Joseph Marino asks: As we all know the biggest question the Giants have to answer is how do they handle the quarterback situation. I think that Wilson should be our quarterback for the entire season. All I heard from his teammates is what a leader he is. He’s doing and saying all the right things. He did go to two Super Bowls and win one. I know he’s going to be 37 and he’s not the quarterback he was then. But he says he wants to play into his early 40’s and he feels like he’s 25. His veteran presence and leadership would be a big plus to his offense, especially since we play one of the toughest schedules in the league. He still can throw one of the best deep balls in the NFL. If his line gives him time he can throw the moon ball and put points on the board, something we haven’t had. Our defense can be dominant and one of the best in the league. My question is what if Dart shows improvement and Wilson has an exceptional year, leads us to the playoffs and we’re competitive. He shows he has a lot left in the tank. Do we sign him? Can we? Should we?
Ed says: Joseph, you certainly have ingested a couple of gallons of blue Kool-Aid. There is certainly reason to be optimistic about this team, and the potential for improved quarterback play is a big part of that.
Now, for your question about Russell Wilson. Let’s acknowledge first that there are already analysts, like Chase Daniel, who have watched Jaxson Dart and believe he should start. Now.
Whether that should happen or not, it isn’t going to.
I have said I believe it is more likely that Dart is starting by the end of the season than it is that Wilson leads the Giants to some sort of unexpectedly outstanding season and ends up getting re-signed for 2026. I will stick to that.
Do I believe it is possible that Wilson could come back to the Giants next season? Sure. If you are GM Joe Schoen why would you close that door in August of 2025? You wouldn’t.
Odds are Dart is the 2026 starting quarterback. Would the Giants want, or need, Wilson as a backup in that scenario? Would Wilson accept that scenario? I don’t know the answers to those questions.
Michael Spina asks: I haven’t heard discussions on cap space in some time. Where do the Giants currently sit with that? Obviously a lot will change with the roster cutdown, which brings me to my question. After the performances from Dart and Miller on Saturday, and if, of course, they have another game like that against the Jets, Singletary and Winston are closer to the chopping block. Considering they are veterans and getting nearly $10M between them, do you think a need for cap space could push them off the bubble and onto the waiver wire?
I’d hate to lose them, but to me it makes sense from a business as well as a personnel standpoint.
Ed says: Michael, as of mid-week (when I answered this question) the Giants had $3.927 million in salary cap space, per the league’s public salary cap report. There are only two teams with less cap space right now.
If the Giants moved on from Devin Singletary or Jameis Winston, the cap would not be the primary reason. In Singletary’s case, the Giants would carry $4.75 million in dead money while saving only $1.5 million. Winston has a two-year deal. Cutting/trading him would leave $4.25 million in dead money while saving only $1.25 million.
I won’t be surprised if the Giants try to force Daniel Bellinger to take a pay cut. Thanks to Proven Performance Escalators, based on his playing time, Bellinger carries a $3.604 million cap hit. You want a cut candidate? Dumping Bellinger saves the Giants $3.406 million with less than $200k in dead money.
The Giants could also re-structure contracts of highly-paid veterans like Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence.
Alan Baker asks: Why isn’t Tommy DeVito rated higher by the Giants’ organization? They seem to want to hold onto him by acknowledging that he would never pass through waivers, However, they don’t have enough confidence to make him QB2. I understand bringing in Wilson to hold-the-fort until Dart is ready but why bring in Winston when they already have DeVito?
Ed says: Alan, I sincerely hope this does not come off as a snotty response, but let me flip the question around. Why are there fans who still do not recognize that Winston, interceptions and all, is a better, far more accomplished quarterback than DeVito?
That is just the reality. There is far more offensive upside with Winston than with DeVito. And, yes, I know there is plenty of down side with Winston, as well.
Remember, they brought in Winston before they brought in Wilson. They did that for a simple reason — they think he is better than DeVito, and they would be more comfortable with him on the field. DeVito started two games last season, and the Giants scored a total of 21 points.
Now, would the Giants somehow trade Winston and keep DeVito as QB3? The only way I see that happen is if a team desperate for a quarterback makes the Giants a crazy offer they can’t refuse.
One other thing. The Giants have never said they know DeVito won’t pass through waivers. We in the media have discussed that and speculated that the need around the league for quarterbacks makes it unlikely DeVito would get through waivers to be signed to the practice squad.
Doug Mollin asks: Chris wrote this about Marcus Mbow on Monday:
“Developing strength is a long process and will likely need a couple dedicated training blocks over the off-season, so we can’t expect Mbow to get noticeably stronger this year.”
Is that accurate as far as you know? I would have assumed that building NFL level strength was something players work on year-round.
Although that also goes to another question that has come up often enough — how much time is there for coaches to actually teach the players and develop their skills.
Ed says: Doug, most scouts believed that Mbow needed to add what they always call “play strength.” That is something that players really can’t do during the season because, while they lift weights, the type of weight training required to do that can only be done when you don’t also have to practice and play.
The reality of the NFL is that limits on practice time imposed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement make it such that practices are not necessarily about improving skills. They are about installing scheme and understanding what you are expected to do, and how you are expected to do it. Players often improve in their understanding, but probably not in their physical skillset during an NFL season.
There are some periods of practice devoted to technique or footwork, but they are brief and guys only get a couple of reps. Stuff like adding or subtracting weight and working to really refine or improve a certain skill are things players do with individual position coaches during the offseason.
Douglas: I know it’s not intentional, but how much weight does reputation carry when PFF hands out a rating? It seems to me that sometimes a player’s reputation drags him down. Specifically, I am thinking of John Michael Schmitz.
Ed says: Douglas, I don’t believe a player’s reputation has anything to do with his grade. Pro Football Focus scores every play based on their perception of what a player was supposed to do on a play, and how well he carried out what PFF graders believed to be his assignment.
I say over and over that PFF grades are not the be-all and end-all when it comes to evaluating player performance. Those grades are really the only tool like that fans have to discuss players. NFL players scoff at PFF grades, to put it kindly.
John Foti: I thought that the backup tackles played pretty well. The interior line still can’t seem to get movement at the line of scrimmage. What are your thoughts on how the playing time was distributed amongst the offensive linemen? I was surprised to see Ezeudu get so much playing time and Neal not get any. Of course, they could not resist giving Ezeudu snaps at tackle.
Ed: John, let’s clarify that Evan Neal did not play due to injury. That wasn’t a choice. Neal wasn’t able to play. Josh Ezeudu has been taking third- and fourth-team reps at left tackle all spring and summer. Somebody has to play when you get that deep into the depth chart in the second half of a preseason game.
Norm Weiss asks: Ed, I value your opinion, inside information and up close observations of the Giants. It seems ridiculous to me for anyone to be talking about the Giants being a top 10 defense, at this point. They have certainly fortified the pass rush and their secondary, but for years the Achilles heel of this defense has been their futility stopping the run. If they can’t stop the run, those additions can be marginalized. This was true even with Leonard Williams next to Dexter. While I love our third-round pick, Darius Alexander, is he ready to make a great difference as a run stopper and what are your thoughts on the type of run defense the Giants will have?
Ed says: Norm, you aren’t alone in worrying about the run defense. It is sort of like worrying about the offensive line. There is a PTSD element to it. All I can tell you is that the talent in the front seven has been vastly upgraded. Alexander, Roy Robertson-Harris and Chauncey Golston are all upgrades over the depth the Giants had a year ago.
Run defense depends on players knowing and carrying out their assignments as a team. The Giants have the talent to be much better in that area. Time will tell if it works out that way.
Daniel Mainzer asks: If Joe Milton does not lead the Patriots to a meaningless victory on the last game of the season, the Patriots end up with the first pick (Cam Ward) of the draft. Say they trade it to the NYG for the team’s first (Carter) second (Dart) and next year’s first-round draft choices.
Five years from now, we will all know the answer, but as we stand here today, do [you] wish the NYG could have made that trade for Ward or do you think the Carter/Dart tandem will lead to a better future?
Ed says: Daniel, there is an old saying: “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.” The basic meaning is that if you could wish something into existence then everyone would have everything they ever wanted.
Life doesn’t work that way. I have spent zero time worrying about the Joe Milton game or the Giants beating the Indianapolis Colts in a game that knocked them out of position for the No. 1 pick. Things happen the way they are supposed to happen. You play to try to win the games — if you don’t, you are cheating yourself, the people who paid to attend the games, and the players putting their bodies and careers on the line on every play. The results are the results.
The reality is, there is nothing to be unhappy about right now when you look at the Abdul Carter-Jaxson Dart tandem.
Paul Dutko asks: I was disappointed that Eli didn’t get in the HOF last year. His modest regular season record and mediocre final seasons, I believe had more to do with the Giants management letting him down late in his career than his declining play.
Next year everyone believes Drew Brees is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and I can’t argue against him getting in before Eli but what about Philip Rivers? I have heard many experts predicting that Rivers is a slam dunk to get in before Eli? Rivers regular season stats are better than Eli’s but he did nothing in the postseason. Who do you think deserves to get in first?
Ed says: Paul, the reality of it is that Rivers’ career is superior to Manning’s in every statistical way that matters. Except the one that, to me, should matter more than anything that happens in the regular season. That, of course, is championships.
Because of the reaction to Manning’s candidacy in the last voting cycle, and the fascination voters have with pure statistics, I absolutely think Rivers gets in first. I don’t think Manning gets in until the Rivers, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger logjam is cleared. If he even get in then.
I don’t think that’s right. I just think that is the reality of what is likely to happen.
Jim Jordan asks: So, for the first time in a long time as cut down date approaches, it appears the Giants may be more sellers than buyers. Instead of scouring the waiver wires in hopes of filling holes, it seems like there are players on their current 90-man roster who deserve a place in the NFL but will probably not make the Giants final 53. Which brings me to my question. I know it’s difficult to engineer trades in the preseason as trade partners assume the players will be available after cuts for no compensation. But, do you believe there are any players on the current Giants’ roster who are likely to be cut, or could be cut, who might have enough value to another team to extract a 6th or 7th round pick to ensure they get that player? After Turbo’s performance Saturday, I feel like Singletary could be one. Less likely to be cut, but possible are Okereke if they decide he can’t fit into Bowen’s system; Jalin Hyatt, although he hasn’t produced much tape to make himself a prime trade target; Nacho, if they feel they have sufficient depth in the IDL and need his money; Bellinger just because of the numbers game. Do any of these seem possible to you? Do you have any other names you might add?
Ed says: Jim, I do agree that there are going to be players cut by the Giants who land on other 53-man rosters. I do think there will also be a couple of positions where the Giants might look to supplement what they have. They were a three-win team last year, and their roster still has places that could use help.
I explained above in my answer to Michael Spina why cutting/trading Devin Singletary makes no financial sense. Let’s also be real. Since this spring Cam Skattebo has missed far more practices than he has participated in, and it seems like the hamstring injury he is currently dealing with is going to keep him sidelined for a while. Right now, Singletary is RB2 and not really expendable.
I think GM Joe Schoen will do his due diligence, float some names and see if there are fringe players other teams might be interested in. Thing is, in less than two weeks teams are going to cut their rosters from 90 players to 53. That means more than 1,100 players currently on teams will be looking for jobs. Unless a team really loves a player and feels it has to have him, they won’t give up an asset when they will have a whole bunch of other similarly-skilled players available without needing to give up an asset.
If I had to give you one name, I think the player I am most fascinated by at cut downs is going to be Daniel Bellinger. Rookie Thomas Fidone is having a good summer, and I just don’t know if this regime is really all-in on Bellinger. It has never seemed that way.
Ronald Lukoff asks: I do not understand the secrecy about training camp injuries. I, like most Giant fans, read every preseason article that I can get my hands on and find it infuriating that all the news that I can find is that the injured player will practice when he is ready. I really did not have to read that to find out that information. It is common sense. Is there a reason we can not get more substantial information then that, it is not like we are hiding an injury about a player who is not going to play anyway. When it comes to the regular season, all injuries have to be reported prior to the game. Like I originally said, it just does not make any sense to not let the fan base know what the ailments are. Please try to explain to me why we are not told more about these injuries.
Ed says: Ronald, not being able to get real injury information is just as frustrating for those of us asking the questions every day as it is for you and others hoping to learn more about the status of players who are not practicing.
The issue is this: Coaches are never going to give out more information than they have to, or want to. By NFL rules, teams are not required to release any injury information until they have to file an official injury report in the days leading up to their first regular-season game. Because they are not forced to give out that information, they are not going to.
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