Giants Country

New York Giants Mailbag: Memorial Day Weekend Edition

Let's check in with the readers to see what's on their minds!

Patricia Traina

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If you'd like to submit a question for the mailbag, pleaseuse this linkto avoid having your question land in spam. You may also post your questions on X (formerly known as Twitter) to @Patricia_Traina, hashtag #askPTrain. Please note that letters may be edited for clarity/length.

(This email was edited due to length.)

You have been saying that if the Giants medical staff clears Daniel Jones, you’re all for him and that his injury history was your only concern. But don’t forget that you also stated many times that Daniel Jones had regressed and thought he needed to find another team because he could not play well behind a bad offensive line. Would love to hear your thoughts on this—Matt P.

Matt, Daniel Jones is the quarterback, regardless of who likes it and what concerns we may or may not have. Yes, I have said that he regressed last year, and I stand by that, just as I stand by the concerns I have outlined in past posts/podcasts that I have seen in his game from year to year.

I know about the circumstances that he dealt with last year. I also remain concerned about his injury history and hope for the best for him. Contrary to the belief of some, I don’t have anything against Daniel. If he does well, this team wins, and if they win, my job is easier on a weekly basis.

I said what I said. It's MY OPINION. The Giants, who tried to trade up for a quarterback, must have thought they could upgrade the position as well; otherwise, why go through that exercise? In the end, they decided to stand pat and build around the position. We can either support it, hope for the best, or root for another team.

The Giants were the only team in the league that didn’t draft a single player at OL or DL. Although they have added OL vets, we still don’t know who the starting five will be.

On the defensive front, the G-men haven’t been able to stop the run. How do you see these the trenches playing out on both sides of the ball this year? – Jay B.

Jay, we won’t know what the trenches look like until the pads go on, so to sit here and say things will be okay would be a bit of a reach at this juncture. I mean, I’ve been burned before saying that moves that look good on paper show promise for what we see on the field, so moving forward, I want to see what it looks like rather than lean on PFF ratings and stats.

I did raise a question on my May 22 podcast as to whether the Giants defensive linemen outside of Dexter Lawrence were put into the right positions to succeed—if you get a chance, have a listen. …

None of the projected top 4 receivers appear to be special teams contributors (Nabers is too valuable, and Hyatt/Robinson/Slayton haven’t been used there).

Do you think that guarantees the remaining receivers kept on the roster will be big ST guys? Does that leave Hodgins without a realistic chance at a roster spot (barring injury)? – Matt G.

Matt, I do think that will be the case. Gunner Olszewski is a receiver, but he will make the team as the primary punt returner, so there’s one right there for you. It's too soon to say about the others, though—I need to see them in camp to start coming up with a more educated option.

You have said several times the primary Giants' online problem hasn’t been talent but rather coaching (I’m not disagreeing; you're close to the team, and I’m not). If we upgrade in coaching, which of the four young linemen (Neal, Schmitz, Ezeudu, and McKethan) do you most expect to improve? – Howard L.

Howard, I expect ALL of them to improve. The Giants need all those young players to take a few steps forward in their development--there can be no picking and choosing here.

We saw what happened last year, with injuries wiping out the unit and the lack of developed players being a problem, right? I don't know about you, but I don't want to see that again.

The team has always been very conservative and plays that way, mainly offensively. Why have we never had those “high octane years”? It seems the same year in and year out. I hate the team from Dallas, but I guess I’m a little jealous. What can we do to change this pattern? I know we’ve won 4 Super Bowls, but I want the gaudiness. –Raymond D.

Raymond, my late mentor, Dr. Howard Livingston, who was the founder of Inside Football, used to have an expression: “A win is a win.” 

I realize this is a matter of taste, but at the end of the day, does it matter how the Giants win so long as they win, especially considering how infrequently this team has won over the last few decades? 

Since Waller is under contract, I believe he'd technically be subject to a fine. Whether the Giants will fine him if he doesn’t show up remains to be seen. But yes, all players who are under contract and skip out on mandatory stuff can be fined.

Ed, for me, is all about quality over quantity. We can look at the roster and say they have a lot of cornerbacks, but just how good are they? That is what we need training camp for.

Based on what is known, I'd feel better with another veteran cornerback on the team, just in case.

What's up, Charlie? I guess the coaches view Cor'Dale Flott as being closer to being ready for a starting role. Sometimes, a guy can look promising in training camp but then look lost when thrown into the pool's deep end. This looks to be one of those cases.

Kris, off-season practices are NON-CONTACT. Neal is recovering from ankle surgery, so he did not participate in team drills in the OTA open to the media this past week. As is always the case with offensive and defensive linemen, you need to see them with the pads to gauge what you have in them.

I'll also point you to something Brian Daboll said at OTA#3 when asked about Neal. The question asked was, Do you see Evan Neal exclusively taking right tackle reps when he's out there, or do you see him moving around?  Daboll's response, which he delivered with a grin, was, "Yeah, we'll start him at right tackle." So I took that to mean that Neal will start the summer at right tackle, but there could be some moving around to other spots in his future.

I'm so excited that Patterson is working with the edge rushers. What do you think of the potential of Burns, Thibs, and Ojulari now? Also, could you see Slayton getting traded at some point before the season starts? --Andrew G.

Andrew, even before Patterson's revelation, I had high hopes for Burns and Thibodeaux. I like Ojulari, but the dude needs to stay out of the trainer's room. If he can do that, he can be a good piece of that pass-rushing machine.

As for Slayton being traded, I don't think it will happen before the season starts—we've got to see how everyone comes through training camp. Could he be moved before the trade deadline? Sure, but right now, I'd say that's a long shot.

The Giants season seems to point to Evan Neal and his success or failure at right tackle. I have not seen any interviews or coverage of him. Is he in witness protection? What was his off-season like? What does he expect from himself this year? Seems like a mystery. --Chris G.

Chris, there is no mystery here. As I think I mentioned in my OTA #3 report, Neal didn't participate in the team drills as he's still rehabbing his ankle.

As for interviews, the Giants let the media in for OTA No. 3, but they selected the players for the podium and didn't take requests, so that's why there is some radio silence there.

That said, we meet the offensive assistant coaches next week, including offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. You can be sure there will be questions about Neal during that media session.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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