Duncan McPherson asks: We now have 3 recent Giants players: Azeez Ojulari, Adoree’ Jackson, and of course, Saquon, making the short trip down the Turnpike to play for the Eagles. These are all solid players in their own right. Do teams consider “insider information” when acquiring players within their division? I imagine players can give their new team intel on play calling, hand signals, formations, and much more. This seems like a huge advantage when you play a team twice a year. Is that a real thing or am I being paranoid?
Ed says: Duncan, I think the whole “insider information” thing is was overblown. So, I’d say you are being paranoid.
Playbooks, signals, indicators all change from year to year. Some of that stuff changes every couple of weeks in the NFL because teams are paranoid about opponents figuring out what they’re doing. Now, players might be able to pass along “tells” that indicate what certain players are going to do, but that stuff happens all across the league. It’s not really part of the calculus in offseason free agency. The Eagles signed Azeez Ojulari because they think he can help them, not because he can give them intel on the Giants.
Julian Roberts asks: Assuming that the two QBs are gone by the 3rd pick in the draft and the NYG feel that Jaxson Dart is their choice but too early to pick at #3 do they take a chance and wait or pull the trigger at #3?
Ed says: Julian, right now I can’t tell you how the Giants feel. I think that decisions depends on both how they feel about Dart and what happens in terms of landing a veteran quarterback.
Having signed Jameis Winston I would think the Giants would feel more urgency to get a quarterback early. Would they feel good enough about Dart to take him at No. 3? Maybe we will find out. Dart at No. 3 feels a lot like Daniel Jones at No. 6.
Simon Hines asks: It seems like Stafford was Plan A and Rodgers is Plan B. How long can Schoen afford to wait before moving on to Plan C? If Rodgers continues to delay a decision, at what point do they need to pivot to Flacco or Winston or whoever?
Ed says: Simon, the Giants seem to have answered that question on Friday night.
The truth is, the real answer to the Giants’ quarterback question needs to come from the draft. Winston is just a Band-Aid until or unless they get the right young quarterback in place.
Peter Smyth asks: After reading Todd McShay’s mock draft, I’m concerned about the idea that we could reliably trade back into the round and get Jaxson Dart.
Isn’t there a huge risk of the Jets or Saints jumping in front of us? Isn’t the more reliable option in my opinion is to just take Dart at 3 and be done with it? Criticism be damned.
I am not a Sanders fan. QB is a black hole for us, so no matter what they MUST draft the QB they believe MOST in. Thoughts?
Ed says: Peter, yes, there is a risk. I addressed it in my review of the mock when I wrote this:
“The question is whether or not you can get Dart at No. 19. Some think Dart could go as early as No. 7 to the New York Jets or No. 9 to the New Orleans Saints. Others think he could still be on the board for the Giants at No. 34.
“It’s a dice roll.”
If the Giants want to do something like what McShay has described, they will put a lot of time and effort into trying to figure out which teams might be in play for Dart. From that, they will make a judgment as to what they might be able to do. It’s not an exact science.
As for Dart at No. 3, the question is simply whether or not they think he is worth being picked that high. I think as of now Dart at No. 3 is a hard sell. Would they be happy with Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter at No. 3 and someone like Tyler Shough at No. 34?
Brian Misdom asks: Hi Ed, what are your thoughts on how Schoen has handled the trade deadline for pending free agents during his tenure?
We’ve seen a number of players be subject to trade rumors, only to be kept and then lost in FA without draft pick compensation.
Each player is a unique case but he seems predisposed to holding onto talent, even in lost years.
Ed says: Brian, yes, each case is unique. We’re really talking about four players here — Saquon Barkley, Xavier McKinney, Darius Slayton, Azeez Ojulari.
Barkley was never getting moved at the midseason trade deadline. Not a chance John Mara — or Brian Daboll — were going to be OK with that. We can argue about Xavier McKinney, but I think it’s critical to remember that McKinney did virtually nothing the first half of 2023. He did not have a double-digit tackle game, a tackle for loss or an interception before the trade deadline. He had done NOTHING. There really wasn’t, to my recollection, a market for McKinney.
Now, Schoen probably could have moved Slayton. But, he managed to re-sign him. So, that’s moot. There were a lot of reports that the Giants could have gotten a fifth- or sixth-round pick for Ojulari, but insisted that wasn’t good enough. You have to ding Schoen for not doing that, then losing him for nothing.
I do wonder if Schoen is handicapped at the deadline because Mara has been vocal about being against the idea of trading away players at the deadline because of the perception it means you are giving up on the season.
I think you have to be realistic. Sometimes moving on from a player and getting “something” in return is best for business.
Justin Dirico asks: Every question this week is going to be draft or QB related so to get some fresh hot takes! Who do you think in 2026 will warrant an extension? Thibs I see as picking up the 5th year option, show me what you can do for two years in a row and not get hurt mentality. Neal, obviously no. Robinson a FA, I could see two years at 15 (cap going up). Eluemunor, probably gets extended this summer on a friendly deal, 2 years $20M. The way I see it, Giants will be in good position in 2026 to sign some playmakers and have the cap to do it.
Ed says: Justin, I think this question is hard to answer right now. We don’t know what the Giants will add in the draft or how the 2025 season will go.
We’re probably talking about guys like Micah McFadden, Wan’Dale Robinson and maybe Cor’Dale Flott as candidates who will be at the end of their rookie deals. Maybe Jermaine Eluemunor, though that might depend on what other options the Giants have available.
Ronald Buchheim asks: Ed, could you please explain why you think PFF grades are not the “be all and end all,” as you wrote? Other reporters and analysts do not watch and evaluate the majority of any player’s snaps, while PFF does that for all snaps. Plus PFF graders are presumably trained in rigorous objective evaluation, whereas other analysts tend to be overly influenced by impact plays rather than the totality of all plays, regardless of their effects on the team’s success or failure.
Do you have a specific problem with PFF’s methodology? Granted they’re only human, but why do you not think they are clearly the best source for performance evaluations?
Ed says: Ronald, Pro Football Focus grades are a “tool” that can indicate overall performance. But, you can’t tell me that Teair Tart (78.1 PFF grade in 2024) is a better defensive tackle than Jalen Carter (73.3 PFF grade). Are there really 18 offensive tackles better than Laremy Tunsil? PFF grades say that was the case in 2024. Were there 47 cornerbacks in the NFL better than Sauce Gardner in 2024? PFF would say yes. I don’t think wide receivers who faced him would agree.
I think judging a player’s ability is a lot more nuanced than his PFF grade.
PFF graders don’t know exactly what each player’s assignment is on every snap. They make educated guesses about what a player did vs. what they believe he should have done. PFF doesn’t account for whether you are lined up against Myles Garrett or a guy just signed off the practice squad. It can’t account for game situation, whether a guy is playing hurt or a lot of other factors.
I do think PFF grades are valuable in the sense that it’s clear a guy grading in the 40s consistently isn’t as good as one grading in the 60s or 70s. It’s just that to say “Player A is better than Player because his PFF grade is 5 points higher” is nonsense.
The grade is not the “be-all and end-all” because it never tells the full story. There’s no way it can because PFF doesn’t have all of the information.
Robert Biggerstaff asks: Just read the terrific Chris Pflum article on Jalen Milroe. Best athlete, best arm, smartest athlete, highest ceiling, best runner, needs coaching on footwork similar to a young Josh Allen. Precise thrower when he gets his feet right. The HC can handle that problem. Wow! Is there any question he is the best choice in the draft for QB for the Giants? Even including Sanders?
My question is how to get him? Use 3rd pick? Wait until the second round? Trade up into the 1st round? How far up? Past the Jets?
Ed says: Robert, glad you appreciated Chris’s work. I vehemently disagree, though, that Milroe would be the best pick for the Giants.
The kid is a project. Yes, the ceiling is high. But, he could also be Anthony Richardson. He can run, but running doesn’t make you a good quarterback. He has arm strength, but he’s about as far away from being an accomplished passer as a guy entering the NFL could be.
The problem is Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll need to draft a young quarterback who could be part of their plan in 2025. Most analysts tell you that Milroe is not that guy. He needs a team that has time to let him develop and won’t be expecting to put a burden on him until at least 2026. That’s not the Giants.
Where could you get him? Right now, Milroe is considered a late-second or early-third round pick when you look at the NFL Mock Draft Database. He’s QB4 behind Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart. For me, he’s QB5. I’m with Todd McShay on the Tylor Shough bandwagon.
Vincent Moody asks: In this pivotal offseason for the Giants, it is fascinating to see the drama unfold in the Giants hunt for a quarterback and to guess how they will attack the draft. Has anyone broached a sequel to offseason Hard Knocks to Schoen and Mara? It would be amazing television.
Ed says: Vincent, there is zero chance of that happening. The Giants understand how poorly they came off in ‘Hard Knocks’ and how foolish it made them look. HBO has not been able to find a team to participate. I doubt any team will ever put itself in that position again.
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