The national media is lumping NYG in with the Panthers as the bottom feeders of the league. As I've said, Schoen's actions do not line up with a franchise which is going to be a bottom feeder.
--We can all debate the Jones contract. At most, Schoen thinks he's a franchise QB. At the least, he thinks he's a bridge QB until the right QB comes along. Either way, Schoen is opting for the roster build strategy until the next QB is here.
--Schoen traded a top 40 pick for Brian Burns and immediately gave him a top tier level contract in his position group.
--Schoen invested heavily in the OL through FA.
--NYG spent a total of $221.8M in free agency (ranked 4th among all NFL teams).
--The Giants drafted Malik Nabers who should be a WR1 and was considered the best non QB in the draft by some.
--This regime has now had 3 drafts which should be the foundation of the roster outside of QB.
I cannot believe how many fans here are just casually predicting a 4 win season with a poor roster being the reasoning. That feels like a total cop out. A few weeks ago I made a thread stating I didn't believe Schoen was on the hot seat, but I had the assumption NYG would be competitive, let's say hovering around .500 and "in the hunt" in December.
However, if the Giants are as bad as people think despite the actions Schoen has taken this offseason, I'd be all for another total housecleaning. When Schoen says they are a few players away, that doesn't mean 4-13. That should mean a few players from competing for a NFC title. Not a few players from going .500.
The Giants brand has never been worse imo. They can only get out of it by winning consistently, but another season over by October and this franchise would be in desperate need for any kind of credibility.
TLDR: Schoen's actions in free agency, the draft and trading for Burns do not align with a team that is going to be as bad as many think. The Giants need to be at minimum, competitive and around .500.
I will agree on the last point. I would have taken Pratt instead of the LB in Round 6. Hope I am proven wrong, but I think special teams players you could find as UDFA. I personally was not fond of Milton because if the light has not gone on yet with all of the chances he had at major programs why would it suddenly change in the NFL? I thought Pratt's realistic upside was higher.
Glad we could agree on one point, at least. It would have been nice to get one of the later round guys. I don't really care which, I think they are all similar probability plays. Rattler, Pratt, Travis, Milton.
Nabers (or whatever non-QB) has a better likelihood of being a good player than JJM (or whatever QB). That is true. Nabers has a better chance of being great, good, useful...every level.
So for the pick itself, it makes some sense. From the broader team building perspective though, you are going to have to pick the QB at some point. You need to have a good QB. And unless you're picking #1 in the right draft, the position player is always going to have a higher likelihood of being good.
+1.
There's a reason why Goff and Cousins get more money than Amon-Ra even though Brown is "better."
I think the qb will hold his own if the team functions at a reasonable well level. Call me crazy.
And that’s the good part of the team. The offense is even more questionable but that’s why they play the games. We’ll see in a few months.
The Giants might be mediocre or middle of the road this year. But barring another slew of injuries, there is no reason to expect they will be at the bottom of the league. There is reason to hope that with a strong effort, they could have a winning season.
There are some good players on this team.
The cornerstones of the 2022 and 2023 teams were Gettleman acquisitions. Thibs, JMS, Neal, Robinson, Hyatt, Banks, Flott, Ezeudu, Nabers, Nubin, and Phillips were all top 100 picks. Several of those guys need to be above average or better starters to put together a sustained run of winning years.
The Giants might be mediocre or middle of the road this year. But barring another slew of injuries, there is no reason to expect they will be at the bottom of the league. There is reason to hope that with a strong effort, they could have a winning season.
There are some good players on this team.
I think so too. If JSS and banks progress from rookie year and Nabers is a true number 1…. They’re going to win some games.
No. On Offense.
The problems were the OL.
The WR crew.
The TE
The QB.
To only single out the OL is just wrong.
Sad thing is I’m not that optimistic. Even my best case scenario is nothing special. I guess I’m just looking for a shred of something hopeful … I’m not exactly booming with confidence, won’t lie.
All I really want is a quality NYG defense. Just give us that this season. One with staying power.
The next question is: why would someone give up a 1st or 2nd round pick for a guy who has yet to take an NFL snap when they weren't willing to give up a 1st or 2nd round pick for him in the 2023 draft? Not impossible, but not bloody likely.
However, this team got a lot better. The foundation is laid now to where if you can acquire that difference maker at the QB position, they can win quickly.
So much still relies on health, though, and the Giants really had a bad 2023 on that front. Given the injuries to really key players last year, I maintain that Daboll really overachieved with what he had week to week. You just don't see UDFA rookies at QB win hardly at all at the NFL level. This gives me a good vibe that if Schoen can acquire a real talent at QB going into 2025, they can become contenders quickly.
It does feel like the people in charge have real competency.
That said, I thought they should've drafted McCarthy, and if he becomes a franchise QB, failing drafting an equal or better talent in 2025, not taking him will be viewed as a major missed opportunity.
And I absolutely love Nabers, I believe he will be a superlative #1 receiver. Cee Dee Lamb level at least.