Giants Given Final Editing Say Over "Hard Knocks" Appearance

So what might we see during the five-part series?

New York Giants / courtesy of Giatns.com

The New York Giants will officially debut on HBO’s Hard Knocks series next month when the five-part off-season edition drops on the streaming giant.

But for those who are hoping for the series to spill the details on some of the juicier behind-the-scenes tidbits, such as the breakup with any former assistant coaches or a look at any formations the team might have been working on during their OTAs and minicamp, you might not want to hold your breath.

Although the Giants provided the Hard Knocks/NFL Films crews unprecedented access, general manager Joe Schoen revealed during the team’s Night with Legends event on Thursday that NFL Films granted the Giants final say on editing to protect them from giving away any competitive advantages to opponents who might be tuning in for clues into what the coaches have planned.   

This, of course, means that while anyone with access to HBO will be able to get a glimpse inside the team’s East Rutherford, New Jersey facility, what they’ll see sounds like it might be the backstory to some of the already known storylines that have since come out.

The Giants did provide attendees at their Night with Legends event a two-minute preview clip in which defensive coordinator Shane Bowen shared his thoughts about a role for inside linebacker Isaiah Simmons.

In the clip, which appears to have occurred before the Giants acquired edge rusher Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers, Bowen also spoke about some other ideas he had that one might safely assume will change due to Burns's arrival.

Head coach Brian Daboll has typically been evasive when asked about personnel deployment plans not to tip off the opponents and give them a head start in their preparation. In their release videos and photos on their social media channels, the Giants are also extremely careful to crop out anything that could provide an opponent with a competitive advantage.

And the Giants, who take the high road as an organization, are unlikely to allow any behind-the-scenes fireworks, such as heated disagreements, displayed to avoid making anyone look bad.

Despite all this, the series stands to provide viewers with some insight into the team’s biggest off-season storylines.

The Giants and HBO haven’t announced what each installment of the series will focus on, but a few possibilities could include some details into the Saquon Barkley/Xavier McKinney free agency discussions, the talks with the Carolina Panthers to acquire Brian Burns, footage from the team’s attendance at the combine and/or pro days, draft war room discussions, insight into quarterback Daniel Jones’s rehab process, and coaching instruction done during the spring off-season program.

Giants Senior Vice President of Marketing and Brand Strategy Nilay Shah told the Locked On Giants podcast that the team’s agreeing to be on the Hard Knocks franchise aligned with its plans to celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Shah outlined four objectives the team’s planning committee came up with, one of which was to tell the team’s story on a national level, which Hard Knocks could potentially do if it were to also include a look at the players/coaches in the community.

The series debuts on July 2.   

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