Leonard Williams Traded to Seahawks; Daniel Jones Cleared for Contact

 Posted by
Oct 302023
 
Tyrod Taylor, New York Giants (October 29, 2023)

Tyrod Taylor – © USA TODAY Sports

LEONARD WILLIAMS TRADED TO SEAHAWKS…
In advance of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, the New York Giants have traded defensive lineman Leonard Williams to the Seattle Seahawks. In return, the Giants will receive 2nd-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and a 5th-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. According to multiple media reports, the Giants will still be responsible for most of the remaining $10 million prorated portion of his 2023 salary. Williams was set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Williams was the sixth player taken overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. The Giants acquired Williams by trade from the New York Jets in late October 2019 in exchange for 3rd- and 5th-round draft picks. His best NFL season was with the Giants in 2020 when he finished with 57 tackles, 14 tackles for losses, 11.5 sacks, and 30 quarterback hits. Williams missed four regular-season games in 2022 due to knee (3 games) and neck/stinger (1 game) injuries. The neck issue nagged him for most of the second half of the season and also caused him to exit a few games early. Williams finished with his least productive season since joining the Giants in 2019, being credited with 45 tackles, five tackles for losses, 2.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hits, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. Through eight games this year, Williams had 21 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

DANIEL JONES CLEARED FOR CONTACT…
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has been cleared for contact by doctors. Jones has missed three consecutive games with a neck injury that he suffered in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins. Jones will practice fully on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, back-up quarterback Tyrod Taylor spent Sunday night, being evaluated for a rib injury that knocked him out of the game against the New York Jets. Hew was released this afternoon and ESPN is reporting that he is “week-to-week” in terms of when he will be able to play again.

OCTOBER 30, 2023 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday (VIDEO):

Q: Do you have any update on (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor) to get out of the hospital or anything like that?

A: He’s still there and he has ribs. He’s pretty sore today.

Q: Are the ribs broken? Or why are they keeping him there, I guess? Just to keep him stabilized.

A: Yeah, I’m not going to get into – he’s got ribs. I’m not going to get into what they are. He’s pretty sore right now so assuming he’ll be out here – I can’t tell you when, but he’s got sore ribs right now.

Q: It sounds like it’s just a matter of discomfort, he’s not in any danger or anything.

A: No, no, no. He’s okay in that regard, yeah.

Q: Can you take us through the timeline with (quarterback) Daniel (Jones) here? It sounds like he’s been cleared for contact.

A: He met with the doctor pregame, so he did his tests. The week before he did it on Friday, so he did his tests and they told me he’d be ready to go next week.

Q: So that means that Daniel will be on the practice field and should be good to go full on Wednesday. Is that correct?

A: Correct.

Q: Did you think about in overtime – obviously, most of the time in overtime the team that wins the toss wants the ball in overtime but given the strange nature of this game and the way you were leaning on defense and special teams and field position, was that a debate? Was that something you were thinking about?

A: Yeah, it was discussed. It was definitely discussed but decided to take it.

Q: What was the main reason to decide to take it there?

A: I mean, they’d driven down there in (regulation), had some stuff that we liked so decided to take it and try to go down there and score.

Q: Just a followup, so why the appointment on Sunday morning? Like why couldn’t it have been Saturday because conceivably he could’ve played yesterday.

A: That’s when it was so those guys told me after – actually, they told me after the game so that’s when it was.

Q: What do you mean? Like scheduling purposes? I think it’s —

A: No, no, no. That’s when it was. He was in the training room before the game and they told me about it after.

Q: Yesterday you said it was going to be a run heavy game plan regardless, so just curious why seven wide receivers and only two tight ends? Because obviously losing (tight end) Darren (Waller) impacted what you could do there.

A: Again, we had a back up plan and I’d say the weather, I mean, we were going to run the ball, too, the weather played – you never know what the weather’s going to be, we figured it’d be rainy, played an important part of it. But we had a back up tackle ready to go in that regard that we felt – was (guard Marcus) McKethan in the blocking aspect of it.

Q: Obviously, you ran the ball a ton there in the second half. Why not just more creativity? You didn’t do any two running back sets, you only had one wildcat snap, you didn’t get (wide receiver) Parris (Campbell) involved in end arounds. Whatever it may have been, it seemed like it was pretty vanilla.

A: I mean, got (wide receiver) Wan’Dale (Robinson) involved. The schemes, not sure if you looked at the schemes, the schemes were a variety of schemes that we had. Different types of traps, tackle traps, guard traps, toss cracks, speed sweeps, inside zones, zone reads, a wildcat play, I wouldn’t just say it was one run. I’d say it was, schematically, a variety of runs.

Q: With Tyrod, are you hopeful that he’s going to get released today? Or is he going to have to stay there a little while in the hospital?

A: I don’t know that yet. I’m hopeful it’ll be here soon but it’s sore ribs, so.

Q: With Daniel, I know you said that’s just when the appointment was but why was he not a possibility then to at least be the backup?

A: I told you when they told me he was going to be out. They told me he was out, so he was out, and they told me after the game that they looked at him he’d be ready to go.

Q: And you had an opportunity to go back, I’m sure you watched the game at this point, the whole way the end of the game unfolded, kicking the field goal, the offsides, the spotting of the ball, getting the ball to start overtime, is there anything that you look back on and you were unsure about now that you had more time? What did you think when you went back and watched that last five minutes of game action?

A: We had some chances there. We had some chances to – probably about a handful of plays that if we make one of them, probably get a different result. You look at a lot, obviously, but going for the field goal, I’m secure with what we did there.

Q: What about the (running back) Saquon (Barkley) play? The first down. It was almost like – did he think that you didn’t want to score? Did he think they were letting him score? Did you talk to him about that?

A: Yeah, I did. No, he made a cut and he kind of bounced it back, then he was so conscious of the ball, he was squeezing on the ball, he slipped a little bit.

Q: So, you didn’t tell Saquon to get down in that situation?

A: No.

Q: On Daniel, why was he listed questionable last week for Washington but ruled out for the Jets game?

A: He got looked at on Friday, so I was waiting until – it was Friday at 3:30, I believe, his appointment to see where he was at. That was the – whatever it was two Friday’s ago and then he didn’t have one this week. So, like I said, when they told me he was out, that’s when I told you guys he was out.

Q: As far as his actual injury and being cleared, apparently, it’s a disk issue and he had a disk issue two years ago. What does the training staff tell you about why he’s safe enough to handle contact? Because that’s obviously a very serious thing and a serious part of the body.

A: I’d say that he met with the spine surgeon, the doctor, and the doctor cleared him. I sat down with them, that’s what they’ve told me, so he’s cleared from that doctor.

Q: Why on Friday did you kind of go out of your way to almost lead us to believe that Daniel would be awhile or perhaps even if we wanted to extrapolate, which we shouldn’t I guess, but maybe that he even had a setback?

A: All I said was he’s getting better, and we’ll see what happens next week. I think I said it a few times. Which he’s getting better, and we’ll see where we’re at next week. That’s what they told me.

Q: You’re getting a lot of questions about Daniel and perhaps being active on Sunday. Can you just clarify the rule on that? Once you list him out on Friday, can you change that on Sunday morning?

A: No, he’s out.

Q: So, there was no possibility even if you would have known Sunday morning?

A: Again, I go by the doctors. When they tell me he’s out, he’s out.

Q: Considering Tyrod’s situation, do you guys need to work out quarterbacks and look at adding a quarterback this week?

A: Yeah, (Senior Vice President/General Manager) Joe (Schoen) and I will – I’ll go back upstairs, and I’ll have a meeting here with Joe shortly.

Q: Anything on (kicker) Graham (Gano)? You said yesterday he’s fine but is there any concern about his health at all?

A: No, he’ll be okay.

Q: A lot has been made about the gameplan in the second half and running the football and going through Saquon. How much of that was the gameplan and how much of it was (quarterback Tommy) DeVito being in there? There’s this feeling that you guys didn’t trust DeVito to throw the football and if that was the case then why would he be your backup quarterback on gameday?

A: I think there’s always adjustments but the way our defense was playing, we were going to make sure we took care of the ball, end every drive with a kick, have good ball security and again, a few plays here and there, we make one of them, we probably get a different result. That was the plan going in after halftime.

Q: Was it a statement about DeVito?

A: I think there’s a lot of things that played into it. The weather, it’s a heck of a defense, making sure we’re doing what we need to do in terms of staying on track and if we have to punt, we have to punt. The way our defense was playing against their offense, felt good about that. Try to play a field position game and that’s what we were going to try to do.

Q: Just curious, do you guys need to bring in a quarterback given Tyrod’s situation this week?

A: Yeah, somebody asked that.

Q: Sorry. Got cut off for a second.

A: No, that’s okay. I’m going to go back up there and meet with Joe here, so we’ll talk about that. It’s definitely a possibility.

Q: There’s obviously a lot of questions about the timing of these appointments or these checkups. Are you at all frustrated by them or confused about the timing of them? If he’d been cleared sooner, there could’ve been some adjustments made.

A: I’d say whenever they tell me he’s ready, that’s when he’s ready. So, when they tell me he’s not ready, he’s not ready. When they did, he’s ready, so whenever they give me the information.

Q: Just the big picture. What does it mean to a team to get its quarterback back?

A: Yeah, it’s good. Again, whether it’s the quarterback, the left tackle, the right tackle, the running back – I mean, any time you can get good players, it certainly helps.

Q: The left tackle and right tackle are probably making progress too towards Sunday?

A: Making progress, but we’ll see where we’re at Wednesday here.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Tuesday and there is no media availability to the team. The players return to practice on Wednesday.

Brian Daboll’s Monday Press Conference

 Posted by
Oct 232023
 
Darren Waller, New York Giants (October 22, 2023)

Darren Waller – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS SIGN RETURNER TO PRACTICE SQUAD…
The New York Giants have signed WR Gunner Olszewski to the Practice Squad. The 26-year old, 6’0”, 190-pound Olszewski was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2019 NFL Draft. After three seasons with the Patriots, Olszewski signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in March 2022. The Steelers waived him on Saturday.

Olszewski was named first-team All-Pro as a punt returner in 2020. He has played in 55 regular-season games with four starts, catching 15 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown. He also has carried the ball 14 times for 71 yards. Olszewski has returned 41 kickoffs for 904 yards (22 yards per return) and 75 punts for 897 yards (12 yards per return) and one touchdown. Olszewski has eight career fumbles on returns.

OCTOBER 23, 2023 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday (VIDEO):

Q: Can you talk a little bit about (guard) Mark Glowinski and how he has responded after the first game having a rough time and just coming back and settling things down and settling his performance down?

A: I think he’s had two good weeks of practice. I thought he played well yesterday. He’s done a good job of bouncing back and making the most of his opportunities, and I’m looking forward to him continuing to do that.

Q: Regarding (wide receiver) Jalin Hyatt, I was talking with him yesterday and he said to me that he still wants to become more of a complete receiver. What have you seen from him? What does he still need to do other than obviously get better in all aspects of the game to become a complete receiver?

A: He’s young. I’ve talked about this before. He’s improving, but with these young players, we’ve still got a ways to go in detail, assignment, execution, everything that every position gets evaluated on. Those are things we’ll continue to work on with him. It was good, again, to see him make a few plays, but certainly have ways to improve.

Q: I know things change fast in the NFL. It was only a couple of weeks ago that we were asking you about your defense missing tackles, and now we’re asking about a dominant defense. Why do you think that is that they played so well here the last couple games? Is that just the case of a bunch of new guys and needing time to gel together? Is it something you see different from your defense? Why has the defense looks like it has joined the ranks of the better ones in the NFL these last couple of weeks?

A: I think they’re improving. They’re improving their chemistry. They’ve done a good job with their fundamentals. I think (Defensive Coordinator) Wink (Martindale) has done a good job with them. Try to eliminate as many big plays as we can. I know they hit a couple to (Commanders wide receiver Terry) McLaurin yesterday, but they’re playing well.

I thought our front did a good job. That’s where it starts. (Defensive lineman) Dexter (Lawrence II), I’d say, had a very, very good game, along with (defensive lineman) Leo(nard Williams). Guys like (defensive lineman) A’Shawn (Robinson) and Nacho (defensive lineman Rakeem Nuñez-Roches) that moved in, they did a good job. That’s where it starts. But again, chemistry, playing together, I think all those things are in play with that. But again, one week has nothing to do with the next. We’re going to have to go out there and do a good job of getting ready to play this week.

Q: When it comes to punt returner, I feel like I’ve heard you say generally speaking about your team, you play the best guys. Has (running back) Eric Gray been the best guy as a punt returner for you guys for the first six weeks, seven weeks, or are there other factors involved with him like trying to justify the draft pick by getting a rookie a role when you know he’s not going to be able to get many carries in a (running back) Saquon (Barkley)-dominated backfield?

A: You’re always looking to put as good of guys back there as you can. He’s competed. He’s worked hard. So, that’s why he’s back there.

Q: Will he still be back there going forward, or do you consider that more open than you have?

A: I’d say we’re going to look at it here. We’re going to look at it.

Q: Do you plan on, or do you think you need to bring in somebody from the outside to fill that position, especially if he’s injured?

A: We’ll have workouts this week like we always do.

Q: Where are you at the quarterback position as you begin this week?

A: Relative to?

Q: Relative to (quarterback) Daniel’s (Jones) health.

A: I don’t have any update yet on DJ’s (quarterback Daniel Jones) health.

Q: Can you just give an overview of what this offense is like with Saquon versus without Saquon. Obviously, the running game has not been gangbusters, but he certainly made a difference in these last two games, and just what you feel you and (Offensive Coordinator) Mike (Kafka) can do with Saquon going out there as opposed to not having him out there.

A: I’ve said this before: you always hope all your best players are out there. So, he’s one of them. We’ll do what we need to do each week, but it’s better to have him out there than it’s not.

Q: You’ve dealt with quarterbacks for so long. Is that a position where the coach needs total clarity with his team, as far as who’s in, who’s out, who we’re going with? A lot of coaches feel quarterback is kind of a different animal than any other position on the field where he’s the leader, he makes everything go, he gets the most money, all that, that the coach has to be in complete clarity with his players as far as, ‘This is our guy, we’re going with him, here’s why.’

A: I guess I’m not following you with that.

Q: Do you look at quarterback as sort of a different position? You treat everyone the same, but quarterbacks have an elevated position on a lot of teams where it’s important to know who is the guy there?

A: As you go through the week, it’s important to know who your guy is going to be at really any position. You have strategy and backup plans if that’s not the case. Certainly, it’s an important position. Each week we go into it, it’s ideal when you know who your quarterback is versus who it’s not.

Q: Is it the most important position? You said it’s an important position. Is it the most?

A: Quarterback? It’s a pretty important position. Yeah, absolutely.

Q: What’s the best thing that you’ve seen from Jalin Hyatt? I understand he’s a rookie, he has a lot of room to improve, and I think he understands that as well from my conversations with him, but what’s the best part that he’s brought to this team?

A: He’s made some big plays when he’s had an opportunity to, in terms of downfield. We threw him a few more this game, came down with some, didn’t with others. Again, I can’t say it enough, he’s got a long way to go. Hard position to jump right into. He’s making strides, but still got a lot to learn and details to clean up.

Q: How did you think (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor) played yesterday?

A: I thought he played well, yeah. Had firm control, made good decisions, had a good game.

Q: How much more involved were you with the offense in the meetings and stuff last week? Why did you see that as necessary?

A: Yeah, I know there’s a report on it. I’d say I’m involved every week. I meet with offense, I meet with defense, special teams, go into all the meetings in all three phases. I meet with all the coaches. I have a variety of meetings every week, just obviously being the head coach. So certainly, I’m in the offense. I’ve been in the offense before. I’ll continue to be in the offensive room, but I’ll also be in the other rooms, too.

Q: The end of the game, I’m just curious, obviously it didn’t come to fruition because of the timeout thing with the injury, but what was your plan—

A: Safety.

Q: Were you going to take a safety?

A: Yeah. It was 49 seconds. We had seven seconds. It was 56 seconds. So, taking a couple slow knees, it would be similar to the Green Bay game that we had over there in London. That was the strategy going into it, and then there was the injury and no timeouts. They reset it to 40, it was 33 seconds, so we could just run out the clock.

Q: I’m not asking so much about where (where) Andrew (Thomas) is going to be this week, but where was he at the end of last week in terms of his progress in getting back?

A: He was better than the week before.

Q: Does that leave you encouraged that this might be at least a limited participation on the field?

A: I’d say it’s early in the week. Wednesday, I’ll probably have a better answer for you.

Q: You’ve been on both sides of this Jets-Giants rivalry. I know you’re micro focused on things, but is there something special about playing a team in your own city? Could you feel it on the Jets side, and do you feel this week at all?

A: My focus is to just get ready to get started on these guys. Got a tremendous amount of respect for (Jets Head) Coach (Robert) Saleh. Understand the history behind it. This is, again, a good team that’s playing well that just beat Philadelphia. They’re on their bye week. So, that’s really where my focus is, just getting onto the tape and kind of turning the page here from the last week.

Q: Have you looked at any tape yet?

A: Right after this.

Q: Based on even without looking at it, how good is that defense you’re about to face?

A: I’ve got to go watch the tape. I know we played them in the preseason. I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect, like I said, for Coach Saleh. He’s a heck of a football coach. They’re a dynamic defense, obviously. I think they’ve given up one touchdown – it’s early in my preparation right now – one touchdown in the second half. So, they take the ball away, they play fast, they’re a good defense.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Tuesday and there is no media availability to the team. The players return to practice on Wednesday.

Everyone Practices, But Five New York Giants Still Limited

 Posted by
Sep 282023
 
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (September 17, 2023)

Saquon Barkley – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Everyone on the 53-man roster practiced on Thursday.

RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), TE Daniel Bellinger (neck), LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), DL D.J. Davidson (elbow), and OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) were limited in practice. OL Ben Bredeson (concussion) fully practiced.

“So, everybody will practice today,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll. “Some in a limited role, but we’ll see where they go from individual, team, but they’re all practicing today.”

When specifically asked about Barkley, Daboll responded, “Going to put him out here, go through some individual stuff, let him run around and see how he does. But again, making progress. I think this is a good evaluation today in pads to see where he’s at.”

HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Brian Daboll’s press conference on Thursday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The team practices again on Friday afternoon (12:45-2:45PM). The coordinators and select players will also address the media.

Brian Daboll’s Tuesday Press Conference; Injury Update

 Posted by
Sep 192023
 
Ben Bredeson, New York Giants (September 17, 2023)

Ben Bredeson – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023 GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
With the Giants playing on Thursday night, the team will only be able to have a couple of walkthrough practices before the next game. The Giants did issue the following injury report as a projection on Tuesday:

RB Saquon Barkley (ankle) and OG Ben Bredeson (concussion) did not practice in Tuesday’s walkthrough.

LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee), ILB Micah McFadden (neck), and OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring) were limited in practice.

Head Coach Brian Daboll would not rule out Barkley from playing on Thursday against the 49ers. “I wouldn’t count on that, not just yet,” said Daboll. “I’m not saying that he’s out yet. He’s a quick healer. I’m not saying he’s in, he’s out. We are going to take it all the way up with him to Thursday, but he feels a lot better today. I just talked to him. So, we will see where we are at.

“(McFadden) should be ready to go…. I would say Azeez and (Thomas) are kind of in the Saquon deal. We’ll take that right up all the way to Thursday. And Ben, I don’t think Ben will pass protocol in this short amount of time. So, I’d say he’s leaning more towards out.”

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday (VIDEO):

Q: In a week like this, it’s all walkthroughs, right? I guess you’re outside for the walkthroughs, right?

A: No, we go inside. We go in the indoor at Arizona State.

Q: It’s not going to be 100 degrees in San Francsico so it’s no reason to do that I guess is the reasoning?

A: Yeah, it’s 100 degrees outside so we go inside for the walkthrough.

Q: What do you look to see in those things because they’re walkthroughs? You can’t do anything physical with these guys, obviously a day or two after the game. What is it all about preparing for a Thursday night game?

A: You start out with special teams walkthrough and go through all the phases of that. It’s really mental because it is such a short week. It’s hard on these guys, obviously, they’re taking care of their bodies. Then we go to offense and defense and spend I’d say quite a bit of time on going through our game plan and some of the looks that we’ll see, albeit a slowed down tempo pace but it’s really a mental week of practice to get ready for a Thursday night game. On top of that, they’re in the training room, they’re doing their prehab, they’re doing all the things that they need to do to prepare their bodies to play in a short time frame.

Q: Do you feel as a coaching staff that you can put everything into a Thursday night game that you can as a Sunday game? As far as “we’ve got to stick to this.” Do you think you can unload it all in that much time?

A: Well, you plan – you know when you’re playing and you plan accordingly throughout the offseason, towards the end of the offseason, through training camp and you put things in that you know you’re probably going to use in a short timeframe. Done that kind of everywhere I’ve been. The plays, it’s not like you’re adding 1000 new plays, you don’t do that to the players. You want them to play fast and make sure they know what to do. But certainly, there’s always a game plan element to it and the coaches, there hasn’t been a lot of sleep but that’s the way it goes on these types of games. Make sure you can put together something that those guys can go out there and execute, know what to do, play fast with and then for them to take care of their bodies and do what they need to do to get ready to play in a short time frame.

Q: I wanted to ask you about the run defense. It looked like last week in particular against the Cardinals that guys were not just winning at the point of attack. When you look at it, what are you seeing and assuming that my observation is correct, where does that rank in priority to fix it?

A: We’re going to try to improve really every area of our football team where we’re at but again, run defense is really team defense. It’s controlling the line of scrimmage, it’s making sure we have good run fits and run support. It takes all 11 guys. Just like really every play whether it’s run defense, the pass offense, the screen game, whatever it may be, it just comes down to executing your responsibility for the collective part of the unit.

Q: I know you’ve been playing a lot of two-man defensive line fronts. Would you consider changing that up a little bit? Especially going up against (49ers running back Christian) McCaffrey?

A: I’d say we play a lot of fronts. (Defensive Coordinator) Wink (Martindale) has pretty much every front you can have. Again, each week we sit down, we talk about the things we need to improve on and put together a plan we think will work for that game and then we’ve got to go out there and execute it.

Q: What makes (49ers Head Coach) Kyle Shanahan’s offense so challenging?

A: He’s done this for a long time. He has a ton of experience. He has, I’d say, a number of plays that he’s run throughout his past and he’s always evolving. That’s what I appreciate about Kyle. He’s a heck of a football coach. He creates, I’d say, a lot of issues, whether that’s run force issues, whether that’s making plays look exactly the same and setting things up. He’s a timely play caller. He’s an excellent coach.

Q: As far as (running back) Saquon (Barkley), I don’t know if you care to share anything on his timeline, but obviously he’s going to be out for at least some time.

A: I wouldn’t count on that, not just yet.

Q: Okay, safe to say he will be out on Thursday night?

A: I’m not saying that he’s out yet. He’s a quick healer. I’m not saying he’s in, he’s out. We are going to take it all the way up with him to Thursday, but he feels a lot better today. I just talked to him. So, we will see where we are at.

Q: If he wasn’t ready, how comfortable are you with (running back) Eric Gray particularly in pass protection? I know that’s always a big thing for rookie running backs.

A: I’d say the three guys that we have behind Saquon, they are all here for a reason. We are comfortable with all those guys. Whether that’s run or pass. Certainly things that we could all improve on, but they are all here for a reason and if he’s out there, we have confidence in him.

Q: Especially given the personnel that you have up front, does your lack of sacks surprise you and what can you guys do to try to get more pressure and get a few sacks moving forward?

A: Obviously, we want to create some negative plays, whether that’s negative run plays or pass plays. We got to do a good job of getting them to those pass situations, controlling first down so they can’t play the game on their terms.

Q: I was wondering if you would address the challenges that are Christian McCaffrey and also (49ers defensive lineman Nick) Bosa on the other side of the ball, obviously.

A: Yeah, well I’d say just on both sides, those two guys are heck of a players, they’ve got a lot of good players on their team. A team full of Pro Bowlers or All-Pros, whether it’s McCaffrey, (49ers wide receiver) Deebo Samuel, (49ers wide receiver Brandon) Aiyuk, Bosa, (49ers defensive lineman Javon) Hargrave, (49ers linebacker Fred) Warner, I mean the list goes on and on. I’d say their team is well constructed. (49ers General Manager) John Lynch has done a great job along with Kyle and there is a lot of challenges with this team in a number of areas.

Q: With (running back Matt) Breida, I understand what you just said about Saquon, I assume at some point we will still see Breida Thursday night, likely, possibly. What do you like about his game? You had him in Buffalo, you now have him here, clearly you like the player.

A: Yeah, I mean he’s a pro. He knows what to do, he knows how to do it, he’s done it for a while. He’s got speed, he’s got some quickness about him. He’s had some productive years as a runner, he was at San Francisco. He’s just a pro and he knows our system well and we have confidence in him.

Q: I’m curious if Saquon was unable to go, how much more does that put on (quarterback) Daniel’s (Jones) shoulders? Obviously, Saquon is a big part of this offensive scheme, you’ve run a lot through him in the past, does that change much, what you need from Daniel in that case?

A: Look, Daniel has got his job to do, just like the running backs have their job, the receivers, the offensive line. It’s individually taking care of your responsibility, whatever that maybe and doing your job at a high level.

Q: I know you didn’t want to rule Saquon out. Does the fact that you have 11 days between the games, how much does that factor into how you guys handle him?

A: I think it all factors in, but ultimately I go back to the player and see where he’s at. He’s made considerable progress, just in a day and a half or however many days we’ve been out here. Again, we will go all the way up there to the start on Thursday and see where we are at.

Q: I just wanted to ask about (inside linebacker) Micah (McFadden), he was added to the injury report yesterday with a neck injury, what happened and how’s he doing?

A: He’s good, he will be fine.

Q: Will he be available for Thursday then?

A: Yeah, he should be. He should be ready to go.

Q: Did anybody ask you why you lined up for two down eight before the penalty on (wide receiver) Parris (Campbell)?

A: No, they didn’t.

Q: I know that’s an analytical thing. What’s the math or thinking behind that? Is it that you get two-point conversions more than one out of every two times, so if you don’t get it, you have a second chance to get it? What’s the math and the thinking behind going for two down eight?

A: You answered it.

Q: It’s really that? One out of two is better than 50 percent?

A: Yeah, if you get the two, then you win it with an extra point. If you don’t, you still have another opportunity to go for two again and tie it up.

Q: And math suggests that you’re going to be successful at least one out of two times?

A: Yeah, I mean, that’s something that I talk with (Director of Football Data and Innovation) Ty (Siam) and (Offensive Assistant/Game Manager) Cade (Knox) about. We actually go through that situation quite a bit each week. And this week, where we were in the game, how the game was going, we felt comfortable with that decision.

Q: Is it relative to time in the game too?

A: I’d say all that plays into it. All that plays into it.

Q: I guess this is probably a good problem to have, but if you have seven healthy receivers, can you have all those guys active? Or does somebody end up as an odd man out if (wide receiver) Wan’Dale (Robinson) is able to play?

A: No, we can have them all active.

Q: In terms of the week, we know how challenging it is for you guys to put things in to get ready for San Francisco and obviously physically for the players, and mentally. But the flip side of that is you guys are spending all this time together out here on the road. Is there any part of this trip that as challenging as it is may galvanize his team a little bit and bring you guys closer? You kind of had that last year when you went to London. I’m just curious for something out of the ordinary, do you like seeing things from your team that you may not see when you’re home?

A: They spend a lot of time together obviously when you’re on the road, but a lot of that is meetings and we go from 7:30 to late afternoon, call it, early evening. I’m sure they spend time getting a meal together, but it’s really dialed in right here. You have such a short timeframe to do all your preparations. It’s kind of like it is back home, if you will, relative to the meetings, we do the walkthrough, kind of like we do the walkthrough, maybe a little bit more extended, come back, have position meetings, and then instead of those guys going home, they spend some time together in the hotel or out to dinner.

Q: Any knowledge yet on whether (tackle) Andrew Thomas is going to go, or (outside linebacker) Azeez Ojulari, (guard) Ben Bredeson, those guys?

A: I would say Azeez and AT (tackle Andrew Thomas) are kind of in the Saquon deal. We’ll take that right up all the way to Thursday. And Ben, I don’t think Ben will pass protocol in this short amount of time. So, I’d say he’s leaning more towards out, if you will.

Q: Just clarify on Saquon. There were some reports that he was going to be out three weeks, two to three weeks. Are you saying that those timelines are not accurate?

A: I just think with every injury, until you’re with the player, you see the player… I don’t know, you might heal a little bit different than I heal, I might heal a little bit different than another player heals. So, again, Saquon is, I’d say he’s a lot better than maybe I thought he would be, or some other people thought he would be today. So again, he might heal a little bit different than another player, if you will. So, we’ll just take it day-to-day with him and if he can make it, great. If he can’t, we’ll see if he can get better by the following week, and we’ll just take it one day at a time.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the Giants on Wednesday as the team travels to California from Arizona. The Giants play the 49ers on Thursday night.

Dallas Cowboys 40 – New York Giants 0

 Posted by
Sep 112023
 
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (September 10, 2023)

Daniel Jones – © USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS COWBOYS 40 – NEW YORK GIANTS 0…
The New York Giants were completely and utterly embarrassed by the Dallas Cowboys 40-0 on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium. The Giants begin the season 0-1 and in last place in the NFC East.

The scoreboard was telling, but so were the overall game stats. Despite running 66 offensive plays, the Giants were held to 14 first downs and 171 total net yards, including only 63 net yards passing.

The Giants received the football to start the game and had their best offensive possession of the night, moving from their own 25-yard line to the Dallas 8-yard. However, on 3rd-and-2, a false start on left tackle Andrew Thomas and a bad snap by center John Michael Schmitz pushed New York back to the 21-yard line. Place kicker Graham Gano’s 45-yard field goal attempt was blocked and returned for a touchdown. The Cowboys missed the extra point. It was all downhill for the Giants after that.

After the Giants went three-and-out on their second possession, the Cowboys responded with a 9-play, 72-yard drive that resulted in a 21-yard field goal to make the score 9-0. On the third play of New York’s third possession, a pass from quarterback Daniel Jones went off of the hands of running back Saquon Barkley after contact from a defender. It was intercepted and returned 22 yards for a defensive score. The Cowboys were now up 16-0.

The Giants went three-and-out again near the end of the first quarter. Dallas responded with another field goal drive, this time moving 60 yards in 11 plays to make it 19-0.  On the very next offensive snap by the Giants, Jones was intercepted at the New York 38-yard line. Five plays later, the Cowboys pretty much ended the game with a 2-yard rushing touchdown that made the score 26-0.

The Giants gained 57 yards on their sixth possession of the half, but the drive ended with a missed 36-yard field goal. After a three-and-out by the Cowboys, the half ended appropriately with Daniel Jones being sacked.

If the 26-0 halftime deficit wasn’t dreary enough, Dallas made it worse by marching down the field (10 plays, 75 yards) for a touchdown on their opening drive of the third quarter. 33-0. The Giants gained one first down before Jones was sacked twice more and the team was forced to punt. After a Dallas punt, the Giants gained 30 yards and then turned the football over on downs at midfield as the third quarter ended.

The Cowboys opened the fourth quarter with their final touchdown drive of the night, an 8-play, 50-yard affair that resulted with another rushing score. On New York’s very next offensive snap, wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins fumbled the ball away after a 24-yard catch. Dallas mercifully went three-and-out. Then came a ridiculous 10-play drive by the Giants that picked up three first downs but only netted 19 yards due to penalties and sacks. The Giants turned turned over the ball on downs again. The game ended with a whimper three minutes later.

The Giants’ 12 offensive possessions resulted in:

  • a blocked field goal for a touchdown
  • two interceptions, one resulting in a touchdown
  • a fumble
  • two turnovers on downs
  • a missed field goal
  • three punts
  • the end of the half and the end of the game

Jones, who was harassed much of the night, finished the game 15-of-28 for 104 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. He was sacked seven times, losing 47 yards, and hit 12 times. No Giant had more than three catches or 36 receiving yards. Barkley rushed 12 times for 51 yards and Jones rushed 13 times for 43 yards.

The defense allowed five scoring drives, including three rushing touchdowns. Dallas was 6-of-13 (46 percent) on third down and 1-of-2 on fourth down. The Giants had no sacks only hit the quarterback three times. They did not create a turnover.

GAME VIDEO LOWLIGHTS are available on YouTube.

INACTIVES AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants activated (standard elevation) RB Taiwan Jones from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster.

Inactive for the game were WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee), DL D.J. Davidson (knee), LB Cam Brown (ankle), CB Cor’Dale Flott (hamstring), S Gervarrius Owens (hamstring), and OL Shane Lemieux.

CB Deonte Banks left the game with cramps. LT Andrew Thomas injured his hamstring on the blocked field goal and eventually departed the contest. He will have an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. PK Graham Gano took a cleat to his calf and underwent x-rays after the game.

POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Brian Daboll and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

GIANTS RE-STRUCTURE CONTACTS OF TWO MORE PLAYERS…
ESPN is reported on Saturday that the Giants have re-structured the contracts of defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and inside linebacker Bobby Okereke. Both moves converted 2023 base salary into signing bonuses, creating a total of $1.55 million in additional cap space.

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Brian Daboll will address the media by conference call on Monday.

August 16, 2023 New York Giants Training Camp Report

 Posted by
Aug 162023
 
Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (August 1, 2023)

Sterling Shepard – © USA TODAY Sports

AUGUST 16, 2023 NEW YORK GIANTS TRAINING CAMP REPORT…
The New York Giants held another training camp practice on Wednesday at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The practices are no longer open to the public.

GIANTS CUT LINEBACKER…
The Giants have waived/injured inside linebacker Troy Brown, who suffered what appeared to be an ankle injury at practice on Tuesday. The Giants signed Troy Brown as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2023 NFL Draft.

INJURY REPORT…
WR Wan’Dale Robinson (ACL) and CB Aaron Robinson (ACL) remain on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List.

RB Gary Brightwell (unknown), WR Cole Beasley (leg), WR Sterling Shepard (rest day), WR Collin Johnson (knee), TE Darren Waller (rest day), LT Andrew Thomas (rest day), OL Tyre Phillips (unknown), DL Dexter Lawrence (rest day), DL Ryder Anderson (triceps), and LB Cam Brown (unknown) did not practice.

RT Evan Neal officially cleared the concussion protocol.

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • Giants practiced indoors in shorts and shells. It was a “carded” (aka game plan) practice where the team practiced a lot of situational work in preparation for Friday’s preseason game.
  • First-team offensive line was LT Matt Peart, OC John Michael Schmitz, and RT Evan Neal with Ben Bredeson, Mark Glowinski, and Joshua Ezeudu rotating constantly at the two guard spots.
  • Marcus McKethan was the second-team right guard.
  • Shane Lemieux was the second- and third-team center.
  • Julién Davenport practiced with the third team at both tackle spots.
  • Lawrence Cager received some first team reps at tight end.
  • Jordan Riley saw snaps with the first team defensive line.
  • Micah McFadden continues to practice with the first team at inside linebacker.
  • QB Daniel Jones connected on a 60-yard to WR Jalin Hyatt. Jones also threw another deep pass to WR Darius Slayton.
  • WR Jalin Hyatt was used on an end around.
  • Safety Bobby McCain picked off a pass from QB Tyrod Taylor.
  • CB Adoree’ Jackson picked off one pass and broke up another.
  • S Dane Belton almost picked off a pass from QB Tommy DeVito.
  • CB Deonte Banks was step for step on an incomplete pass to WR Darius Slayton, as did CB Tre Hawkins on a deep pass to WR Isaiah Hodgins.
  • OC John Michael Schmitz picked up a twist from OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux.
  • Giants ran a fake punt with RB Matt Breida picking up good yardage.
  • WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton made a leaping touchdown catch on a pass from QB Tommy DeVito.

THE COACHES SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the team on Thursday. The Giants play the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium on Friday.

August 1, 2023 New York Giants Training Camp Report

 Posted by
Aug 012023
 
Saquon Barkley and Brian Daboll, New York Giants (July 31, 2023)

Saquon Barkley and Brian Daboll – © USA TODAY Sports

AUGUST 1, 2023 NEW YORK GIANTS TRAINING CAMP REPORT…
The New York Giants held their sixth summer training camp practice of the year on Tuesday at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Today was the first time the Giants were in full pads this summer. “I think we’ve got to practice well with one another, stay off the ground but get our fundamental work in,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll before practice. “There’s usually some excitement from the players but you have to do a good job of making sure (that) you don’t lose your technique (and) fundamentals. The energy is usually always good the first day of pads but we’ve got to make sure we’re doing things the right way.”

ROSTER MOVES…
The Giants have placed OC J.C. Hassenauer on Injured Reserve. Hassenaur tore his triceps in practice on Sunday and will undergo surgery. His season is over. To fill his roster spot, the Giants have signed unrestricted free agent Sean Harlow (Arizona Cardinals).

The Giants signed Hassenauer in April 2023 as a free agent from the Pittsburgh Steelers after they did not tender him as a potential restricted free agent. The 6’2”, 295-pound Hassenauer was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Atlanta Falcons after the 2018 NFL Draft. He was cut before the season started in 2018 and signed with the Steelers in April 2019, cut in August, and then re-signed in November. From 2020-2022, Hassenauer played in 45 regular-season games for the Steelers with seven starts, five at center and two at left guard. He also started one playoff game at center.

The 28-year old, 6’4”, 284-pound Harlow was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He has spent time with the Falcons (2017, 2018-2020), Indianapolis Colts (2018), and Cardinals (2021-2022). Harlow has played in 33 regular-season games with eight starts, five at left guard in 2021 and three at center in 2022 with the Cardinals.

INJURY REPORT…
WR Wan’Dale Robinson (ACL), OG Marcus McKethan (ACL), DL A’Shawn Robinson (meniscus), DL D.J. Davidson (ACL), and CB Aaron Robinson (ACL) remain on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List.

OLB Jihad Ward (unknown) did not practice.

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • The were in full pads for the first time in training camp.
  • First-team offensive line was LT Andrew Thomas, LG Joshua Ezeudu, OC John Michael Schmitz, RG Mark Glowinski, and RT Evan Neal.
  • Darrian Beavers worked at inside linebacker next to Bobby Okereke. Both made plays in the backfield during practice.
  • For the third day in a row, the starting defensive backs were CB Adoree’ Jackson, CB Deonte Banks, slot CB Cor’Dale Flott, S Xavier McKinney, and S Jason Pinnock.
  • OC John Michael Schmitz had good and bad reps in 1-on-1 drills against DL Dexter Lawrence.
  • Also in 1-on-1 drills, RT Evan Neal got beat by OLB Kavyon Thibodeaux on one inside rush, but handled OLB Azeez Ojulari on another.
  • LT Andrew Thomas stonewalled his opponent on two 1-on-1 attempts. Ben Bredeson at center also had two good reps.
  • DL Leonard Williams got around LG Joshua Ezeudu, but Ezeudu won another rep.
  • OLB Tomon Fox successfully bull-rushed Tyre Phillips.
  • In 3-on-3 coverage drills, CB Cor’Dale Flott had the only interception of practice.
  • Also in 1-on-1 drills, CB Deonte Banks knocked away a pass intended for WR Jalin Hyatt.
  • S/CB Nick McCloud and CB Rodarius Williams broke up passes.
  • QB Tommy DeVito hit WR Kalil Pimpleton for a long touchdown.
  • In 9-on-7 drills, RB Saquon Barkley broke off a big run behind LG Joshua Ezeudu. DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches stuffed the next run.
  • OL Shane Lemieux stood out on a couple of run blocks.
  • 11-on-11 team drills began with QB Daniel Jones rolling out and connecting with TE Darren Waller for 15 yards.
  • S Xavier McKinney did break up a deep pass intended for TE Darren Waller.
  • CB Darren Evans broke up a pass intended for WR Collin Johnson.
  • CB Tre Hawkins received first-team snaps again and deflected passes intended for wide receivers Jalin Hyatt and Isaiah Hodgins.
  • S Jason Pinnock had a good practice, breaking up two passes.
  • RB Saquon Barkley had two big runs after short catches in the passing game.
  • QB Daniel Jones finished team drills 6-of-11 with three incomplete deep passes, two deflected by defenders. Reporter Connor Hughes tweeted “I can’t get over how much more comfortable and confident Daniel Jones looks this year. He’s a completely different quarterback from the one in training camp in 2022. You can tell he’s processing things so much faster, which is leading to quicker decisions.”
  • The defense blitzed quite a bit and got to QB Daniel Jones a few times, with corners Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins as well as DL Dexter Lawrence picking up “sacks.”
  • OLB Azeez Ojulari also had a tackle for a loss on a read-option play, “tackling” QB Daniel Jones for a loss.
  • OLB’s Tomon Fox and Oshane Ximines flashed into the backfield.
  • OC John Michael Schmitz did have one bad snap.

HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Brian Daboll’s press conference on Tuesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Wednesday. They return to practice on Thursday (10:00AM-Noon). The offensive, defensive, and special teams coordinators will also address the media.

Giants 2023 Positional Breakdown: Defensive Line

 Posted by
Jul 032023
 
Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants (December 24, 2022)

Dexter Lawrence – © USA TODAY Sports

With New York Giants training camp beginning in late July, BigBlueInteractive.com (BBI) breaks down each of the team’s positional groups until the players report at Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

FIND A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL BREAKDOWNS HERE

POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN: Defensive Line

2022 YEAR IN REVIEW: It was basically a two-man show for much of the season for the New York Giants on the defensive line. Dexter Lawrence’s third professional coaching staff in four years finally moved him to his more natural nose tackle position. With that move, and being guided by arguably the best defensive line coach in football, Lawrence responded with a breakout season, earning second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition. Lawrence started 16 regular-season games, being a healthy scratch in the regular-season finale. He played in an astounding 82 percent of defensive snaps. Lawrence was credited with 68 tackles, seven tackles for losses, 7.5 sacks, 28 quarterback hits, three pass defenses, and two forced fumbles. Despite being regularly double-teamed, Lawrence was a difference-maker in many contests as both a run defender and pass rusher.

The other headliner up front was Leonard Williams, who played 75 percent of the snaps in the games that he played. The problem was Williams missed three games with a knee injury in the first half of the season and another with a neck/stinger injury that nagged him much of the second-half of the season, causing him to leave a number of games early. Williams finished with his least productive season since joining the Giants in 2019, being credited with 45 tackles, five tackles for losses, 2.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hits, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.

The best of the rest was Nick Williams, a run defender who the Giants signed from the Detroit Lions in late July 2022. He played in eight games before landing on Injured Reserve with a season-ending biceps injury. He started seven games, accruing 15 tackles, two quarterback hits, and two pass defenses. Williams played 45 percent of defensive snaps in games that he appeared. Fifth-round draft pick D.J. Davidson also ended up on Injured Reserve after tearing his ACL in Week 5.

The Giants signed Justin Ellis as an unrestricted free agent from the Baltimore Ravens in March 2022. Ellis played in all 17 regular-season games with four starts, receiving 32 percent of defensive snaps. He finished with 22 tackles, two tackles for losses, and one sack.

Undrafted rookie free agent Ryder Anderson split time on both the Practice Squad and 53-man roster, ending up playing in seven regular-season games with two starts. Anderson finished the season with eight tackles, two tackles for losses, and two sacks. He played 33 percent of defensive snaps in the seven games that he appeared. The Giants signed Henry Mondeaux to the Practice Squad in September 2022 and the 53-man roster in November 2022. He ended up playing in 11 regular-season games with four starts, being credited with 16 tackles. Mondeaux also played 33 percent of defensive snaps in games that he appeared. The Giants signed Vernon Butler to the Practice Squad in mid-November 2022. He played in one game in Week 13.

Overall, the Giants were in good shape when Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams were on the field together at full strength. But both played far too many snaps and Williams had to deal with two significant injuries that negatively impacted his season. Two of the top reserves were lost in the first half of the season. And there was a noticeable drop-off in talent and performance when the remaining players filled in for Lawerence and Williams. This was particularly noticeable with strong rushing teams like the Philadelphia Eagles.

ADDITIONS/SUBTRACTIONS: Vernon Butler was re-signed. Nick Williams (Chargers) and Henry Mondeaux (Jaguars) departed in free agency. Justin Ellis remains unsigned.

The Giants signed Rakeem Nunez-Roches (3-years, $12 million), A’Shawn Robinson (1-year, $5 million), and Kobe Smith (1-year, $750,000). The team also drafted Jordon Riley in the 7th round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

TRAINING CAMP STORY LINES:  Usually depth isn’t a top tier story line, but the additions of Rakeem Nunez-Roches and A’Shawn Robinson are two of the most significant moves the team made this offseason. Both are former starters who have stood out in run defense. This should encourage the defensive staff to lower the ridiculous snap counts of Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams. Indeed, the Giants may now choose to play with heavier defensive line packages with Nunez Roches and/or Robinson playing alongside Lawrence and Williams, especially against run-centric offenses.

The other area to watch is the potential development of young players such as Ryder Anderson, D.J. Davidson, and Jordon Riley. Anderson has bulked up this offseason. Davidson flashed in his limited snaps, but he has to prove he has rebounded from the ACL injury. Riley was a little-known prospect, but he has great size.

ON THE BUBBLE: The Giants began last season with only five defensive linemen on the 53-man roster. This season, they will likely carry somewhere between five and seven. Six seems like the sweet spot. Barring injury, Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, and A’Shawn Robinson are the sure bets with the other five players fighting fighting for one, two, or three spots.

FROM FRONT OFFICE/COACHES/PLAYERS: Assistant General Manager Brandon Brown on improving the team: “We wanted to get better against the run, and you’ve seen what we did in terms of adding Nacho (Rakeem Nuñez-Roches) and A’Shawn (Robinson) and getting (linebacker) Bobby O(kereke) in free agency, adding (safety) Bobby McCain as a vet in the secondary. Those things are not being satisfied. It’s being reflective, looking in the mirror, being honest with each other and saying, ‘Hey, how do we give the coaches the best opportunity to put the best product in the field?’”

Defensive Coordinator Wink Martindale on the new additions: “I think with the size of them, and you’ve seen them, they’ll be able to collapse (the pocket). Everybody thinks, when they think pass rush, the tackle guys, the inside guys. They think of Warren Sapp and Aaron Donald. God touched those guys twice. These guys have just been touched once. So, just as long as they can collapse the pocket, just like Dex did last year, and get the quarterback off the spot, you’ll see a lot of good things happen. I think we’ve got the size and the ability to do that.”

Defensive Line Coach Andre Patterson on Dexter Lawrence: “I’m proud of him. He came in and worked real hard to try to master the technique and fundamentals we were teaching him and continue to grow more and more through the course of the season. But I’m greedy. It’s just the beginning. It’s not the end. I know he understands that. He’s out here working hard to continue to improve and get better.”

Defensive Line Coach Andre Patterson on Rakeem Nunez-Roches and A’Shawn Robinson: “They add a lot to the room. They have a lot of experience playing in this league. They are both big, strong, powerful guys that enjoy playing the run… I know A’Shawn and Nacho pride themselves on being really good run defenders. And their demeanor is all about the run game. I think that’s going to add to our room and how they see themselves and how they carry themselves on the field.”

Defensive Line Coach Andre Patterson on Ryder Anderson: “I’m really, really pleased and happy with what Ryder has done this offseason. Last year he was 282, 285 pounds. Now he is 305. So he has changed his body. He is a big, strong man. He has gotten better with his technique over the OTAs.”

Defensive Line Coach Andre Patterson on Jordon Riley: “He’s got some gifts that you can’t give him as a coach. He’s 6’5”, he’s 335 pounds. He’s a big, strong man. He’s got some things, technique-wise that we have to work with him on to improve and he’s done a good job since he’s been here trying to grasp those things. With the gifts he has, a coach can’t give you that. That’s what stood out to us.”

Dexter Lawrence on playing with Leonard Williams: “We’re top tier. We’ve been playing together four, going on five years now. Sometimes we look at each other and know what’s about to happen and know what we want to do in that play. So, I think, you know, we both stayed healthy and grow through this time off and come back in the best shape of our lives and do something special… I think it’s really important just to keep the group together. Keep the core together. He’s a great leader. Guys respect him. He brings a lot of knowledge. It’s like year nine for him, wow, he’s getting up there. He’s always been that way. He’s always been a great leader, and just to have him around is a breath of fresh air.”

Leonard Williams on Rakeem Nunez-Roches: “I’ve known him for a while now. We went to the Combine together. Two old heads… He has a great personality. Outgoing guy. He fits in our room perfectly, in the defense perfectly. You can tell he has some experience under his belt. There’s a lot of times where not only is he helping out with the younger guys, but we also established that type of room where we hold each other accountable as vets as well. Even though he is new to the team, he still sees stuff that he can help out on and will be vocal about it.”

Leonard Williams on the new additions to the defensive line: “I feel great about it. Me and Dex a lot of times had to take a lot of snaps. I think this year we’re going to have a great rotation with those guys we just added, A’Shawn and Nunez. We trust those guys. I don’t care think going to be any type of drop-off when the rotation starts happening… D-linemen are usually not taking 100% or 90% of snaps. It’s better to have a rotation and keep guys fresh. It’s going to be fun that way when we’re rotating guys, just beating up on offensive lines together. It’s going to be fun.”

PREDICTIONS/CLOSING THOUGHTS: The Giants run defense was 27th in the NFL in 2022. That’s not going to get it done against teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. It’s very difficult for us average fans to adequately judge why a run defense is poor. Many will point to the defensive line without understanding that the second and third levels of a defense are often just as guilty, if not more so for breakdowns. When asked about the run defense this offseason, coaches like Andre Patterson have made it clear that it was more than the defensive line. That all said, it was pretty apparent that the team’s reserves were not getting the job done, particularly after Nick Williams and D.J. Davidson were lost due to injury. And then there was the hidden cost of Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams playing far too many snaps, and thus not playing near their full potential due to fatigue. And in Williams’ case, the previous ironman missed a month of action. It should not be underestimated just how important the signings of Rakeem Nunez-Roches and A’Shawn Robinson are defensively. Both are proven starters and there should be little to no drop-off in run defense with these two. The best defensive teams can attack with waves of fresh defensive linemen. Look for additional reinforcements in next year’s draft. Keep in mind that A’Shawn Robinson is only on a 1-year deal.

There are a number of areas to watch on the defensive line. Was 2022 Dexter Lawrence’s career year and inspired by his contract situation? Or can he continue to play at the same high level or actually even get better? The 29-year old Leonard Williams enters his ninth season. Can he still be that ironman who plays at a high level? He’s on the last year of his contract, which counts for an astounding $32 million against the salary cap in 2023. His best season was 2020 with 11.5 sacks, and 30 quarterback hits. How he plays in 2023, and his willingness to accept less money, will probably determine his future with the team. This is another reason why defensive line might be a priority in the draft.

The wild cards in any defensive line discussion are the youngsters. Do the Giants have something in Ryder Anderson, D.J. Davidson, and Jordon Riley? That remains to be determined in July and August.

FINAL DEPTH CHART: Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Rakeem Nunez-Roches, A’Shawn Robinson, Ryder Anderson, D.J. Davidson.

Look for the team to attempt to sign Jordon Riley and Vernon Butler to the Practice Squad.

June 14, 2023 New York Giants Mini-Camp Report

 Posted by
Jun 142023
 
Darius Slayton and Brian Daboll, New York Giants (June 13, 2023)

Darius Slayton and Brian Daboll – © USA TODAY Sports

JUNE 14, 2023 NEW YORK GIANTS MINI-CAMP REPORT…
The second and last day of the New York Giants 2-day, mandatory mini-camp was held on Wednesday at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. No live contact is permitted during the mini-camp, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed. After a team cookout on Thursday, the players are now off until summer training camp begins in late July.

“I think one of the most important things in spring is the strength and conditioning,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll on what his team accomplished. “I think those guys have done a good job with that. And then the chemistry that you build with one another, not just on the field, but off the field, getting to know one another. We’ve signed a bunch of new free agents; we have the college guys coming in. So again, it’s been a good group to work with. Time will tell here as we get started in training camp.”

ABSENTEES…
The only player not present was RB Saquon Barkley, who is currently not under contract as an unsigned Franchise player.

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • Wide receiver Sterling Shepard appeared to be running at full speed running routes against air early in practice. He worked on the side after that.
  • Wide receiver Parris Campbell continues to receive some snaps out of the backfield, similar to how wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson was used last season.
  • John Michael Schmitz was the first-team center with Ben Bredeson at left guard.
  • Darnay Holmes was the first-team slot cornerback with Bobby McCain starting at safety alongside Xavier McKinney.
  • Inside linebacker Bobby Okereke broke up a pass over the middle in 7-on-7 drills and nearly had the interception.
  • Cornerback Deonte Banks broke up a fade pass from quarterback Daniel Jones intended for wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins.
  • Wide receiver David Sills was active catching the ball, including a big gain on seam pass from quarterback Daniel Jones.
  • Quarterback Daniel Jones found tight end Lawrence Cager for a 20-yard touchdown near the end of practice.
  • Practice ended early due to the threat of lightning.

THE COACHES SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

Kafka Interviews; Giants Sign 10; Players Talk About Future

 Posted by
Jan 222023
 
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (January 21, 2023)

Saquon Barkley – © USA TODAY Sports

COLTS INTERVIEW MIKE KAFKA…
The Indianapolis Colts announced that they completed their interview with New York Giants Offensive Coordinator Mike Kakfa for their head-coaching vacancy.

GIANTS SIGN 10 PLAYERS TO RESERVE/FUTURE CONTRACTS…
The New York Giants have signed 10 players to reserve/future contracts. All 10 players were on the team’s Practice Squad:

  • RB Jashaun Corbin
  • WR Jaydon Mickens
  • WR Kalil Pimpleton
  • WR Makai Polk
  • TE Dre Miller
  • OT Korey Cunningham
  • OT Devery Hamilton
  • DT Vernon Butler
  • CB Zyon Gilbert
  • S Trenton Thompson

The Giants signed OG Solomon Kindley to a reserve/future contract on January 11. He had also been on the Practice Squad.

The Athletic is reporting that OT Roy Mbaeteka turned down a reserve/future contract offer from the Giants. Mbaeteka, a Nigerian, has chosen to return to the International Pathway Program (IPP), which assures him of being on some team’s Practice Squad for three years. Mbaeteka, who was with the Giants in training camp, only spent part of the year on New York’s Practice Squad as a conventional Practice Squad player.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

  • QB Daniel Jones (Video)
  • RB Saquon Barkley (Video)
  • WR Isaiah Hodgins (Video)
  • WR Wan’Dale Robinson (Video)
  • LT Andrew Thomas (Video)
  • RT Evan Neal (Video)
  • DL Leonard Williams (Video)
  • OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (Video)
  • S Xavier McKinney (Video)
  • S Julian Love (Video)

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
General Manager Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll will address the media on Monday.

 Older Entries