it would be great to hear about Eli’s candidacy from people who were actually responsible for building a winning roster and culture. Could you try your best to get Mr. Dungy or Mr. Polian to stop by the show? I can’t believe that either of them would value stats over championships.
Also, are there any other former NFL players/coaches/front office personnel on the list of committee voters whose names I didn’t recognize?
Ed says: Derick, I don’t have direct access to Dungy or Polian. It would be fascinating to get a chance to speak with either.
Here is a full list of the Hall of Fame selection committee members.
Judson Barrett asks: If you were an NFL GM and were drafting a quarterback would you take Simms or Eli? The question should be answered with the crystal ball knowledge of their career achievements.
Ed says: I’m taking Eli Manning. In any debate about the best Giants’ quarterbacks of all time I have always put Manning above Phil Simms. I think they were both the right quarterbacks for the teams they played on, but I have always felt Manning was better.
Doug Mollin asks: Do you agree that Schoen and Mara had an understanding coming into this season?
If things break right (the new OL plays better, DJ plays better, defense improves, health, etc.) we could contend for a playoff spot.
But if things don’t, we have to start fresh in 2025 with a new QB. And that means 2025 may also be a tough season.
It’s almost like 2024 and 2025 were connected — and even 2026.
If the Giants look like they get the right young QB this draft, if they play competitive games, I think Schoen is back for 2026 even if they only win 4-5 games. Do you also agree that there is likely a multi-year plan in place with Schoen and Mara bringing them to 2026?
And honestly, shouldn’t there always be a multi-year plan in place between a GM and owner?
Ed says: Doug, an organization always needs to have a multi-year plan. I’m sure Joe Schoen has always had one. How well he has executed it is another matter.
As for whether there was an “understanding” between Schoen and John Mara, I wouldn’t put it that way. I would say the entire organization knew long before the season started that Daniel Jones had a high bar to clear if 2024 was not going to be his final year with the Giants. Everybody knew they would likely be looking for a replacement.
I don’t think anyone expected the year to go so badly that they would end up winning three games. I think, though, everyone knew there was always a possibility the season would go sideways. Because the year went so far off the rails the Giants are in a more desperate spot than they hoped they would be.
Pat Lam asks: All the draft talk about QB, which is understandable, but most if not all of the Super Bowls earned by the Giants have been made possible by a competent offense and absolutely crushing defense. How about spending the first-round pick on the best player (which seems to be a defensive player) and picking a QB in the second or third round? Why force a QB pick in a lesser draft class?
Ed says: Pat, if the Giants are not enamored of either of the top two quarterback prospects then I have no issue with that. The problem is that the Giants are quarterback-needy and this will be the second consecutive year they are in position to take one. Eventually, they have to do it.
The Giants did not want to force a quarterback pick last year, and did not. The 2024 season went so badly, though, that they have little choice but to take a big swing at the position this offseason.
Dennis Bortolus asks: Why is it that year after year other teams compete without having cap problems while the Giants are always in cap hell. Do they not have any management who can do math?
Ed says: Dennis, the Giants are not currently in “cap hell.” Entering free agency, the Giants have $43.380 million in cap space, per Over The Cap. Only 11 teams have more money to spend. In 2026, the Giants have an estimated $140 million to spend, eight-most in the league.
They also have players they could cut/re-structure to create more room, should they desire.
The Giants were deep in cap misery when Joe Schoen became GM because of desperate overspending by Dave Gettleman. He spent much of his first two years digging out from that.
The Brian Burns deal cost the Giants a lot of money last year. Another thing that costs money is injuries, which the Giants annually seem to have a lot of. Every player that goes on IR has to be replaced, and that takes money off the cap. That isn’t a big hit each time, but it is a drain when it happens annually.
One thing Schoen has shown an unwillingness to do thus far in his tenure is to rely on void years, which push money into future years when a player will likely no longer be part of your team. That lowers current cap costs. The Philadelphia Eagles use them extensively, as do a few other teams. We will see if Schoen softens his resistance to this tactic.
Eric Chavis asks: Are you able to explain what sports writers mean when they say the hall of fame process was different starting this year and how that could have affected Eli getting in? I haven’t understood anything definitively but it seems something to do with this being a smaller class.
Ed says: Yes, Eric, I can. In the past, the Hall of Fame selection committee cut the list of 15 semifinalists first to 10 and then ultimately to five players who would be considered for selection. Then, they would vote individually “yes” or “no” on those five players. Since they had already debated those five players and they had enough support to get to that stage, the vote was often a formality and those five finalists were selected for that year’s Hall of Fame class.
This year, the process changed. The final cut was to seven candidates rather than five. Selectors then turned in their ballots with their five choices for the Class of 2025. A player needs 80% support to get selected for the Hall of Fame. With more choices placed in front of them, odds are that fewer players will reach that 80% threshold. This year, only three modern day players did.
Gregg Wanlass asks: Ed, Schoen is getting killed for letting Saquon go and rightfully so in many regards. Not only for his performance but for his leadership, locker room presence and being one guy who embodies the (supposedly) important quality of being a good ambassador off the field to reflect well on the franchise. But as you look at other areas under his control he has had some bad performance as well. The first two drafts were not good (mild understatement). But drafts are crap shoots to some degree and last years appears to be excellent. But the one area, clearly to me, that he has mismanaged is the defensive line. Some early disappointing draft choices (Davidson, Riley) and non impactful free agent signings. Each year we are among the worst teams in stopping the run. This impacts the performance of the entire defense in my opinion. It puts pressure on linebackers to make more tackles, cornerbacks to cover when teams are in more favorable down and distance situations. My fear is that this will eventually (and probably already has ) impact Dex. How many triple teams can a body endure? Given where we are in respect to the rest of the roster, how would you prioritize and address DT in the draft and free agency if you were GM.
Ed says: Gregg, we have already talked about the interior defensive line a lot this offseason. I have been clear that it is an area the Giants need to pay more attention to. My approach? It’s a deep defensive tackle class in the draft. Somewhere from, say, Round 2 to Round 5, the Giants need to take advantage of that.
I would love to see them add a quality free agent, as well. The short answer is that it’s time for the defensive line to become a priority again.
Jeff Jacobs asks: In the last 24 hours, there has been an explosion of speculation about the Giants trading for Matthew Stafford. Personally I think this is a mistake – the Giants are in such rough shape that I think trading away draft assets for a 37-year-old quarterback – no matter who it is – is bad, irresponsible management and speaks to the idea of Schoen making desperation moves more based trying to save his job as opposed to serving the long-term needs of the Giants, some thing he swore he’d never do. Likewise, I do not want to see them trade up to the first or second pick for the same reason – the Giants need every single draft pick they have, and since they are not one player away from contention (let alone relevance), they need to restock with as many draft picks are they can.
What are your thoughts on the wisdom of trading picks for players at this point in their seemingly eternal rebuild?
Ed says: Jeff, I am generally not a fan of trading picks for players when you are trying to dig your way out from the bottom. A Stafford trade might be different.
Now, I remain unconvinced that the Giants trading for Stafford is realistic. I still don’t know why the Rams, who went to the playoffs last year, would trade their quarterback. I also don’t know why a 37-year-old quarterback who can still play at a high level would want to come to a team that has gone 9-25 the past two seasons and has a coach and GM on the hot seat. Stafford doesn’t have a no-trade clause, but I can’t imagine the Rams forcing him to go somewhere he doesn’t want to go.
Under no circumstances would I give up the No. 3 overall pick for Stafford. I would want to hold on to my 2026 first-round pick, as well. Would I give up some combination of Day 2 assets, and maybe throw in a player? Absolutely.
Why? Because quarterback is so incredibly important. Stafford is still one of the game’s best. Getting him would provide a window for the Giants to improve in the short term, and would allow the Giants to use that No. 3 pick on a difference-making talent like Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter or Mason Graham. They could add a developmental quarterback later in the draft, and push the big swing at a rookie quarterback back a year or two.
Teams must always balance the short- and long-term when making decisions. This might be a good short-term solution that helps Schoen and Daboll in 2025, and gives them better quarterback options in the long term.
Erick Voronin asks: Help me understand the how teams like the Eagles use “void years” to manipulate the salary cap. Philly has $390.4M while the Giants have $0. Is it a method that is sustainable or will Philly have to pay the piper at some point. Which approach do you prefer, Joe’s or Howie’s?
Ed says: Erick, I think we have explained this before. Considering that free agency is coming up shortly, though, it is worth going over again.
Void years are defined as years on a contract that void on a certain date and are used simply for pro-rating bonus money.
The Eagles are the masters of this, and Howie Roseman — to his credit — was well out in front of other GMs in leaning into this cap strategy.
Let’s look at Jalen Hurts’ contract. It’s a five-year, $255 million deal that goes through 2028. It has “void years’ beginning in 2029 and running through 2032. Those void years total roughly $98 million. The contract voids 23 days before the beginning of the 2029 league year, putting the Eagles on the hook for $98 million in pro-rated bonus money at that time. That, though, is $98 million that is not appearing on the Eagles’ cap between now and then.
The biggest cap hit on Saquon Barkley’s three-year, $37.75 million contract will be slightly more than $9 million in 2026. The Eagles pushed more than $16 million into four void years beginning in 2027.
The Eagles have gotten two Super Bowl appearances and one title out of this philosophy so far. They might get more in the next couple of years.
Is it sustainable? Do you think Roseman and the Eagles care if they keep winning 14 games a year and going to Super Bowls for the next three or four years? They might have to pay the piper eventually, but remember that the salary cap keeps skyrocketing year after year. What looks like it might hurt now may actually hurt a lot less by the time we get to 2029 or 2030.
It is a fantastic philosophy for win-now teams pushing their chips to the middle of the table and going for broke. I think more and more teams are leaning into it.
Joe Schoen has avoided it. I think that is because he knows the Giants have not been in a win-now window, and he hopes to hold his water until they are. Considering the pressure he and Brian Daboll are under to get the Giants pointed in the right direction quickly I would expect him to begin embracing the void year philosophy this offseason, at least to an extent. I would be disappointed if he didn’t.
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