Robert Forgione asks: Do you know if Jaxson will be working with Jordan Palmer or any other QB coaches this offseason? Is this something that the team would suggest or is it strictly on the player?
Ed says: Robert, Jaxson Dart has worked for several years with coaches from 3DQB. He said at the end of the season that part of his offseason will be spent doing so once again.
John Brazel asks: I’ve been a diehard Giants fan all my life, the past 14 years have been brutal to say the least. However, what I watched this year has given me a lot of optimism about the future. Yes, the defense heavily underperformed, but we actually had a respectable offense and if a few bounces went our way it could have looked even better. If we don’t fall apart against Dallas, Denver, Chicago, Green Bay we would be sitting at 8-9 vs 4-13. How differently would the narrative be then? Personally, I think Schoen has done really well re-stocking the talent. With that said, here is my question:
With all the mock drafts linking us to a WR, Tate or Tyson, what are your thoughts on us targeting Arvell Reece if he’s there at 5. We haven’t had that middle of the defense tone setter in a long time. Someone who can go sideline to sideline and be a tackling machine. To me, that’s a good way to shore up our run defense and could totally transform our defense.
Ed says: John, while I recognize the kind of talent Arvell Reese is I am not a fan of the Giants drafting him. Reese, to me is what Micah Parsons and Abdul Carter were before him. Impact players, yes, but that isn’t what I mean. They are edge defenders masquerading as collegiate off-ball linebackers.
Reese’s best usage in the NFL, in my view, will be as an edge defender. The Giants already have Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Carter. Even if they trade Thibodeaux, drafting Reese still leaves them with the three players for two spots with one player likely spending a lot of time playing a position where he isn’t being best utilized problem.
I don’t know that drafting a wide receiver like Carnell Tate or Jordyn Tyson is the right play, either. I just don’t think drafting a player who’s best spot is a place where you are already overstocked is the best use of that draft resource. Add something you don’t already have.
Raymond Dansereau asks: Teams always say now that they’re “casting a wide net” with HC searches. I’m wondering if this is connected to the Rooney Rule and the need to interview two minority coaches in person. Then this means you also need to interview enough other coaches to make it look like you didn’t just bring those minority candidates in to check the box (thank you, Brian Flores). It seems to make the coaching search more inefficient and costly though, and require a lot more in-person interviews than might otherwise be normal. Could this be an unintended consequence of the Rooney rule? Or is it really just a case of teams wanting to talk to more people in person anyway?
Ed says: Raymond, I don’t think they say they are “casting a wide net” because of the Rooney Rule. I do believe the Rooney Rule, combined with the new rule that prohibits in-person interviews with candidates who are employed by other teams until January 19 (after the Divisional Round of the playoffs) has slowed the hiring process.
I see that as a good thing. It does force teams to interview minority candidates, of course. It also allows teams more time to makes calls, conduct virtual interviews, and compile their lists. It opens the field to a broader array of candidates.
Lou Catalano asks: Ed, I’d imagine that this is somewhat of a difficult and off-topic question for you, but I am interested in your take concerning the relationship of a beat reporter to the team that he/she covers, especially since I imagine that you have had interaction with the individual involved. Clearly, over at least the past 15 months there has been a reporter for one of the three major dailies in New York who has relentlessly called for the firing of Daboll and Schoen, and who since the firing of Daboll has continued to call for Schoen’s dismissal as well. I could understand a “columnist” expressing an opinion, but how does an editor allow a beat reporter to continually harp on what is an overtly expressed opinion? Could there be some personal animus between the reporter in question and the individuals he covers which is tainting this reporter’s writing? How should a reporter handle personal disagreements when reporting on a team? I get that dealing with the New York media can be difficult, but is there any scenario where a constant stream of negativity might have a deleterious effect and cause any individual potential hire to rank the Giants position as less desirable than another?
Ed says: Lou, I am not going to use this space to criticize how anyone does their job in covering the Giants, or any other team. That is a decision between the writer and his or her editors as to what type of coverage they want to present.
When I was young and starting out in journalism there was a CLEAR line between being a reporter covering a beat and a columnist. The columnist’s job was to express opinion or have a viewpoint. The reporter’s job was to report the facts, to stay neutral, to be objective. To NOT let his opinion or feelings show in his or her work.
Social media and websites like this one long ago blurred those lines. I do not always think that is for the better. There is a difference, I believe, between having an opinion and writing with an agenda geared toward trying to influence an outcome. I try to have an opinion without an agenda. I don’t think it is my place to try to “create” a story, become the story or blatantly try to influence the outcome of a major decision.
As for whether or not something like that would influence a candidate, I would say that if a person is basing his decision on being afraid of the opinions of one or two media members, or worrying about the media at large, that person is worrying about the wrong things and is probably not right for the job, anyway.
Gregory DiDonato asks: I know it’s early in the process, but I don’t see the reason for WRs Carnell Tate or Tyson at #5. I would prefer to trade down for more picks or target a defensive player like Caleb Downs or Arvell Reese at 5. A Day 2 pick plus re-signing Wan’dale should be enough to have adequate weapons for Dart. Where do you stand on what side of the ball they should target at #5?
Ed says: Gregory, as of now I quite honestly don’t care. They can go in enough different directions that whatever player they feel can be the biggest difference-maker is fine with me, regardless of position or side of the ball.
I talked about my reluctance to draft Arvell Reese above. I’m OK with drafting a wide receiver. If you watched Wild-Card Weekend, a lot of those games were won by the teams that could score points and make big plays on offense. The only thing that scares me about the wide receivers in this class is that many of the analysts giving the Giants a wide receiver at No. 5 are doing so while also admitting that neither Carnell Tate nor Jordyn Tyson really deserves to be the fifth pick in the draft.
I do believe they need another big-time pass catcher, even with Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson.
Doug Mollin asks: Tony had an interesting story on Friday highlighting the pros and cons of Harbaugh coming to Miami versus NY.
One factor he gave a small edge to Miami was ownership. It seemed based on the NFLPA voting on owners (players gave an A+ to Ross and C+ to Mara) and the use of void years as a measure of “financial commitment” (Miami has 8th most, Giants have zero).
Do you agree with Tony’s assessment? I don’t. John Mara has made his share of mistakes during this Wilderness 2.0. But I’d still count Giant ownership as at least on par with what Ross has done with Miami (a team that has been a low-key joke since he took over).
Ed says: Doug, honestly I do not. Still, that was a list I asked Tony to create and I will always respect the right for my writers to come to a different conclusion than I may have, or have a different opinion.
I’m not putting a ton of stock into the NFLPA survey, though there are things I agree with. One thing mentioned in there is that the locker room could use an expansion. I happen to think that is correct, but that doesn’t reflect on the quality of ownership.
John Mara and the Giants have made their share of mistakes. I will never, though, question how much Mara cares, how much he wants to do the right thing for everyone employed by the Giants, how much he wants to run a class organization.
Douglas Furth asks: The phrases “franchise quarterback” and “elite quarterback” are thrown around regularly. What do those phrases mean to you? In your mind, how long does it take to prove that a QB satisfies your definition of one or both of those phrases or proves that he doesn’t and won’t deserve either label?
Ed says: Douglas to me “franchise quarterback” means not only a guy you think you can win with, but a guy you can’t really foresee wanting to replace for the next several years. The franchise QB is a guy who is synonymous with your success, and you think you can win titles if you support him properly. I think perhaps you can be “elite” without being a “franchise” guy. Aaron Rodgers probably fit that description for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Is Sam Darnold a “franchise QB” or an “elite” one? I’m not sure.
I don’t know that there is a clock on how long it takes to prove you are or are not a franchise quarterback. I think you know it when you see it. Generally, I feel as though if no one is sure you are a franchise guy by the end of your rookie deal, then you probably aren’t one.
Kölnerbigblue asks: Ed, I hope this question is completely irrelevant for the next 25 years. However, I found it interesting that we heard Chris Mara’s name directly and prominently involved in the successful recruitment of John Harbaugh and nothing about Tim McDonnell. Given all of the complaints I have heard from BBVers about the nepotism in the Giants’ front office, do we (meaning you) know anything about the succession plan for John Mara? Personally, I respect John Mara as a stand-up, moral man and wish him all the best of health (which I hope is shared by everybody on BBV). However, he is not a spring chicken. Do we know who is the next in line to take over for this proud organization?
Ed says: Kölner, I hope John Mara lives for a long time and runs the Giants as long as he feels physically able to do so. The succession plan is not known to the public, though my understanding is NFL team owners have to file one with the league office each year in the event something happens.
John Mara is 71, though, and has cancer. So, wondering about the plan is obviously legitimate. I can make an educated guess, but that is all it is.
Susan Mara McDonnell is the second-oldest child of Wellington and Ann Mara. She is a Board Director for the Giants. If the team falls to her in the succession plan she would seem likely to put her son, director of player personnel Tim McDonnell, in charge.
Chris Mara is also a Board Director and a senior player personnel executive. He doesn’t have a day-to-day role in the personnel department, but obviously does have a voice. It is possible that should John Mara step down or pass that Chris Mara would become president and CEO.
Those are the two scenarios I can see.
Jeffrey Jacobs asks: Do you have any idea if when a coach gets fired if he keeps all his old team gear? Personally if I were to be fired, I’d want to trash all my old team swag immediately. John Harbaugh will certainly not wear any Ravens gear moving forward as HC of the NYG.
Ed says: Jeffrey, I chose the lighter of your two questions. It’s like any other job. If you get gear, or swag, it’s yours. You see players go from team to team and sometimes they show up in a place with a bag from their last place, because that’s what they have.
He was in Baltimore for 18 years. I would expect he has a lot of wonderful memories, and a lot of clothes and other momentos he would like to keep. He will never, of course, wear Ravens gear while with the Giants. I would assume there is a whole pile of Giants stuff already waiting for him.
Matt Peters asks: With Harbaugh as the new coach do you think the Giants will get more aggressive in free agency in an effort to jump start winning? You don’t make him one of the highest paid coaches in the league to hold back on paying players, especially with Dart on a rookie contract. Also, with Harbaugh as coach how does that influence what player to take at the #5 pick in the draft.
Ed says: Matt, more aggressive? I don’t know about that. The Giants were fairly aggressive last offseason. I think what it impacts is which players they target. And, of course Harbaugh’s presence impacts who they will select at No. 5 in the draft.
Harbaugh is the coach. He is going to have a big say in the major personnel decisions. We don’t know what those lines of authority will be, but it is common sense that the roster and the decisions will change based on what the coaching staff wants and needs.
Seth Weissman asks: I’m not expecting the Super Bowl but I do expect Harbaugh to get the most out of the players and manage games far better than anyone has since Coughlin. Two questions: (1) What do you think is a reasonable expectation for next year as far as the team’s record for the season? (2) Do you think he will retain any of the coaches such as Carmen Bricillo or Andre Patterson?
Ed says: Seth, we saw the kind of turnarounds the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots had from 2024 to 2025 after getting the right head coach to go along with their quality young quarterback. I won’t predict it, but I think the same thing can happen for the Giants. A “reasonable expectation”? Be competitive, be relevant, be in the hunt for a Wild-Card berth. In 18 seasons in Baltimore, Harbaugh’s teams only won fewer than eight games once.
As for coaches, we will see. My understanding is the position coaches are still under contract. There are a few good ones, and it won’t shock me if Bricillo and a couple of others are kept.
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