Ralph Isaacs asks: Is it possible that the Giants carry no void years because of ownership intransigence?
Ed says: Ralph, my guess here is that you aren’t a John Mara fan and you are just trying to blame him. “Intransigence” is defined by Dictionary.com as “refusing to compromise or agree; inflexibility.”
I don’t believe Mara is behind this. I think it has just been GM Joe Schoen’s preferred method of handling the salary cap. I disagree with it, I think Schoen will begin to move away from it with an opportunity to build around a quarterback on a rookie deal, and I think the Giants will be a better, more competitive roster when he does.
Timo Krüger asks: The Giants special teams have been performing quite well this year, which is a pleasant surprise for once. One thing I noticed during the games against the Eagles and Saints was how regularly Gillan managed to pin the opponent deep on kickoffs. There were always some issues with fielding his kicks for the returners. At the beginning of the season the Giants told us they want to use Gillan for kickoffs on specific occasions. I am wondering, during these past two games, were these situations just mistakes by the returners or is there something about Gillan’s kickoffs that makes them hard to handle?
As of now, he is becoming a real weapon in terms of field position.
Ed says: Timo, Jamie Gillan has been really good on kickoffs. If you recall, the first game in which placekicker Jude McAtamney replaced Graham Gano, McAtamney kicked off. Two of his kickoffs missed the landing zone and flew into the end zone for touchbacks, which are brought out to the 35-yard line. With the new kickoff rule, placement by the kicker is critical. You must get the ball in the landing zone, and you want to force the return rather than concede the 35-yard line.
I don’t know if there is something special about the spin on Gillan’s kickoffs, but both Tank Bigsby and A.J. Dillon of the Eagles had difficulty handling them.
Damien Mayo asks: Do you think it’s possible the Giants are able to return next season with Thibodeaux and Burns and Carter. Also why do I feel the defense is better with Dane Belton on the field not Holland?
Ed says: Damien, it is absolutely possible. The Giants have already picked up Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option, so why wouldn’t it be possible. The edge trio, along with Dexter Lawrence, is the strength of the defense. Why would they mess with it unless someone overwhelms them with an offer for Thibodeaux?
As for Belton/Holland, you are entitled to feel however you want. Belton has played decently, and comes off a game against the Eagles where he played well in a limited 16-snap role. Holland is an every down starter in the NFL. Belton is a situational third safety. Holland has perhaps not yet had the impact the Giants hoped for, but on an every-snap basis I think history shows he is a better player than Belton.
Murray Krugman asks: Understanding Schoen has both hits and misses in quantity, isn’t the deja vu all over again regarding the Gano sequel disqualifying, especially at the price?
Ed says: Murray, when you “disqualifying” are you saying you believe Joe Schoen should be fired for bringing Gano back this season? I think that is way too harsh. I think that if you want to make the argument that an accumulation of too many bad decisions makes you believe he should be replaced, you can make that case. One decision over a placekicker, though? That’s a bridge too far for me.
Now, did I think bringing Gano back this season was risky? Absolutely. Did I agree with the decision? No. Did I expect them to cut him during the offseason and take the salary cap relief? Yes. That is what I would have done.
Still, good placekickers are hard to find. Not every team has a reliable one, much less one who can be a real weapon. They are loathe to move on from those types of kickers when they have them.
Gano was 6 of 6 on field-goal attempts with a 55-yarder before he got hurt. He is still a really good kicker, he just hasn’t been able to stay healthy. I would have made a different decision, but I can’t kill the Giants for crossing their fingers and hoping they could get a healthy year out of him.
Craig Zimmerman asks: In the past few years the Giants have preferred to let players walk in free agency and perhaps not gotten any draft capital in return. Are there candidates you could see them moving this season to get even late round picks – Wilson? Neal? Bellinger?
Ed says: Craig, Russell Wilson and Evan Neal are obvious. Maybe Devin Singletary. I don’t think Daniel Bellinger is going anywhere with Malik Nabers on IR. The Giants are using him more and more. I doubt Jalin Hyatt goes anywhere, unless the Giants are able to bring in a more accomplished wide receiver.
Julian Roberts asks: When JMS went down with an injury the whole dynamics changed for the better at center as to me the pass blocking and the run blocking improved maybe the team is better without JMS. Your thoughts?
Ed says: Julian, this is way off base. I think you are seeing what you want to see.
Reality is that two things can be true, and in this case they are. Schmitz played very well against the Eagles last Thursday. When he got his face busted up and suffered a concussion, Austin Schlottman came into the game and did his job, continuing to allow the offensive line to play well.
I always say not to rely completely on Pro Football Focus grades to judge performance, and you shouldn’t. I am, though, going to point out that you are complaining about John Michael Schmitz after what PFF graded as the best performance of his career, an 83.2 grade that was second-best on the offense behind Jaxson Dart.
The Giants are not better off with Schlottman instead of Schmitz. He is a journeyman backup. They are fortunate to have a capable veteran to turn to when needed. Credit to him for doing his job well last Thursday.
In my roster review earlier in the week, here is what I wrote about Schmitz:
The narrative is that JMS is terrible and is not living up to his status as 2023 second-round pick. The numbers, which show Schmitz improving for a second straight season, don’t back that up.
PFSN has Schmitz ranked 15th among 32 qualifying centers with an 80.9 Impact score, slightly above the 79.4 league average for centers. For comparison, his Impact score was 67.6 as a rookie and 77.6 in 2024.
In 2024, PFF ranked Schmitz No. 40 among 43 qualifying centers. This year, through six games, Schmitz is 18th among 36 qualifiers. His PFF grades, particularly as a pass blocker continue to rise — 26.9 in 2023, 50.2 in 2024 and 63.9 so far this season. He has allowed seven hurries, no sacks, and has a career-best pass-blocking efficiency rating of 98.4.
It is hard to argue that Schmitz is not continuing to get better. Isn’t that what you want players to do?
I can’t help Giants fans who refuse to acknowledge the data, and the film, that clearly shows Schmitz has improved a great deal since his rookie season. Is he ever going to be a great center? Maybe not. He is hardly a turnstile, though.
Marc Arseneau asks: I’m all in on Jaxson Dart. I’m hoping he proves to be the franchise QB we need. My question is this… do you think anyone is sitting him down and telling him not to dive headfirst for the extra yardage and instead take the safe slide? Let the human beer keg with legs Cam Skattebo lead with his head – he’ll be totally fine. I’m terrified of the inevitable concussion(s) that are coming if he continues to play this way. It will set us back another year.
Ed says: Marc, I am afraid you and all Giants fans are going to have to learn to live with the fear. Brian Daboll has talked with him about it, although I agree with Dart who told me during the preseason that he actually thinks Daboll secretly loves Dart’s willingness to be aggressive. Teammates have encouraged him to be judicious. Dart is aware and has slid a few times, but he has said that when he sees an opportunity to get a first down or make a big play he isn’t going to slide. He’s going to go for it.
You have to love that about the kid. He just wants to win, and he is willing to do whatever that requires. It will be awesome … until it isn’t.
Jerry Panza asks: Ed, with the looming sack happy Broncos upcoming I’d like to know if calling up Turbo would be something being his ability to turn a screen pass into something of an insurance policy for a Dart quick release outlet. Also is Eric Gray ever going to add anything to our offense and if not why do the Giants keep him?
Ed says: Jerry, if the Giants would not elevate Dante Miller from their practice squad when they only had two healthy running backs, why would anyone think they would consider doing so now that Tyrone Tracy is back and they have three? I can’t see it. Clearly, the Giants don’t think he is better than any of the guys they are already using.
As for Gray, he’s on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. He’s not playing, he’s not taking up a roster spot. It’s a non-issue.
John Raggio asks: A lot of times you answer a question with some form of “if the Giants coaches thought so, they’d be doing that” but we’ve also seen the Giants coaches make mistakes with personnel as well. Can you come up with three realistic personnel changes (internal moves or trades) you’d like to see before season end that the Giants staff haven’t made yet?
Ed says: John, guilty as charged in terms of how I sometimes answer questions. And, yes, every team makes personnel mistakes.
One move the Giants have already made that I have wanted to see if ending the Cor’Dale Flott-Deonte Banks rotation. The better player needs to play, and so that has clearly been Flott. The rotation has come to an end.
Another move is adding a wide receiver. That isn’t about making a playoff or championship run this year. It is about doing everything they can to help Jaxson Dart continue grow and have the best possible chance to succeed. Without Malik Nabers, and with Darius Slayton first not giving them much and now missing time with an injury, they can’t get by with Wan’Dale Robinson as their No. 1 wide receiver.
Finally, I would like to see them be willing to move Evan Neal, Russell Wilson, Devin Singletary and maybe even Jalin Hyatt at the trade deadline for future draft capital. Those guys, including Hyatt if the Giants add a starting-caliber receiver, don’t really have roles. So, remove them from the roster and get what you can.
Chris Chianese asks: I see all these rumors about Giants trading for possibly Waddle, Olave, Jeudy, Juann Jennings, and Meyers. What would the NYG have to give up for each player? Also, what do you think would have to happen in terms of the outcomes (wins) of the upcoming games before the deadline for the Giants to pull the trigger?
Ed says: Chris, I don’t know what the price tag would be for any of those players. I think, though, that a competitive market is shaping up for available wide receivers. Which means the price tags are going to go up. The Giants do not have a third-round pick in the upcoming draft and a firmly believe GM Joe Schoen will want to hold on to his third-round pick. Sitting out Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft would not be ideal. That will make acquiring one of the top guys on the more difficult.
I don’t think the results of the next couple of games matter in terms of a wide receiver pursuit. Losing them might even make the Giants more likely to try to add help. Schoen and Daboll need to stack some wins to keep their jobs. They need Jaxson Dart to show development, and for him to do that they need to get him help if they possibly can.
Kölnerbigblue asks: Ed, the kid (Jaxson Dart) still has a way to go so I’m not trying to add pressure on him (as if he is reading my question). However, watching him scramble in the back field while keeping his head downfield, I got serious Fran Tarkenton vibes. What do you think?
Ed says: I don’t think of Tarkenton. I guess in a way I thought of Tarkenton as similar to what Russell Wilson was in his prime — a smaller quarterback who did a lot of his best work while running around and improvising. Maybe the best comparison I come up with right now is Baker Mayfield. Toughness, grit, swag, no fear, ability to make plays on and off structure. I’m sure I could come up with others, but Mayfield is a pretty good one, I think.
James Stoll asks: One emerging story line this season is “what’s wrong with Dexter Lawrence”. Regardless of the double teaming that routinely occurs, he has not had the obvious impact he had last year before dislocating his elbow. Is he out of shape since that injury and his almost complete absence during the off- and pre-season? Or has the elbow injury sapped the strength from that arm? Something seems to have taken away a measure of his power. Overall conditioning may have made his legs weaker and thus his push less powerful. A weakened arm may be the cause foe his inability to fight through blocks, especially when four hands are on him. Any thoughts? Have you heard anything about his health that would lead you down this alley?
Ed says: James, all of those are valid theories/concerns regarding Lawrence. I have written or talked about most of that at various times. I don’t know the answer, though I do think Dex is heavier this year. I am not going to ask him to get on a scale, though.
If the Giants defense is going to be as good as it can be, though, they need the version of Lawrence we have seen for the last three seasons. Not the one we have seen for the last six games.
Scott Altizio asks: I’ve been a long time reader but never inquired to add a mailbag question. Perhaps this is a long winded question, to boot… My question is : Do you think the Giants have been operating on a long term plan that started with cleaning up Gettleman cap hell numbers, followed by turning over the roster, followed by securing a long term QB answer, and now that we’ve (hopefully) done these things — NOW we’ll start doing contracts and extensions utilizing all of the void year money we aren’t currently spending?
Ed says: Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! Scott for the win! Picture me ringing an imaginary bell to announce this as the correct quiz answer.
I don’t know why GM Joe Schoen has waited so long. I think he could have begun using void years to at least some extent before now, and I have previously expressed that I disagree with the fact that he has not done so.
I believe, though, that with Jaxson Dart on a rookie contract and looking like the guy the Giants are going to go forward with, that this is precisely what Schoen intends to do. I will be shocked if he doesn’t dip his toes into the ‘void year’ waters this offseason.
Nancy Corbin asks: We sometimes hear a team is a player or two away from becoming a perennial contender. I think maybe three assuming we trade for a receiver I think maybe another good cornerback, guard and linebacker I would like to hear your thoughts on how many and what positions.
Ed says: Nancy, I don’t know that I could or would put a specific number on it. Part of the reason for that is that because of free agency, and the nature of a sport where injuries are so prevalent, it’s hard to say a certain number of players makes them a perennial contender.
If Jaxson Dart is what the Giants think he is, that is a big part of becoming that type of team that contends more often than it doesn’t. The Giants need to continue building the offensive line, where they might need two new guards in 2026. Is Theo Johnson the answer at tight end? Can they add at wide receiver, even if they make a trade in the next couple of weeks? Can they add at cornerback, defensive line, linebacker?
I would say if they can add a couple more real front line difference makers, regardless of position, that would go a long way.
Andre Banks asks: I would like for you to ditch your journalistic integrity for one second. How does it feel to you as a FAN that if we beat the Broncos, at the midway point of the season to actually be playing games that still mean something? Would that be enough to move the needle as far as Brian Daboll’s employment, or is it too soon?
Ed says: Andre, it is hard for me to react to that purely as a fan. I have always been a Giants fan, but to do what I do the way I think it needs to be done I need to bury that and be professional, analytical, unemotional. I will say I do like to see the Giants win games. It is more fun to cover winning than losing. Guys are happier, more cooperative, more fun to be around. Fans are in better moods. It’s more interesting to cover games that mean something.
In terms of Daboll, I would think the needle is moving in a positive direction for him. That doesn’t mean it can’t — quickly — go in the other direction. I think we just need to wait and see where this season goes.
Brian Butler asks: Since the Giants offensive line is ineffective in opening up running lanes, why are most of the running plays, especially when Cam Skattebo is in, are run up the middle?
Why not run Skattebo on the edge where he gets up to speed and runs through defensive players?
Ed says: Brian, that certainly sounds sensible. But …
Are the Giants really “ineffective at opening running lanes”? Granted, they don’t have mauling blockers on the inside. They ran for 130 yards against the Chiefs, 161 yards vs. the Chargers, 136 vs. the Saints and 172 vs. the Eagles. Skattebo is averaging 4.3 yards per attempt in that time, and he isn’t doing it all on his own.
Coaches try to put players in position to succeed. Skattebo is not a fast guy. Combine that with his physicality and vision and it would seem logical that he would be better running straight ahead than going sideways and trying to outrun defenders to the edge. These numbers from Pro Football Focus would back that up:
He has been best running straight ahead.
Here are the overall team numbers:
You might see some games where the Giants run to the edge more based on game plan. Mostly, though, I think the Giants want Skattebo going North-South rather than East-West.
Frank Viselli asks: With Malik Nabors and Darius Slayton both out, can you envision the Giants utilizing a 2 man backfield? Tracy as a halfback and Skattebo as a fullback? Do you think this might be worth trying?
Ed says: As a change of pace, sure. They have used both players in the backfield with Jaxson Dart on five snaps this season. It isn’t something they would do all the time, but to give the defense a different look a few times it’s fine.
Brian Misdom asks: Recently saw the interview with Daniel Jones where he talked about how much it helped him by being in Minnesota last year – that they are next level in their details when preparing for their opponent. You can infer then that our staff has left meat on the bone.
Dart has been refreshing thus far but with more tape on him, there will be a wall he’ll need to climb.
As Daboll has been regarded as a QB whisperer of sorts (and Kafka learning under Reid), are you surprised to hear these kinds of comments? Do you think this plays any factor in the decision on Daboll if the season (and Dart’s play) is uneven?
Ed says: Brian, I am happy for Jones. He learned some things in Minnesota that have helped him, as pretty much everyone who knows the NFL expected to happen. I think whenever you are exposed to good coaching, you probably see things being done somewhat differently and learn different methods of preparation.
Remember that prior to this year Jones’ best NFL season was with Daboll/Kafka. I think what plays into any decision about Daboll is how many games the Giants win and what the Daboll/Dart dynamic looks like.
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