Leigh Smith asks: I’m starting to consider Mike Kafka to be a realistic candidate. Under challenging conditions he has improved our team and locker room. His coaching changes and accountability appear to be improving all things. The team played against the Raiders like they wanted to win for him. That’s good.
You said to an answer last week that Kafka had no chance at the job, if they beat the Cowboys do you think that still holds?
Ed says: Leigh, there is always a danger in stating a definitive opinion before all of the evidence has been gathered. I try not to do that, but in this case I did say that I do not believe Mike Kafka will get the full-time head-coaching job for the Giants.
Maybe a victory over the Cowboys would give him a better chance. I am sure in his mind he believes that. I am not sure.
I believe, though, that if the Giants are putting most of the blame for back-to-back 3-13 seasons on the coaching staff, they won’t want a head coach who has been a key part of that staff for the last four years. Especially when I would guess that Kafka would try to keep many of the coaches who are already in place. I think the organization will want a clean break from that staff.
That said, I do agree that Kafka has done a number of good things. I hope he lands a head-coaching job somewhere, even if he has to take a mid-level college job to build his head-coaching bonafides.
Adam Singer asks: How is Philip Rivers able to wear the same number as Daniel Jones? When a player goes on IR does he lose his number for the rest of the year?
Ed says: Adam, a player does not actually “own” the number that he wears. You rarely, though, see the number worn by a quarterback or other star player given to someone else following a season-ending injury like Jones suffered.
In this case, though, remember that Philip Rivers is a future Pro Football Hall of Famer who has always worn No. 17 throughout his NFL career. That includes when he was Colts’ quarterback in 2020. Jones also granted Rivers permission to wear the No. 17 for the rest of the season.
Timothy Remmert asks: If the Raiders get the No. 1 pick, they take Mendoza. There’s still a quarterback on the board in Dante Moore, who could be just as good. That being said, can’t the Gmen still get a boatload of picks for No. 2? No matter where we land in the top 5, we should get a DB, WR, and enough to be competitive next year with a decent draft haul. In your opinion, what are our realistic options?
Ed says: Timothy, before answering this I have to encourage everyone to read Chris Pflum’s breakdown of the Giants’ 2026 draft scenarios. Most of what you are looking for is in there.
Yes, it is likely the could still get multiple draft picks in return for the No. 2 pick. They would not, though, be able to land the same haul as they could potentially get for the No. 1 pick.
The reasons should be obvious. The No. 1 quarterback — almost certainly Fernando Mendoza — would be off the board. So, too, would be one of the quarterback-needy suitors who would likely be bidding for the No. 1 pick — the Las Vegas Raiders.
You are then hoping/praying that someone likes Dante Moore of Oregon, Ty Simpson of Alabama, or a player like linebacker Arvell Reese of Ohio State or edge defender Rueben Bain of Miami enough to be willing to move up. Somebody probably will, but there is no guarantee of that. And the return won’t be the same.
The Giants could land anywhere from No. 1 to No. 7 in the draft order, before any moving around the board. Once we know that, how the quarterbacks perform in the College Football Playoff, and who the general manager will be, we will have a better idea in regards to options.
Here is a great presentation of the Week 18 scenarios for the Giants:
Bob Donnelly asks: Many have discussed the past issues of mismatches between a Giants’ GM and HC.
We have seen a number of names floating around as potential candidates for the NYG HC job and reasons why they would or would not be a good fit.
None of the discussions I’ve seen address the question which candidate would be the most compatible with Mr. Schoen.
In terms of philosophical approach to team/roster building:Analytics, positional value, size vs agility, versatility, team personality/identity etc.
Of the HC candidates that you are aware of which do you view as most compatible with Mr. Schoen?
Ed says: Bob, when I think about this the person I keep coming back to is Lou Anarumo. Schoen and Anarumo were together for five years with the Miami Dolphins, when Schoen was in the front office and Anarumo was an assistant coach.
Anarumo got an interview from the Giants for the head-coaching job in 2022, which was probably a little bit before Anarumo was widely considered to be a head-coaching candidate. If Schoen is still the GM, I will be very surprised if Anarumo doesn’t get strong consideration.
I don’t know exactly how their philosophies mesh, but Schoen having brought Anarumo in for an interview the first time he hired a head coach tells me he thinks there is compatability there.
Douglas Furth asks: Did Joe Schoen hold on to Evan Neal, Jalin Hyatt and Deonte Banks too long?
Ed says: Douglas, that’s an easy thing to say from the outside. However, I’m not sure that it’s true.
Was Schoen supposed to simply cut those players before the season began? Who was he supposed to trade them to if that’s what people wanted him to do? Nobody was banging down the door to try and get any of those players.
When training camp began, the Giants still had hope that they could turn Neal into a guard and salvage something from the pick they used on him. They still had hope for Hyatt. They thought maybe the change in defensive backs coaches would help Banks.
Those things did not work out. It’s unfortunate, and part of what has set the Giants back. I think they might have moved Neal or Hyatt at the trade deadline had there been real offers.
They could have simply cut one or all of them. Rightly or wrongly, teams hate to do that with highly-drafted players still on their rookie deals.
Peter Smyth asks: The win over the Raiders was very uplifting for me. I was thrilled. I felt reassured by Dart’s performance and Abdul Carter’s game wrecking potential. The media stories about us “losing” the #1 don’t seem to care about fan satisfaction of watching the team win and know we have some pieces to be excited about. Am I being foolish? Should I have rooted for a loss in that spot? My feeling is having the #1 doesn’t guarantee anything.
Ed says: Peter, you think the way I think. There is value in winning, especially when young players who are part of the team’s future are major parts of it. You want players like Dart, Carter, Darius Alexander and others to learn what it takes to win, and to contribute to it.
I do understand the allure of controlling the draft by having the No. 1 pick and being able to dangle it for a haul of assets. I always advocate for trade down scenarios when possible. Still, it’s all about what you do with whatever picks you have.
Bill Penny asks: I am a long time Giants fan and a fan of yours. I have a suggestion for the next Gmen coach. Greg Olsen. He had expressed interest at one time for the Panthers opening. He is blocked by Brady & Romo etc as being the number one analyst. He is knowledgeable, a former player, enthusiastic and well connected in the league. He is from New Jersey. I think he would be well received by players, fans and media. Any thoughts?
Ed says: Bill, Olsen is a fantastic analyst. I don’t think, though, that the Giants will be considering anyone with no NFL coaching experience whatsoever.
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