Category: NFL

PFN names this position New York Giants’ biggest remaining weakness

The New York Giants head into the 2024 season with fewer holes than they had in 2023. They fortified both fronts and added some much-needed depth and firepower to their roster.

One thing they failed to do, however, was bring in a possible replacement for embattled quarterback Daniel Jones. The folks at Pro Football Network have identified that as the Giants’ biggest need after the draft and free agency.

New York Giants

Quarterback

Daniel Jones is coming off a torn ACL, and Drew Lock is Drew Lock.

New York Giants fans can only hope that Jones will recapture his 2022 form, but that probably is wishful thinking as Jones has looked average at best for much of his career.

New York opted against taking a QB in the draft and instead used the No. 6 pick on receiver Malik Nabers.

The truth is, the Giants had just one quarterback in mind at the top of the draft — UNC’s Drake Maye, who was snatched up by the New England Patriots with the third overall pick.

It turns out the Pats had no intention of dealing the pick, and the conversations the Giants had with Washington, who held the second pick, were almost a non-starter.

They passed on Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy with the sixth pick (in favor of Nabers) and all of the other possibles were gone by the time they were on the clock again in Round 2.

So, they will proceed with Jones, who they are still very much under contract with, and back him up with Lock, who could end up being a free agent find.

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The hype train continues for New York Giants rookie RB Tyrone Tracy

The New York Giants made six selections in the 2024 NFL draft. Some of the choices were obvious and filled immediate needs and others were based on value and guilty pleasures.

One pick — fifth-rounder Tyrone Tracy Jr., a wide receiver turned running back from Purdue by way of Iowa — is being called a sleeper pick by some experts.

Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team has also identified Tracy as a rookie who can make an instant impact.

Tracy started his career with the Iowa Hawkeyes, appearing in 38 games as a wide receiver. But after modest production, he transferred to Purdue and started five games at receiver (2022). Ahead of the 2023 season, Tracy transitioned to running back, which likely saved his career. In his first year playing the position, Tracy led the Big Ten in yards per carry (6.3) and scored eight rushing touchdowns.

While Tracy isn’t ready to be a full-time running back (146 career carries in college), he is an incredible athlete who is a threat to score on any play. He posted a 9.78 RAS score, which ranks 42nd all-time (out of 1,903 running backs) after posting a 40-inch vertical jump at 209 pounds.

Tracy will be in a mix with veteran Devin Singletary and second-year back Eric Gray in a committee that will try to help Giant fans move on from Saquon Barkley.

“Now, he’s not going to fill Saquon’s shoes for that offense, but Tracy is an ultra-smooth runner with good vision,” writes Frank Cooney of NFL Draft Scout. “He’s going to surprise and impress the more touches he gets and can be a nice piece for this offense.”

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Daniel Jones has had NFL’s second-worst supporting cast since 2019

NFL quarterbacks can do a lot on the football field, but no man is an island. They need to have a functioning team around them if they are to ultimately succeed.

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has been lambasted by fans and detractors since the day he was selected sixth overall by Big Blue back in 2019.

Jones has had his issues, sure. He is often hurt and has a propensity for turning the football over at the most inopportune times. He also hasn’t been able to beat the Giants’ most hated rivals, the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.

As a result, the Giants have had exactly one winning season in Jones’ five years with the club, leading critics to lay the team’s entire failure on his shoulders.

The truth is, Jones was charged to succeed with a surrounding cast of subpar players and coaches. A recent study shows the Giants have had the second-worst supporting cast over the past five seasons — and were just a fraction away from being the worst.

Management has acknowledged that they haven’t done enough to support Jones.

“We’ve done everything possible to screw this kid up since he’s been here,” Giants co-owner John Mara said back in 2022.

The Giants did ink Jones to a $160 million extension after that statement only to have him get hurt once again in 2023. This spring, they tried desperately to trade up in the NFL draft to select Jones’ replacement, but to no avail.

Instead, they were left to address their many other roster needs, which is what they should have been doing all along.

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Why the New York Giants need Ben Bredeson to play well in Tampa Bay

The New York Giants could, potentially, receive a fourth-round compensatory pick in the 2025 NFL draft, according to Nick Korte of Over The Cap.

However, in Korte’s projection, he specifically notes that the fourth-round pick is entirely contingent on offensive lineman Ben Bredeson earning the starting job in Tampa Bay and playing enough snaps to qualify.

If Bredeson fails to play enough snaps, Korte projects the Giants would receive a seventh-round compensatory pick at the bottom of the draft.

The Giants have a 4th rounder on the board for Xavier McKinney leaving for Green Bay, but that is contingent on Ben Bredeson qualifying as a CFA. This could be complicated by the Bucs also drafting Graham Barton in the 1st round, should Barton displace Bredeson as a possible starter at guard, instead of Robert Hainsey at center. The Giants and their fans should be rooting for Bredeson to win a starting job. If Bredeson’s contract does not qualify, the 4th rounder gets demoted to a net value 7th rounder placed at the very bottom of the list.

It’s also important to remember that Over The Cap is just one projection method for compensatory picks and may not match the NFL’s highly secret formula.

Based on the knowledge at hand, Korte has the loss of Saquon Barkley being canceled out by the signing of offensive lineman Jon Runyan Jr.

It’s another reason the Giants should have traded Barkley at last season’s deadline.

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Tyrone Tracy named New York Giants’ best sleeper pick in NFL draft

The New York Giants made six selections in the 2024 NFL draft, starting with LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers in Round 1.

Nabers figures to follow in the footsteps of the the other great wideouts to come out of Baton Rouge in recent years such as Odell Beckham Jr., Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson.

But the Giants may have stumbled on another productive player in their fifth-round selection, Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., whom TouchdownWire’s Doug Farrar calls the sleeper of this Giants’ draft class.

With Saquon Barkley out of the picture, the Giants had a pre-draft running back rotation of Devin Singletary, 2023 fifth-round pick Eric Gray, and a bunch of “meh” after that. Which means that anyone coming in from the draft would have an opportunity beyond the preseason.

Enter Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr., who at 5′ 11⅛” and 209 pounds, totaled 714 yards, eight touchdowns, 46 forced missed tackles, 14 carries of 15 or more yards, and 36 first downs on just 114 carries. That put Tracy with a yards per carry average of 6.3 — another arbiter of his big-play potential and ability to run with power. Tracy can also catch the ball. In fact, before he was a running back at Purdue, he was a receiver at Iowa, and he actually made big plays in that garbage fire of an offense. Not bad for a guy who was there with the 166th overall pick in the fifth round.

Tracy will have an opportunity to play several roles for the Giants on offense and special teams. The biggest plus, however, is his versatility as a receiver, which hasn’t gotten past head coach Brian Daboll.

“He’s a former receiver. In terms of yards per carry, he’s been pretty good,” Daboll said. “He’s an athlete who has played receiver and then played running back and has some good production. We’ll throw him in the mix. Whether that’s in the kickoff return game or whether that’s at running back or the receiving part of it, we’ve got to do a good job of getting him in here and seeing where he’s at and then trying to fit him into the things that he can do well.”

In the post-Saquon Barley age, the Giants could use some immediate answers in their backfield. It looks like they may have found one.

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Ron Burgundy roasts Tom Brady with multiple Eli Manning jabs

Retired NFL legend Tom Brady took the hot seat on Sunday night as part of GROAT, The Greatest Roast Of All Time, which streamed on Netflix Live.

The event, hosted by comedian Kevin Hart, featured many accomplished roasters such as Roastmaster General Jeff Ross, Tom Segura, Nikki Glaser, Andrew Schulz, Bert Kreischer, and more.

Will Ferrell also made an appearance, embodying his famous character creation, Ron Burgundy.

Burgundy didn’t need a teleprompter aid this time around, shredding Brady by using one of his sorest spots: Retired New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

“Underneath that dead robot of a quarterback, there’s a scared little boy,” Burgundy said. “Anyone notice? You don’t see Eli Manning here tonight, do you? No. That’s because he’s afraid of Eli Manning. Eli Manning made Tom Brady his (expletive). He made him his (expletive)!”

But Burgundy didn’t stop there. He then led the crowd in a chant for Brady.

“Eli. Manning. Made. Tom. Brady. His. (Expletive),” Burgundy shouted, urging those in attendance to chant along. “One, two, three… Eli. Manning. Made. Tom. Brady. His. (Expletive)!”

Before signing off, Burgundy had one closing thought for Brady.

“You won’t be forgotten. You’ll always be remembered as Eli Manning’s (expletive),” he said.

Although Brady and Manning have become friends over the years, the future Pro Football Hall of Famer has never shied away from the pain suffered in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI.

Brady has acknowledged that those two Super Bowl losses still haunt him and that he’d even be willing to trade some of his other championship rings if he could go back in time and win Super Bowl XLII.

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Patrick Mahomes says this Giants moment is the greatest in NFL history

Patrick Mahomes knows a few things about winning Super Bowls. The Kansas City Chiefs’ star quarterback has played in four of the last five big games, winning three, and collecting three MVP awards along the way.

So, what does Mahomes consider the greatest Super Bowl win/NFL moment of all time?

In a recent interview, Mahomes pulled no punches. It was the New York Giants’ 17-14 victory over the previously unbeaten New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII in February 2008.

“I don’t want to start taking shots. And the one they lost with the Giants when he (David Tyree) caught the ball in the helmet,” Mahomes said in a recent appearance on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast, via ClutchPoints.

“Just because that Giants team was like barely made the playoffs and then they make a run and they are huge underdogs and they end up beating probably the best — even though that they didn’t win the Super Bowl — probably the best football team of all time and that Patriots team that ends up losing that Super Bowl.”

The Patriots had just completed the league’s first — and only — 16-0 regular season and then won their two playoff games to advance to 18-0.

They would not get to 19-0. The Giants, a 12.5-point underdog who ran the table in the NFC Playoffs with three wins on the road, were supposed to play patsy to Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, and New England.

Instead, the Giants ended up playing the biggest spoiler in NFL history with a devastating pass rush that flustered Brady along with some help from the football gods.

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New York Giants rookie minicamp dates, offseason schedule announced

The New York Giants will get an opportunity to see their 2024 draft class on the field for the first time when they hold their rookie minicamp from Thursday, May 9 through Saturday, May 11 at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The team will hold their 10 voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) for all players on the following dates:

  • May 20-21
  • May 23
  • May 28-29
  • May 31
  • June 3-4
  • June 6-7

During OTAs, no live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.

Mandatory minicamp will take place from June 11-13 which will contain the team’s entire roster from veterans to rookies.

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Giants’ Malik Nabers made Rookie of the Year bet with Jayden Daniels

Malik Nabers and Jayden Daniels grew close as teammates during their time at LSU but now find themselves divisional enemies.

The Washington Commanders selected Daniels second overall in the 2024 NFL draft, while Nabers went just a few picks later, getting taken off the board by the New York Giants at No. 6 overall.

“Having that guy in my corner has been the best. Going against him is going to be fun,” Nabers said during a recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast.

The competition between Nabers and Daniels won’t be limited to their two regular season meetings in 2024. The pair have already placed a bet on Offensive Rookie of the Year with the purse set at $10,000.

“We’ve got a bet going for Rookie of the Year,” Nabers said. “Whoever loses has to pay $10,000 cash.”

Pro Football Focus recently released their list of Rookie of the Year candidates with Nabers checking in fourth overall behind Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr. and his good buddy, Daniels.

USA TODAY gave Nabers the fifth-best odds with J.J. McCarthy also ahead of him.

Nabers admits that the bet was placed even before the pair were drafted, which showcases the confidence each has entering the league.

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Drew Lock might ‘flat-out win’ Giants’ starting QB job

After the New York Giants failed to land a new quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft, the debate immediately shifted to who would win the starting job out of training camp: Daniel Jones or Drew Lock.

The desperation to have anyone start other than Jones has clouded the minds of many, including former Giants vice president of player evaluation and director of college scouting Marc Ross.

Like many DJ detractors, Ross has convinced himself that the Giants won’t go with the former No. 6 overall pick under center. General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, despite transparently hitching their wagon to Jones, must go with someone else.

“Yes, (Lock) does (have a chance to start). And I think our guy Mike Garafolo hinted at it when they said, ‘Yeah, there can be an open competition.’ And I think there really should be,” Ross said on NFL Total Access this week. “You look at the Giants’ offense last year and they played better, they scored more points and they won more games when Tyrod Taylor and Tommy Cutlets, Tommy DeVito played, as opposed to Daniel, when Daniel Jones played. It’s the combination of the injuries and the inconsistent and, at times, not very good play there.

“So there’s still a little small contingent of Giants fans holding onto Daniel Jones. But Drew Lock, I think if they give him an honest, open competition, he might just flat-out win the job, if not Day 1 then at some point during the season.”

The main problem with Ross’ commentary is that Garafolo never said there would be an open competition between Jones and Lock. In fact, the veteran reporter very specifically stated that Jones would be the team’s starter in Week 1 and would only, potentially, relinquish that job if he regressed throughout the season.

“If you get into the season and Daniel Jones isn’t playing well then perhaps (Lock) will push him,” Garafolo said. “But I want to be clear about — and what the Giants have been clear about — is that if Daniel Jones is healthy, and they do hope and expect that he’s going to be healthy (by) Week 1, he is going to be the quarterback.”

At the time of his signing, the Giants very explicitly told Lock that Jones would be the starter and he’d be serving as DJ’s backup.

“Daniel Jones is the starter of this team. That’s been conveyed to me,” Lock told reporters in March. “Now, I need to come in and push Daniel to be the best that he can be. That’s the role that I played for Geno [Smith], that’s the role I played for Teddy [Bridgewater].”

But why let facts get in the way of a good offseason narrative? Something has to fill the empty space before training camp opens.

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