Jim asks: Going into the regular season everyone continues to tie the fate of GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll. My question is based on the quality of last years draft class and how this current draft class our GM seems to be doing his job pretty well. So if the team can’t win and it comes down to gameday execution that would land on Daboll not Schoen. Curious on your thoughts of uncoupling them based on how they are performing in their respective jobs.
Ed says: Jim, I know it might surprise some people but I really don’t think they are coupled at this point. Co-owner John Mara said a while ago that the GM and head coach have different jobs and can each be judged on their own.
If ownership thinks the talent on the roster is better than the results on the field I can see Schoen staying and Daboll going. I can see Schoen trying to support Daboll, but he isn’t going to lose his own job over whether Daboll stays or goes.
Larry Bassell asks: Given that our DC Shane Bowen has had a few months to prepare for Washington and that he has seen a lot of tape on Daniels, how do you think he adjusts how we defend him this year vs. last year. If I recall, we were competitive in both games.
Ed says: Larry, the Giants have not spent the last six or seven months preparing for the Washington Commanders. When we ask Brian Daboll things like this, he says “we’re focused on us.”
Now, it is probably true that some of the bottom-rung guys on the Giants coaching staff have been watching and cutting up film of every team on the Giants schedule for months. That doesn’t mean Daboll has watched much of it. Or that Bowen has been focused on it. They have been focused on getting their team ready.
On Monday, Daboll said “We’ll get to Washington here in the next few days.” He said on Wednesday that the Giants would do some “Washington stuff.”
All of that said, it will be interesting to see how the Giants employ Abdul Carter. Could he spend some time “spying” Daniels? How will they pressure him and try to keep him in the pocket?
Richard Girgenti asks: Long time reader! My question is more of an observation and wondering your opinion on it in regards to Jalin Hyatt. One thing I have noticed is every time he catches or attempts to catch a deep ball, he tends to do it while falling to the ground. That might be the way the ball is thrown, but I notice it more often than not, whereas other receivers attempt to catch the long ball in stride. Am I off on this? Is this an indication of something that should (and maybe is) being worked by coaches with him? Am I seeing this wrong or just incorrectly on this? Thoughts?
Ed says: Richard, I honestly don’t know if you are right or wrong on this. It’s not something that has ever jumped out or really occurred to me. What I will say is that even though he has gained weight, I think the contested catch remains on issue for Hyatt. Maybe that is some of what you are seeing.
Bob Donnelly asks: Is the OLine fixed? If so, is it a temporary repair or will it carry over into 2026?
Ed says: Bob, no one should EVER consider the offensive line fixed. Or, any position for that matter.
Brian Daboll always says a couple of things that apply here. First, he says the NFL is a week-to-week league. From one week to the next, you never know exactly what you are going to get. Who is healthy? Which teams are playing well? Which teams are desperate for a win? Which teams are cruising? Which teams are on short weeks or exhausted by travel.
Daboll also says that every year is a new year. What happened last year or what the roster looked like a year ago doesn’t mean anything.
It is the same when you look ahead. The 2025 season hasn’t started yet. We think the offensive line will be OK in 2025, but we don’t know that. We think a lot of things, but none of it has been proven or disproven.
There is no way to know if Jon Runyan, Jermaine Eluemunor or John Michael Schmitz will be Giants next year. We don’t know yet if Evan Neal can be a good guard, or if he will be a Giant next year. Are we 100% certain Marcus Mbow can handle a starting job at right tackle tackle? Do we know if Andrew Thomas can stay healthy, or if the All-Pro version of Thomas still exists?
Let’s not talk about 2026 until we know something about 2025.
John Urbielewicz asks: Hate to see Elijah Chatman get waived. I’ve been a fan ever since he ran down a ball carrier 40 yards down field last preseason. As an undersized interior defensive lineman, unable to anchor against the run, would not he be better served playing defensive end? I think he has the speed and ability to set the edge.
Ed says: John, I hated to see Chatman dropped from the 53-man roster, as well. I was glad that the Giants brought him back to the practice squad. Maybe we will see him later this season.
As far as defensive end, I think I would trust the judgment of defensive coordinator Shane Bowen and defensive line coach Andre Patterson, one of the most success defensive line coaches in the business, on where to play him. I am not a scout, but I would think his height and length would be an issue trying to bend the edge against offensive tackles who are 6-foot-5 or so and 315-320 pounds. Guards, who may not be as athletic as tackles, seem like his best matchup. It’s just those double teams and all that traffic inside that cause him an issue.
Ken Diamond asks: Where do you think Jaxson Dart would be drafted if, somehow, there was a re-draft now, after the preseason?
Ed says: In that alternate reality, I do wonder if the Cleveland Browns (DT Mason Graham at No. 5) or New York Jets (OL Armand Membou at No. 7) would take Dart.
I have to believe the New Orleans Saints (OL Kelvin Banks at No. 9) would love a do-over. They are starting Spencer Rattler over Tyler Shough, an admission that Shough may never be an NFL starting quarterback after seven years in college, and that can’t be how they wanted to begin Kelvin Moore’s tenure as their head coach.
By not taking Dart at No. 9 when they had the chance, and I know it would have been considered a reach at the time, they are basically throwing away a year.
Phulmattie Budhram asks: Tough schedule aside, what might be the biggest roadblock in your opinion preventing this Giants team from being possible contender this season? What would you consider to be a “successful Giants football season”?
Ed says: Phulmattie, the schedule is the biggest roadblock. I hate to put numbers to what would be a successful season, but let’s do this.
Getting to the playoffs, or at least being in the hunt for a playoff spot, would absolutely be a successful season after going 3-14 in 2024. That said, I think you could also call it a successful season if the Giants win six or seven games — double what they won a year ago — get a few starts from Jaxson Dart, and come out of the year convinced he is their guy going forward.
Jim Kadamus asks: I’ve read injury statistics from the NFL that 68% of players get injured in any given season. And 30-50% are injured enough to miss games.
Thinking about the frequency of injuries, has the NFL and players union considered raising the roster limit by 10% from 53 to 58 and then having a 12 man practice squad?
Maybe then the gyrations for players going from roster to practice squad and back on roster (for example the Olszewski vs. Smith-Marsette situation) could be minimized.
Ed says: Jim, I don’t think that is in the cards. Maybe a roster expansion could be negotiated in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, especially if ownership demands an 18-game schedule. I don’t see it happening now, though.
Practice squads have been expanded to 16 players, and veteran players can now be included. IR rules have been loosened so that not all players who are placed on IR before Week 1 have to miss the entire season, and players who go on IR during the season can be designated to return. Two practice squad players can be elevated to the active roster each week.
There will always be roster gyrations. There will also be some type of limit, and some type of cap.
If I was NFL Commissioner for a day, the thing I would like to change is the 46-man game day roster. You have 53 players, so let 53 players be active on game day. If you have five guys injured who can’t play, elevate five guys from your practice squad and then be allowed to return them without having to pass them through waivers.
John Kozel asks: Can you provide any details you know about the swapping of Korie Black for Rico Payton? If you claim a guy that causes you to make a player available you say you like and then put the new player on the injured list, it looks to me like a bad miscalculation. I’m assuming there is more and it’s not a gross mistake. Any insight?
Ed says: John, when teams set their “initial” 53-man rosters on cutdown day they know there will be changes. They kept seven cornerbacks, which is probably more than they actually wanted to go into Week 1 against the Commanders with. They did that because they liked Korie Black, as well as Art Green and Nic Jones, and hoped to keep them all.
I have said several times they claimed Rico Payton because he is a player they have coveted since last preseason. They knew he was injured and would need a couple of weeks. He has what I have seen reported as a back injury that will take a couple of weeks to heal. He will be eligible to return from IR after four games.
They believed Black would clear waivers, which he did, and then would re-sign to their practice squad. The Jets made Black an offer to join their practice squad and he accepted it. That qualifies as a surprise, but it is the player’s right.
As far as I know, the Ravens wanted Beau Brade to return to their practice squad and the Saints wanted Payton on their practice squad. The Giants didn’t let those things happen because they wanted those players.
I don’t see it as a miscalculation. Other teams have scouts, too. The Giants also hoped tight end Greg Dulcich would return to their practice squad, but he felt the opportunity was better for him with the Miami Dolphins.
Brian Misdom asks: What do you make of the giants decision to keep Gunner Olszewski over Ihmir Smith-Marsette? Is the upside at WR really that much of a differentiating factor when a slew of injuries would be needed to receive meaningful snaps?
I didn’t mind Gunner in 2023 but Ihmir proved a useful return player in 2024 without the fumbling issue that has plagued Gunner.
On pure return duties, thought Ihmir had the edge.
Ed says: Brian, this choice surprised me a little bit. I think the Giants saw the return job as a wash between the two, though my $.02 is that Smith-Marsette would be better on kickoffs. Based on what we saw in the summer, Olszewski is well ahead of Smith-Marsette as a receiver, and that might have been the deciding factor.
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