Derick Gross asks: Aside from Daboll’s coach of the year win in 2022 and an exceptional draft class in 2024, this regime has shown little evidence that their scouting, strength and conditioning, drafting, player development, coaching, game planning, or roster building gives them a competitive advantage. But this is the second offseason in a row that rumors are swirling about the Giants acquiring an impact player via trade (Brian Burns last year, and Matthew Stafford this year). In your experience, is exceptional skill in executing trades an area where a GM can give a team a massive advantage? If Joe Schoen is prone to draft misses, is it reasonable to think that he can make up for it by getting great value for some picks by trading them for the right impact players?
Ed says: Derick, the ability to make smart trades is one of the tools a GM has to have in his toolbox. I don’t think it can make up for other weaknesses, because you are always giving up assets in trades. Schoen has made some trades that have worked out, like the Burns trade, and some that have not, like the Darren Waller trade.
A GM also has to be able to manage the cap, be able to properly assess the talent on his own team, and do a good job bringing in free agents.
Above all else, though, a GM has got to be able to draft well. Drafted players remain the lifeblood of a team. If you don’t draft well over the long haul, you can’t have consistent success.
Is Schoen “prone to draft mistakes?” Schoen had a phenomenal 2024 draft, and he had spotty drafts his first two seasons. Those drafts, of course, were marred by the Evan Neal pick. The jury is out on Deonte Banks, too.
Howie Roseman of the Philadelphia Eagles is on a great run, but he did pick Jalen Reagor in Round 1 in 2020.
The Kansas City Chiefs have gotten real contributions from only two draft picks over the past two seasons — second-round pick Rashee Rice in 2023 and first-round pick Xavier Worthy in 2024.
Teams at the top like the Eagles and Chiefs can absorb occasional mistakes because of what they already have. Schoen and the Giants aren’t at that place. When they make a mistake with a premium resource, it sets them back.
Bob Donnelly asks: There’s no question that the Giants roster needs improvement. You have identified the biggest holes to fill. However, there’s opportunity to improve at almost every position, some more than others. Center is one that comes to mind. JMS has not proven he can consistently pass protect and there may better options available.
Where do you see opportunities to improve beyond the biggest needs you have already identified?
Ed says: Bob, you are right that there might be an opportunity to improve everywhere across the roster. I understand people pointing out that John Michael Schmitz has not been great.
The problem is, teams have limited draft and salary cap resources. There are obvious areas where the Giants need to put those resources. I don’t think they are in a position to prioritize some of those “OK but could be better” spots. I have said this for years, but you can’t fill every hole or fix every problem in one offseason.
As for John Michael Schmitz specifically, I would classify him as a lower-tier starting center in his first two seasons. I wouldn’t give up on him just yet. He did take a significant jump from Year 1 to Year 2 (20 points in Pro Football Focus grades, 24 as a pass blocker). That’s a highly-drafted player still on his rookie contract. Before using valuable resources to replace him, I want to see if his development continues.
Larry Jamieson asks: The QB situation is going to suck up a lot of our interest through the draft. We’ll assume that the Giants will sign a free agent to at least be a bridge, but not an answer (I.e. no Kerry Collins).
Let’s also assume that both Ward and Sanders go 1 and 2. Dart has been getting a lot talk, and will go sometime in the first, perhaps the J-E-T-S.
This leaves the Giants looking towards a developmental guy. You probably haven’t had time to check out the other guys but, shooting from the hip, who do you think would be worth a shot in the mid-rounds?
Ed says: Larry, I have looked a little bit. Not in great depth yet, to be honest. Beyond those three there is no one I look at and think “that guy can be a franchise quarterback.” That includes Jalen Milroe, who I see as Anthony Richardson 2.0. A runner trying to play quarterback.
I think Will Howard, Kyle McCord, Dillon Gabriel, Tyler Shough and maybe Riley Leonard and Quinn Ewers can have lengthy careers in the league. I would not want to count on any of them to be my starting quarterback.
Ian Lenehan asks: Hi from a long suffering Giants fan on the other side of the pond. What is the likelihood of the Giants getting new home uniforms this season. The current ones are really dull compared to those of the ‘80s/’90s but haven’t changed for a decade or so. Is it ownership or Nike that decide when to change?
Ed says: Ian, there are no plans I know of to change the uniform designs. I am also not a fan of the current uniforms. I very much dislike the gray pants, and I would be a big fan of going back to ‘GIANTS’ on the helmet rather than the lowercase ‘ny’.
Anyway, the teams decide when or if a uniform design will be changed. They work with Nike to come up with the design. The NFL has final approval of uniform changes.
Kevin Tate asks: If the NY Giants use free agency to get their bridge quarterback and a number one cornerback what do you do with the first pick of the draft if both quarterbacks have been selected in the first two picks.
Ed says: Kevin, don’t you mean “when the Giants use free agency to get their bridge quarterback?” It is a given that they are going to be signing a veteran quarterback. They have to. Tommy DeVito is the only quarterback on the roster, and they won’t enter the year with him as the bridge or primary backup to a rookie.
What do you do if Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are off the board? You take whichever of Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, or Mason Graham you think is the best player. I would be happy with Hunter or Carter, and we indicated here that the Giants might end up preferring Carter.
Warren Schuman asks: I have a hypothetical draft scenario for you.
When I look at the current draft big board I see a number of top 10 prospects beyond QBs that fill major Giant needs including Travis Hunter, CB Will Johnson, DT Mason Graham, and OTs Kelvin Banks and Will Campbell (plus Abdul Carter, although I don’t think they should invest in another Edge in round 1).
So when the Giants are on the clock, let’s say one or both of the top quarterbacks are available, and let’s say the Giants are NOT enamored with either…
The Raiders sit at pick 6 and also need a quarterback and I have heard them linked to Sanders a number of times. Given the Jimmy Johnson trade value chart or whatever formula you prefer, what do you think the Gmen would get in return to trade back 3 spots?
And given the potential return, would you move back and be happy taking whomever is still left at 6, or is there a player or two that you would pounce on at 3, passing on the extra draft capital?
Ed says: Warren, the traditional Johnson trade chart seems to be the most accurate in terms of figuring out the expected value of quarterback trades.
Using that chart, the No. 3 overall pick is worth 2200 points. The No. 6 pick is worth 1600. It would take at least the Raiders’ second-round picks the next two years to equal out the value, or maybe their second- and third-round picks this year. I might even try to squeeze a little more out of the Las Vegas Bradys. I might ask for their third-round pick this year and their 2026 first-rounder.
It would be hard for me to pass on Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter at No. 3. If you move to No. 6 and the top three picks are quarterbacks, one of Hunter, Carter, and Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham is going to be there. I can live with whatever is left, considering the added picks I accumulated.
Donavan McIntosh asks: Since Eli Manning’s departure, Giants fans have screamed about fixing the O-line and bolstering the defense. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter who we have under center if they are constantly running for their lives. I believe if we get back to “smashmouth” football by focusing on the O-line and giving our QB-1 some time to breathe, we can better utilize our offensive weapons to their advantage and, ultimately, put more points on the board.
We all know that defense wins championships, but so does clock management. A complete offense orchestrated by a competent play caller with competent players on the field keeps the defense from burning out by the third quarter. This point was proven by the success of Saquon Barkley during his stellar (injury-free) season, which resulted in him hoisting the Lombardi.
With that said, my question is, “When will we address the o-line?”
Ed says: Donovan, you are asking the wrong question. The Giants have tried … and tried … and tried some more to fix the offensive line. The right question is “when will the Giants get it right on the offensive line?” Let’s go through the things the Giants have tried in the Dave Gettleman-Joe Schoen eras.
- 2018 (Gettleman) — Signed left tackle Nate Solder (four years, $62 million — making him the NFL’s highest-paid lineman); Signed guard Patrick Omameh; Drafted guard Will Hernandez in Round 2.
- 2020 (Gettleman) — Signed offensive tackle Cam Fleming; Drafted left tackle Andrew Thomas (Round 1), tackle Matt Peart (Round 3) and guard Shane Lemieux (Round 5). This was the year Gettleman declared the line fixed “once and for all.” It wasn’t. Offensive line coach Marc Colombo was fired midseason and replaced by Dave Deguglielmo.
- 2022 (Schoen) — Signed center Jon Feliciano, guards Mark Glowinski and Max Garcia, and tackle Matt Gono. Gono never played due to a career-ending neck condition; Drafted tackle Evan Neal No. 7 overall, guard-tackle Josh Ezeudu in Round 3 and guard Marcus McKethan in Round 5.
- 2023 (Schoen) — Signed center J. C. Hassenauer, who spent the season on IR; Drafted center John Michael Schmitz (Round 2)
- 2024 (Schoen) — Signed guards Jon Runyan Jr., Greg Van Roten and Aaron Stinnie, along with tackle Jermaine Eluemunor.
The Giants have continued to try. They need to keep swinging until they get it right. The line looked decent until injuries struck last season. How much different would everything look if Neal had panned out and Andrew Thomas had stayed healthy the past two seasons?
Robert Conyea asks: Well Ed, it’s that “between” time of year. Not much happening, but there’re a lot of people who get paid to talk and write about the NFL. So, we get a lot of mock drafts and headlines that begin with “Rumor:” Typically credited to the growing number of “insiders”. Sometimes it seems like there’re more insiders than outsiders.
How do you sift through all of this to keep BBV content interesting and readable? The ability of you and the BBV staff to write your own thoughtful pieces does keep BBV ahead of the pack. But are there insiders that you feel actually deserve that moniker that you can rely on? Who hands out such credentials in the first place? How many days till the draft?
Ed says: Robert, I will always acknowledge that there are people both around the league and covering the Giants who have more direct connections and sources of information than I do. I’m not devoid of those things, but I’m also not Jay Glazer. I don’t pretend to be.
I know that isn’t necessarily part of your question, but I felt I needed to say it to set up the answer.
Part of my job is to learn to separate what’s real from what is BS. That is both when I am on site talking to the players, coaches and the GM, and when I am sorting through what others are writing and saying.
Over time, I have learned which Giants reporters are well-sourced, well-connected and “in the know” and which ones are, frankly, blowing smoke to make themselves sound like they know what’s going on. Or, to simply stir things up. Pay attention to who I reference in my work and you can figure that out.
It’s the same nationally. There are real “insiders,” and then there are wannabe “insiders” who tell you they are insiders but are really just capitalizing on the work of others to make it sound or read like they know things.
The true insiders are the ones who come from the big outlets, often the ones who have broadcast rights with the NFL. There are people online who bill themselves as “insiders” who don’t put their name to their work. Those folks are pretending, or just aggregating the real work of others to try and benefit from it.
A big part of my job is to know the difference.
John R. asks: My question is about the potential small share sale. My understanding is that right now each family owns 50% of the team, which means any sale would presumably pull equally from both families. That would leave Mara with less than 50% and presumably open him up to being outvoted by Tisch and the new minority owners during any disagreements. Is that an accurate assumption? Would the Mara family really want to put itself in that situation?
Ed says: John, my understanding is that is not an accurate assumption. The Giants are interested in selling “a minority, non-controlling stake” of the franchise not to exceed 10%.
The Mara and Tisch families are not selling a voting stake. The two families are exploring the possibility of selling a small share that is really just a way to raise revenue. The franchise is worth more than $7 billion. Mara and Tisch will maintain decision-making authority.
Dan Paulsen asks: I’m curious if the Giants get their starting QB in free agency (Stafford, Darnold, Cousins etc.) and then Carter and Hunter go 1-2 in the draft, is that a disaster or is there another top prospect that you like that would fit a #3 pick?
Ed says: Dan, I don’t see how that would be a disaster at all. If I am Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll, the only quarterback who makes me even consider passing on Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders — if I love one or both of those quarterbacks — is Stafford.
All of those quarterbacks in free agency, even Stafford via trade, is just a bridge to the future. Stafford is 37, and there is a decline in his play coming soon. If I am in this situation and I love one of the quarterbacks in the draft, I’m taking him.
Ron Corcillo asks: It seems like we spend a lot of time here talking about Evan Neal and not nearly as much time talking about his fellow first round pick, Kayvon Thibodeaux. Thibodeaux’s fifth year option comes up this offseason. Over the Cap estimates that it would cost about $16 million, which is a lot of coin for a guy who hasn’t exactly been the game changer the Giants thought they were getting when they drafted him fifth overall. On the other hand, edge rusher is a premium position, and the Giants would probably have to spend either a high draft pick or a pretty penny in free agency to replace him. In fact, $16 million might be cheap for an edge rusher by the time 2026 rolls around. So, what do you think? Should they pick up his option?
Ed says: Ron, yes, I think the Giants should pick up Thibodeaux’s option. And I believe they will.
Has Thibodeaux been everything you would hope the fifth overall pick in the draft would be? No. Has he been a bust? Absolutely not. He is a good player, a homegrown part of the Giants’ core. They need to stop letting those kinds of players out the door.
Thibodeaux is a force against the run. He can rush the passer, though I have always said Thibodeaux is not going to be an annual double-digit sack player. He is just 24 and has time to continue to improve.
Thibodeaux has not been Aidan Hutchinson, taken No. 2 in that 2022 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, or Will Anderson (No. 3 by the Texans in 2023). That is what everyone would like him to be. His production, though, has been pretty much exactly on par with Travon Walker, taken No. 1 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars:
Sacks per game: Walker (.489) | Thibodeaux (.488)
Tackles per game: Walker (3.38) | Thibodeaux (2.95)
QB hits per game: Walker (.90) | Thibodeaux (1.07)
Tackles for loss per game: Walker (.57) | Thibodeaux (.60)
Missed tackles (three-year total): Walker (23) | Thibodeaux (8)
My view is that you pick up the fifth-year option and give him 2025 and 2026 to show you whether or not he is worth a rich second contract.
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