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New York Giants Mailbag: "Revisiting Decisions" Edition

Let's check in with the fans to see what's on their minds this week.

Patricia Traina

New York Giants Mailbag
New York Giants Mailbag / Patricia Traina | New York Giants on SI
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If you'd like to submit a question for the mailbag, please use the link below or post your questions on X (formerly known as Twitter) to @Patricia_Traina, hashtag #askPTrain. Please note that letters may be edited for clarity/length.J

Do you guys think that Thibs was a good pick? – Gary C.

What’s up, Gary? I asked Jonathan Casillas that very same question during his appearance on my podcast, and I have to say I agree with everything he said, starting with the point made that this is a different scheme for all of the returning defenders. It takes some guys longer to adapt than others.

Thibodeaux also had some injuries early on that undoubtedly affected him. But that all said, Casillas said – and I agree – that Tibodeaux’s numbers have dwindled and he’s not producing as he was last year, and he’s had far too many “quiet games” this season. 

Again, how much of that is injury-related is hard to say, but we can say that Thibodeaux, like everyone else on the roster, needs to be playing better.  


Why do the Giants keep such small offensive linemen? And what’s the reason for so many injuries?  – Andrew B.

Andrew, I can only think of the Giants leaning toward smaller O-linemen because they prefer smaller, more athletic guys who can pull and get to the second level. 

I don’t know if you are old enough to remember, but George Young often spoke about the “Planet Theory” and how there were only so many large “dancing elephants,” as he called them, on the planet.  

I also think that over the years, you’ve seen how college offensive linemen are developed. With few exceptions, no one steps into the game as Jonathan Ogden or Walter Jones did years ago and becomes an instant finished product. 

As for injuries, it’s a violent game that puts a lot of stress on the body. If you look around the league, you’ll see plenty of other teams with injuries–look at the Lions and how hard they’re getting hit. 

Of the top 3 quarterbacks in this year's draft would any of them have been drafted ahead of the six taken in 1st round last year?  If not, why take one with a top-5 pick this year?   – Don P.

Don, that’s an interesting question, and I think people are split. I’ve only asked a couple of people about that so far, and they agreed that at least two of the top three quarterbacks in this class (Milroe and Ward) would have been behind last year’s group and that Sanders probably would have been behind Williams and  Daniels at the very least.

That’s something I’ll continue to look into, though, once we transition fully out of this miserable season.

Should we trust this regime to make the right call on this franchise-altering pick after they blew 5 and 7 in Year 1? – John R.

John, while I agree that Evan Neal hasn’t lived up to his billing, and the jury is still out on Kayvon Thibodeaux (though see what I wrote about him in response to another question posted earlier) and Deonte Banks, I think we can all agree things look very bright regarding the Malik Nabers pick and the entire 2024 draft class for that matter. 

James, can we agree this team needs a quarterback and doesn’t need to start getting cute, regardless of what draft spot they occupy? 

The Giants are usually in the lead or near it for most-time-missed due to injuries.  Would it be productive to have a medical study by type ( knee, shoulder, neck, etc.) on how each injury occurred? It may yield data that would show areas that can be addressed. – Bill K.

Bill, I tried something like that years ago. The problem is that with some injuries, I didn’t always know if they occurred during the game or practice. But I’m sure the Giants keep that data. 

Tim, that's a tough one because I think what they have to do is look at how much the injuries affected performance versus how much of it was coaching that failed to develop players. 

I think, assuming Brian Daboll is retained, Mike Kafka moves on, regardless–I could be wrong, but I think his contract ends after this season. I suspect Shea Tierney will be promoted to offensive coordinator with a new quarterbacks coach coming in. 

I'm not 100% sure if they move on from Shane Bowen--my chat with Jonathan Casillas made me rethink that, though I could see a case being made for a change there. 

And I think it’s a matter of time before Brandon Brown moves on. Will it be this offseason? Who knows? But I think that young man has a bright future as an NFL general manager.

Hiya Adam. Did I miss the announcement that the Atlanta Falcons, who drafted Penix No. 8 overall and clearly had him as a first-round pick, change their name to "Nobody"?

Bill, to be honest, I haven't thought about it. I've been trying to get a jump start on draft prospects. And I haven't even thoroughly reviewed the roster at this point (that's in the works).  

Let’s revisit the topic when a change is made, assuming one is made. I promise I’ll be ready with an answer if that happens.

Given the rare rookie QB who is successful in Year 1, doesn’t it make sense to bring in a veteran for rookie QB to learn from? I’ve always admired how Green Bay does it just right. Does that make sense, and who would be a terrific vet get? --  @jnatz.bsky.social

Absolutely! I believe that was the plan last year if they had drafted a rookie, and I don’t think that has changed, regardless of who is in the GM/HC chairs. 

Look, even Eli Manning and Phil Simms both sat for a bit before being tossed into the deep end. So I’d be surprised if the Giants don’t sign a bridge quarterback while a drafted rookie is brought up to speed. 

As for who would make a good get, again, I haven’t gotten that far, but I’m thinking maybe it would be Justin Fields. I don’t think I would make a trade for Kirk Cousins.

Hi Kris. Yes, I believe that is part of what’s covered during their exit interviews on “baggy day.”

Should the Giants go for an offensive tackle early in the draft? Neal is not the answer at right tackle, and Thomas’ foot injury really concerns me. -- From Robert C (via Threads)


Robert, I can’t answer that right now as I couldn’t even tell you who all the top OTs are in this class. I don’t go headfirst into draft content until after the season ends. 

I understand your concern about Thomas’s foot injury, but I’ll remind you that Michael Strahan had the same issue years ago. He made a full recovery and is as dominant as ever.

But I will say this: The team needs a franchise quarterback. I don’t care where they find him, but they have to get someone who can run the offense the way it was meant to be run and show some anticipation in his throws.

If you had to guess, what do think the Giants will do in the upcoming draft? Draft Sanders or Ward with their top pick, or go best player available in Rd 1 and pick a different QB later that round or in Rd 2. - Greg B. (via Threads)

Greg, the Giants always claim they go with the “best player available,” and if the BPA fits a glaring need, even better. 

This team wants and needs a quarterback, and that will be their strategy. But we need to see the final draft order because if the Raiders are in front of them, maybe that will change the Giants' draft strategy, as they look to move down a few pegs. 

Lorenzo, you’re making assumptions about what will play out not just this offseason but the one other. I get that you’re frustrated. I think we all are frustrated by how things have gone.

And I don’t want to see them screw up another rookie quarterback as they did with Jones. That said, let’s see what happens at the end of these three weeks. Something’s gotta give, right? 

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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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