Big Blue Huddle

Mighty - I assume you've been around long enough to know.

When Jay Glazer talks about the Giants - believe him 100%.

I don't care what the Giants do or say after the fact - if Glazer said it, it's true.

And you know what? It sucks beyond belief. Wink Martindale is probably the best DC we've had since John Fox. He's a legimiately good coach that players love, and he knows how to call a game. And since he's got such a specific scheme, it would be really unfortunate to have to pivot away and start over with a new vision. In a crappy season, the fact Daboll can't get along with Wink Martindale now is probably the worst development of all. (Other than DJ & the OL regressing.)

Dallas.

I was looking forward to week 1 this year more than any in a long time. I legitimately thought we might be a dominant team.

To get smacked 40-0, DJ terrible, Waller & Andrew Thomas hurt, Neal a turn-style. Talk about everything going wrong. And it stayed that way.   

If they have a conviction on a QB, they should package the #4 overall, a 2nd round pick, and next year's #1 to move up to #1 overall and get their guy. Just like they did with Eli.

That's not what I meant at all.

I'm simply saying he had a solid performance at the best possible time: right before he hit UFA.

He has followed it up with the worst year of his career.

I'm surprised people are tripping over themselves trying to make sense of this.

We see this countless times every year: a pending UFA has a solid year and positions themselves for a big payday. Jones looked like he arrived vs. the Colts and Vikings last year in important games. He timed it up perfectly. The Giants had no choice but to pay him as a mid-tier QB - and they did. He DID NOT get upper tier franchise QB money.

Now, they've David Carr'd him and it's not going to work out.

It's time to let it go, and stop all the posturing about whose decision it was and whether it was too much money. What's important now is making the right decision on who the next QB is going to be.

The Giants as an organization need to examine their approach and what their blueprint and plans really look like.  Answer some basic questions like "what identity do we want" (currently don't have one) and what strategically are we doing with the roster to build a winning culture?

The latter question is what makes me feel we're light years away. The Giants have had one of the youngest rosters in the league, focused on drafting 21 year olds, purged the roster of almost anyone 29+. And they've played like it. Not 1 player in the lockerroom setting a winning standard and holding the young players accountable to it. To me, this is one of the reasons they've acquired so many highly rated college players only to watch them flop. They get here, they have a little bit of initial success sometimes, then they regress. Who is showing them how to do it right? Nobody on this team. Nobody's won.

Meanwhile PHI and DAL are able to integrate and develop young players because they have players on their roster showing them the way. How about having Kelce and Lane Johnson on the OL? Graham and Cox on the DL? Slay & Bradberry at CB? They've got veterans who have won games and/or played at an All Pro level, leading the way. At every position group. It becomes a cottage factory. The Giants had this under Coughlin and almost all their acquisitions hit.

To me, you head into this offseason almost like it's an expansion team, looking to set a core infrastructure to develop and promote winning. Go back to the basic roster building strategy of 1 veteran leader at each position group. Even if they're over 30. Guys that have won in the NFL and like to lead. No - they aren't a part of your future. But you won't have a future if you don't bring in some of these guys to set the tone.

**EDIT: apologies for the long post, it's been a long year....

Look at the 10 captains of the Giants this year: Tell me which one of these guys has a winning NFL background and the personality to hold his teammates accountable:

1. Daniel Jones (good lead by example guy, not much winning in the NFL, QB of historically bad offense much of his career)
2. Saquon Barkley (good vocal leader, the poster boy for this losing Giants team, seems to panic in the clutch)
3. Darren Waller (good vocal leader, has never won much in the NFL)
4. Andrew Thomas (young, quiet guy, good player that has played on a historically bad NFL offense his whole career)
5. Dexter Lawrence (kind of a gentle Giant, soft-spoken. Hall of Fame talent but not the guy you want as a mouthpiece)
6. Leonard Williams (gone)
7. Bobby Okereke (step in the right direction here)
8. Adoree Jackson (give me a break)
9. Xavier McKinney (give me a break)
10. Graham Gano (a kicker isn't going to set the tone I'm talking about)

So these 10 captains are leading us.....where, exactly?

It's completely unacceptable.

I doubt Daboll gets fired, but I see the Hufnagel/Gilbride mandate coming down on Kafka. Hopefully for his sake, Northwestern's still interested. I've never seen a guy get credit for doing so much without ever having done anything. He's still a greenhorn who may or may not know what he's doing. Think NW's nuts for handing him the keys to their castle.

I keep hearing this QB class is an all-timer and I desperately want it to be, but I'm just not seeing it.

You've got guys saying Caleb Williams is the best prospect since Luck. Based on what? He's a better prospect than Trevor Lawrence and Herbert, for example? Burrow? He wants ownership stake or he'll collect NIL money? Talk about an over-inflated d-bag. He'd play 5 games here and get sacked 30 times and NY would eat this clown alive. Maye is intriguing, Penix is interesting but there are guys like this virtually every year.

The hype (or the extreme negative reactions like we saw with Jones) have no place with this fan.
 

Another position wiped out by injuries.

Barkley, Gray & Brightwell all injured in the same game. Classic Giants!

Either there is some sort of systemic dysfunction with the trainers or the team is cursed. We're way past the point of dumb luck. I realize Ronnie Barnes is a highly respected member of the training community, but when your team leads the league in injuries for like 20 years - at what point does that speak negatively of the trainer? Barnes has been the Head Trainer since 1981. He's responsible for the entire training program. Is he Teflon? If he's truly awesome at his job and these are the consistent results - it's a curse.

P.S. Speedy recovery on the procedure DD.

I think the Giants win.

However, I've got to raise an eyebrow at Andrew Thomas still not being back. This is now the 2nd target return date he's missed. As an OL, he should not be out this long with a hamstring.

Either the injury has been terribly mismanaged, or he's milking it. I don't want to think that of Andrew Thomas, but he's a very rich man in year 1 of a lucrative longterm contract. Perfect conditions for sitting it out and prolonging the backend of your career.

We now have no choice but to feel extremely weird about the DJ situation.

*First, the conflicting statements - Giants saying x-rays were negative, Jones saying they were "not negative".

*Then DJ talking through the Kay Adams show and the sideline reporter who somehow knew about the pain down his neck and shoulder.

*On Monday - beat reporter Chris Bisignano reported "Daniel Jones will be back Sunday". Who told him that, and why was he so comfortable reporting it, now that it turns out to be false?

*Now Daboll back-tracking on his earlier, more positive position.

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This has always been an ugly situation, with lots of $$$ on the line. It would be naive to think there aren't a lot of very serious conversations going on, including the football side of things. Yes - the OL sucks. But all we heard all summer was how much DJ improved, and there's been no evidence of that.

I'd say there's still plenty of games left for DJ to turn the tides, but my gut says he's played his last game. I smell Andrew Luck 2. 

Jones is playing Sunday.

And if he struggles, the Giants decision-makers are going to hear about it.

BTW - to answer the question:

I think if you want an amped up, legitimately dangerous WR group - Hyatt is your ideal #2.

Think about having a physical, do everything #1 WR commanding attention, and Hyatt on the other side. Robinson in the slot. Waller at TE. Slayton the #4 who gets plenty of burn because WRs always get injured.

That's a great group that is extremely difficult to defend!

He's not an impact player.

You don't need stats to tell you that.

Big disappointment - although I don't think it was wise to draft an ER in Wink's scheme either. He does not use them like most other schemes do. He schemes his pressure, and he needs his talent in the back 7.

He's such an elite deep threat, he doesn't even need to be a masterful route runner. You run 4 routes: the go, the 15 yard dig, the 15 yard curl and a crossing route.

A good comparison is Desean Jackson. Teams were so scared of his speed, he feasted on those 15 yard digs and curls.

Once Hyatt gets that down, he will have CBs in big trouble.