I've been thinking about this roster, and some of both the rosy, and dim viewpoints, that are expressed around here. While by nature I am generally an optimist, and I like the way the Giants are evolving/building their roster, and I look forward to seeing them play this year, there is no question that there are still known holes on this roster, along with roster questions that have to be answered in the coming season.
The known holes are mostly on Defense:
At Defensive Tackle at least 1 more plus player
At CB at least 1 more plus player probably 2
At ER at least 1 more plus player
I think at Safety and LB we seem to be okay - at Safety with a rookie plus player and a reasonable second, and at LB with a plus player and a reasonable second - and you also have Simmons who floats both ways
The known questions are mostly on Offense
At QB we should see the questions answered this year - most believe they are already answered and that the Giants need a QB, but the FO has placed DJ back in the saddle and added more significant pieces around him, I think that Jones lives or dies this year. That if he dies the Giants will look to either bring a vet or a rookie in to replace him and
On Oline does Carmen Bricillo and two new vet guards make the difference -- or do we need a new RT. Will the Center take another step forward or do we need to purchase another body there
at RB now that the Barkley era is over will Singletary and Tracey take the ball and run with it
at TE now that Waller has retired - is the TE corp sufficient -- will the rookie Johnson be that end zone threat - was Belly and illusion or is he the real deal -- will the vet additions turn this into a solid group
at WR does adding Nabers turn the offense around on it's own and give Jone the weapon he never had -- Are Hyatt, Robinson and Nabers the three primo receivers we think they are when placed together on the field, and will they make Jones into a better QB
It would be improbable that all the offensive question marks get answered with a yes this season - more likely than not the Offense is at least two if not three plus players away
So my tally here is that the Giants are 3 or 4 defensive players and 2 or 3 Offensive players away that's 5 - 7 players.
My guess is QB and RT, DT 2, ER 3, CB 2, CB 3
at QB - I'll be rooting for Jones to succeed -- that Malik Nabors does for him what Diggs did for Buffalo; but I can;t help but think that what we already know about him probably out weighs this. I still can't get it out of my mind how he could not really separate himself performance wise from the 2 and 3 QBs last year.
at RT - I think Evan Neal has had a string of injuries and blows to his confidence along with a lot of mis-steps. He is a real talent in my opinion but he's starting to look a lot like Evan Engram - uber-talent unable to withstand the uber-eyes of impatient New Yorkers
I do think JMS will grow into a decent center, and the rest of the Oline will be improved this year under Carmen Bricillo
At DT - We have Sexy Dexy -- but there are no other alphas at DT behind him on the roster. In the NFCE -- you need two alpha DTs to succeed
At ER - the Giants bread and butter has always been made here - you need a trio of plus ERs to make hay the Giants way
At CB let's face it - we have 1 alpha -- the rest do not distinguish themselves - you need Three Dogs to keep up with the pass crazy NFL
Now, I would prefer not to depend on Rookies.
We have a ton of ? That need postive answers
New Coordinators add more questions.
Resolve RT.
Improve and solve: 2nd Corner, 3 Technique DT and QB.
QB
OL
DL
2. Will DJ be there both physically and mentally ?
3. How fast can the defense adjust to the new DC and his approach?
4. Will Dabs run a training camp that has the team ready to go?
Good teams that compete every year maintain a core group of above average starters, and they surround them with average starters.
The Giants core group is still in its infancy, but is starting to look like:
Thomas
Schmitz
Runyan (presumably)
Neal (hopefully)
Jones (for now)
Singletary
Nabers
Hyatt
W. Robinson
Slayton (maybe)
Thibodeaux
Burns
Lawrence
Okereke
Banks
Nubin (presumably)
That's a decent start, but it's not done. Ideally, your core group includes a QB with less question marks than Jones has, an OL that can protect the QB, a pass rush that can hassle opposing QBs, and a couple of WRs that defenses have to respect if not fear.
Upgrading from Jones alone won't do it. To compete year in and year out, the Giants must eventually build this kind of core group regardless of who the QB is (which is why they took Nabers over a QB).
IMO, the Giants currently have an incomplete core group, and a supporting cast where nobody else on the current roster (yet) is a lock to be around long-term, or has earned the right to be called a reliable starter. It's hard to know which guys -- if any, will reach that level. Some of them may, but at this point it time, it's anyone's GUESS as to who might.
Until there's a consistent, above average core group, surrounded by average starter talent in MOST positions, the team is going to be inconsistent with the same, small margin for error you've seen the last two years. When things go right, they could squeak out a winning season. When they go wrong, they could be picking top 5/10 again.
Schoen and Daboll are still building the team. They need to get more ROI out of their draft picks than they have thus far. Guys who were drafted high to become core pieces need to become those pieces, but the Giants also need to get luckier (than they have been) with some of the mid/later round picks and have at least SOME of them turn into serviceable starters. If they all top-out as backups, the team won't progress.
DT
CB2
TE
This. It all comes together once you find the QB. As mentioned above, look at the Texans.
If Banks is our weak link to contending for a title, we'll be just fine... Seattle drafter a rookie DB a year ago that was all world in his rookie season. You just never know.
I think there is a chance the Giants could make the playoffs this year. I think it's a lot more likely they'll be drafting in the top 10 again next year. No one thought the 2022 Giants would make the playoffs.
Winning the NFC East? A lot of the young players would have to emerge as average to above starters at RT, TE, DT, 2/3 CB spots and Safety. Some of the young players would have to be pro bowl level starters at Center, WR and RB. Highly unlikely all of that that happens in 2024. I think there's going to be way too much reliance on a one dimensional QB and rookies at WR, RB, CB and Safety.
A Super Bowl contender? I think the Giants will be a Super Bowl contender as soon as they have a top 10 NFL QB. I think if a team has a top 10 NFL QB combined with a competent HC and OC they can get by with average to above starters almost everywhere else on the team.
Staying with this regime I think they will need an upper tier OG, RB and most likely RT to start on O. Potentially center. Obvious QB question you mention that will play out this season.
On D, I am not quite clear what the actual D will be but I think upper tier DT/5T and LB to start. Holding off on the secondary.
If things go bad and they change HC's that could lead to more changes with the changing vision.
If the Giants had a top 10 quarterback they'd be a threat for the conference championship.
The last time the Giants won a conference championship they had the league's worst run game, a porous offensive line, and the 25th ranked defense.
A quarterback who can throw for 4K+ and pass weapons are the key.
In the SB they had 10 more rushing carries than the Pats and a 15 minute TOP advantage. For the playoffs they were at 4.2 ypc. Regular season 3.5.
Big reason they won SB was because of the running game and D.
In the SB they had 10 more rushing carries than the Pats and a 15 minute TOP advantage. For the playoffs they were at 4.2 ypc. Regular season 3.5.
Big reason they won SB was because of the running game and D.
XoXo,
Jerry Reese
Who do we have to pay after this season?
Maybe Azeez, but the 2021 draft class is a colossal failure.
After '25 probably Wan'Dale and he's a 2/3 worth paying and won't break the bank.
and after '26, I hope we have to pay KT and hopefully Neal. And headed into '27 because our roster is so young, our core will still consist of Burns, Nabers, Thomas, Lawrence, KT, Banks, Okereke, Wan'dale and hopefully Hyatt and Nubin, all of whom will be under 29.
We'll probably get a rookie QB contract. So I can't help but think we're set up financially very well even if we're tight against the cap right now, and we have some real star players if they remain healthy.
I think the biggest thing is we need to start winning games and building a winning culture. But the ascent could really come fast if things play out right.
Now, I would prefer not to depend on Rookies.
We have a ton of ? That need postive answers
New Coordinators add more questions.
Resolve RT.
Improve and solve: 2nd Corner, 3 Technique DT and QB.
Hole...none?
For starters, I'd say 4 of the 5 offensive linemen is collectively a huge hole. They aren't proven as a unit. There is some speculation that the OL may hold it's own against poor to average defenses. And, the speculation is that they will be overwhelmed by very good defenses.
It's a huge hole until it's filled.
On the defensive side, can they stop the run? They haven't done it for years, and it supposedly isn't the new ER's strength.
It's another huge hole until it's filled.
There's no current proof that those two holes have been filled. Only the season can provide that answer.
There's little use evaluating beyond the trenches at this time.
He also brought in Jordon Phillips.....someone both the coach and GM knows from Buffalo.
And added a stud on both sides of the ball....
this team is much better than 22 team
And my primary point.....I do not need to out run bear... just you( Washington, Cowboys and Eagles).
Washington need name tags
Dallas did nothing and lost and weaken their strength The OL.
The Eagles was a disaster last year....Why?
The Giants certainly can be better...but they should be competitive
How many guys on Dallas would you classify as elite or at least well above average starters
I’d go
1. QB Prescott
2. WR Lamb (elite)
3. TE Ferguson
4. T/G Smith
5. RG Martin (elite)
6. DE Lawrence
7. DL Odighizuwa
8. DE Parsons (elite)
9. CB Diggs
10. CB Bland
11. S Hooker
12. WR Cooks (maybe?)
13. RT Steele (maybe? He stunk last year)
14. LB Kendrick’s (probably more of an average starter at this point)
And Philly..
1. QB Hurts
2. RB Barkley (elite)
3. WR Brown (elite)
4. WR Smith
5. TE Geodert
6. LT Mailata
7. G Dickerson (elite)
8. RT Johnson (elite)
9. DE Huff
10. DE Sweat
11. DL Carter
12. CB Slay
13. S Blakenship
14. CB Mitchell (rookie CB, this might be a stretch)
15. CB Dejean ^
16. DL Davis (he hasn’t been good so far but high draft pick)
17. Edge Smith ^
Lastly, the Giants
1. WR Nabers (assuming he’s as good as advertised)
2. LT Thomas (elite)
3. Edge Burns
4. DL Lawrence (elite)
5. Edge Thibodeaux
6. LB Okereke
7. CB Banks (projecting a bit here)
8. S Pinnock
Off this activity alone, they are a handful of players short…as for who those players could be on this current roster, I’d go Nubin, JMS, Wan’Dale, Hyatt, Theo Johnson, and Micah McFadden. Wish I could say Neal but he’s shown nothing to warrant that.
The NFL Championship - that's all.
How many players ? - FOUR elite players (in addition to the the players we have now) ...
1. Quarterback
2. Running back
3. Offensive tackle
4. Defensive tackle
I still think we are a couple years away unfortunately.