Big Blue Huddle

Could it be?

Yesterday two starting guards for other teams went down--done for the season

Looks like we signed Van Roten in the nick of time

We can hope cant we??

Dumpster Dan

Dan,

I have been of the opinion for a while now that this has been a good offseason for the Giants. Clearly much of that statement's accuracy will be down to how our 2024 draft picks pan out, which many regard as a three year evaluation process, but from where I am sitting I feel like we had a good offseason with the resources and draft capital that we had.

That doesn't mean the team is going to have some big season though, and my base case is that it won't. I think our QB room is among the league's worst, we don't appear to have much of a running game (in fact the RB room looks highly suspect), we have no NFL-proven offensive weapons on this team right now, and the O line is still at best a question mark until it's not.

Defensively I do have some optimism, but there are holes on this D, plus we have a brand new DC that I know little about.

I also have little to zero confidence in the organization's ability to keep its players at even a slightly below league-average rate. We appear to have a big competitive disadvantage on this front, as evidenced by many years of convincing data, and management doesn't seem that bothered by it.

It is one thing to have a rookie start for a Super Bowl winning team, but for a sub 0.500 team as bad as the Giants, they should have 3 starters at least from the rookie/UDFA pool be starters otherwise they did a poor job.

There is also an intangible, which makes no sense whatsoever, but absolutely does in the big picture in that the NFL microscope is on the Giants this year because they are celebrating their Centennial season.

It means there are extra preparations all around for the celebrations, the completion of the Hard Knocks program and the detail they had to go through to ensure data privacy through that grind. They know this is a must improve season across the table and there are many players who are committed to turning the tables on their own misfortunes, as well as the team.

As a result, you would expect an increased sense of purpose which (knock on wood) might slowly be translating to some of the observations made thus far in this very early phase of the Giants' 2024 season.

But make no mistake, it will all mean nothing until the bullets fly for real and they demonstrate during the season that:

1. They fixed the damned O-line
2. They closed the gap between them and their division rivals, and
3. They improve their Lost Man-Games Due To Injury Metric

They check these three boxes, they're going to have a memorable 100th Anniversary season, regardless of record, because they should be much more exciting to watch and it will be a fun experience to be a Giant fan again.

Peace!

Quote from: Dumpster Dan on August 01, 2024, 06:59:49 AMCould it be?

Yesterday two starting guards for other teams went down--done for the season

Looks like we signed Van Roten in the nick of time

We can hope cant we??

Dumpster Dan

Dan: Good one. Few would have caught that connection (between the injuries and our signing). Bob

Great point Dan!

Quote from: kartanoman on August 01, 2024, 09:36:35 AMThere is also an intangible, which makes no sense whatsoever, but absolutely does in the big picture in that the NFL microscope is on the Giants this year because they are celebrating their Centennial season.

It means there are extra preparations all around for the celebrations, the completion of the Hard Knocks program and the detail they had to go through to ensure data privacy through that grind. They know this is a must improve season across the table and there are many players who are committed to turning the tables on their own misfortunes, as well as the team.

As a result, you would expect an increased sense of purpose which (knock on wood) might slowly be translating to some of the observations made thus far in this very early phase of the Giants' 2024 season.

But make no mistake, it will all mean nothing until the bullets fly for real and they demonstrate during the season that:

1. They fixed the damned O-line
2. They closed the gap between them and their division rivals, and
3. They improve their Lost Man-Games Due To Injury Metric

They check these three boxes, they're going to have a memorable 100th Anniversary season, regardless of record, because they should be much more exciting to watch and it will be a fun experience to be a Giant fan again.

Peace!

I think you can kick-in a few more variables as well:

4. Those well-paid players play like their Average salary counterparts - Burns and Jones are focal points on each side of the ball here. We know what we have in an established commodity like Dex.
5. The young guns like Thibs and Banks kick on again.

Who went down?

Quote from: uconnjack8 on August 01, 2024, 11:23:52 AMWho went down?

Two guards who are NOT Giants. The point is we got our "extra" guard a day before a likely "run on free-agent veteran guards" is apt to occur. Bob

Quote from: Bob In PA on August 01, 2024, 11:34:54 AMTwo guards who are NOT Giants. The point is we got our "extra" guard a day before a likely "run on free-agent veteran guards" is apt to occur. Bob

Was wondering if it was teams in the division

Quote from: uconnjack8 on August 01, 2024, 11:44:20 AMWas wondering if it was teams in the division

uconn: In conjunction with the title of this thread... no way the Giants' luck will EVER be that good!!!

I'm desperate enough to be content with our luck merely not being bad. 

Any good that comes along is just gravy, IMO.

Bob

Quote from: EDjohnst1981 on August 01, 2024, 10:38:53 AMI think you can kick-in a few more variables as well:

4. Those well-paid players play like their Average salary counterparts - Burns and Jones are focal points on each side of the ball here. We know what we have in an established commodity like Dex.
5. The young guns like Thibs and Banks kick on again.

By all means, append these to the list! If the big-name players aren't playing to their potential, it's a negative. I think I may have inferred that point in #2: Close the gap with their division rivals; however, I'm more than fine calling it out.

Thank you!