Alan Backman asks: I know everyone (including me) may be over-reacting to J.J. McCarthy having 2 great quarters. But let’s take the upside for a minute.
1. Contract – How does that work? Did Giants acquire the rights to that 4 year locked deal from the Vikings? My understanding is that this contract is guaranteed. So who absorbs the guarantee cost – Giants or Vikes?
2. If McCarthy continues to do well, what do you think Giants should do when Dart recovers? I assume that no matter how well McCarthy plays,
Dart gets the job back. But then what ? Winston just signed a new deal. Do the Giants keep 3 QB’s going forward?
Don’t get me wrong. This would be a good problem to have. If not 3 QBs, do you think the Giants would consider trading McCarthy or Winston for draft picks? Or just keep all the QBs?
Ed says: Alan, McCarthy had one great quarter. Actually, he had a great nine minutes.
The Giants pick up McCarthy’s rookie contract. They are responsible for the pro-rated portion of his $1.075 million base salary this season. Next season, they are respnsible for $3.775 million — $1.19 million in base salary and the rest is a $2.585 million roster bonus. They also get the fifth-year option, should they want to exercise it.
Next year? Jaxson Dart is the Giants’ quarterback. They did not acquire McCarthy to compete with Dart, and I have serious doubts he can do anything to change that. They acquired McCarthy to help them try to navigate a season without Dart.
Maybe, just maybe, if McCarthy plays well enough that someone out there thinks he can be a starter the Giants can flip him and get the fifth-round pick they used to get him — or better — back in a deal.
To me, Winston is a great locker room presence, a leader and a big help to Dart. He is fine for a couple of games. No team, though, wants to try and get through 15 games with backup quarterbacks — which is what the Giants are trying to do.
Spencer Gross asks: What do we do about our offensive line and why in God’s name did we extend Runyan? Is there an out for the contract or did we just give him some money for the sake of it?
Ed says: Spencer, what would you like the Giants to do about their offensive line? Look around the NFL, there are a lot of teams with offensive lines far worse than the Giants.
As it happens, the Giants happen to have one of the league’s best pass-blocking lines. Pro Football Focus ranks the Giants No. 4 in the league in pass-blocking, and fourth-worst in run-blocking. ESPN’s ‘win rate’ statistic has the Giants 16th in the league in pass-block win rate and 14th in run block win rate — basically in the middle of the league. Sharp Football Analysis says the Giants have given up pressure on 31.8% of pass plays, seventh-best in the NFL. Conversely, Sharp has the Giants at 0.8 yards rushing before contact, fifth-worst in the NFL.
They are, overall, a middle of the pack line. Really good in pass protection. Not good in run blocking.
Can the run-blocking get better? Sure. Sisi Mauigoa is struggling, but has played only six games. Andrew Thomas has not been healthy. Jermaine Eluemunor just missed a game. Bryan Hudson has had two good games and one bad one since becoming the starting center.
Runyan? The Giants knew what he was when they gave him that extension. He’s an adequate starter, far better at pass protection than run blocking.
They had to do something to get under the salary cap, and extending his contract is one of the choices they made. A closer examination of his two-year, $22 million extension shows that it isn’t as bad as it might seem. Yes, he has $19.25 million in guaranteed. The full guarantee consists of a $9 million signing bonus and his 2026 and 2027 base salaries. There is no guaranteed money for Runyan in 2028, effectively making the extension a one-year deal through 2027. The Giants can get out of that deal in 2028 with a $3 million dead cap charge and $11 million in cap savings.
Matthew Mosley asks: Curious of your thoughts on JMS & Adebo? Do they possess any trade value this year, whether it be player for player swap or draft capital? JMS seems to have lost his job and it’s clear with the practice squad additions, that the Giants have zero intent on playing him. Regarding Adebo, his return could be great depth for a run in the second half of the season. However, he’s looked fairly pitiful in the action we’ve seen this year.
Giants have an opportunity to win this division, but there are glaring holes that need to be filled in order to do so. Do these players present any value to the current roster or potentially another team looking for added depth?
Ed says: Matthew, I think it might be possible that the Giants could move John Michael Schmitz to a center-needy team, perhaps one that has an injury at the position and needs an adequate short-term fix. I doubt he would bring more than a seventh-round pick, maybe even a conditional seventh based on playing time.
I doubt that Paulson Adebo has much trade value, given his contract, injury history, and performance since he has been a Giant. An acquiring team would take on whatever pro-rated portion of his $17.25 million base salary for the rest of this season is. That’s a lot to swallow for a player who has been available for just 20 of the last 40 regular-season games, and has not played well since signing with the Giants last season.
I don’t know why anyone would do it.
Caleb Hoke asks: Why is everyone so up in arms about Skattebo not getting many touches?
I understand the love from the fans, I like the way he runs hard. (He could, maybe, not look for contact every play.) But, as a coach, myself, there goes more into playing time than just what fans see on Sundays. While I only coach middle school and high school and it is VASTLY different from coaching the NFL (I coach kids and not adults), but the basis is, there are practices throughout the week. Film, practice, walkthroughs, etc.
Could it be that Skattebo is missing something in practices that led to the “benching”? Could it be that he has missed other assignments? Could it be more than just he fumbled in key moments of games?
I just think that we, as fans, get into seeing what happens on Sundays and thinking that is all there is to it. We aren’t at practices and meetings. We aren’t on the sidelines on Sundays either. We don’t know all that goes into decisions.
Ed says: Caleb, since when does not knowing everything — or anything about what goes on inside a team — prevent fans from having, and loudly sharing, opinions? That’s just the nature of fandom.
Skattebo’s popularity/appeal outweigh his talent/production. Fans don’t want to hear that, but it’s the truth. He is an important player for the Giants the way they are constructed, but his lack of speed and size make him a limited one.
There is a reason the Giants were interested in Kenneth Walker in free agency, Jeremiyah Love in the draft, and why there is so much speculation about trying to trade for Jonathan Taylor of the Colts. Skattebo is not the equal of players like Taylor, Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Walker, Christian McCaffrey, James Cook, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Bijan Robinson.
Skattebo’s lack of opportunity against the New Orleans Saints was not related to anything more than his issues with ball security. The message, though, had to be sent. And, it was.
Ronald Buchheim asks: After Tracy failed to block a runner and then fumbled, Harbaugh said the back would be judged by his entire body of work rather than a few recent mistakes. Then he was immediately dropped on the depth chart before being banished from the rotation almost entirely. Next he answered your question regarding Harris’s frustration about getting few touches by saying that he understands and respects the runner’s feeling but touches obviously have to be earned. Then Harris is immediately cut. Harbaugh seems quite genial, but what do you make of these falsehoods?
Ed says: Ronald, in my view John Harbaugh has actually been quite good with the media. He has an annoying habit of almost completely refusing to give even a little bit of information about injured players, but other than that I have no complaints.
No head coach ever answers every question he is asked completely truthfully. It’s a game coaches and media members play. We try to get information. The coach tries to provide a quote we can use that includes as little real information as possible. Or, he just shuts the question down and doesn’t answer.
If Harbaugh wasn’t considering Tyrone Tracy’s body of work, he probably would have cut him. He has given him a chance, though, and Tracy is working his way back up the ladder.
If you ask Harbaugh a dumb or poor question, or if you annoy him by badgering him about something he has already answered, he will let you know. If you ask him a good, thoughtful question that isn’t actually aimed at trying to trip him up, he will give a good, thoughtful answer.
Kölnerbigblue asks: Ed, this question may be a little early but next week may be too late. JJ is still new to his teammates as evidenced by some miscommunication with his WRs (i.e. the INT on the intended pass to Fields). I don’t blame either player but I recognize the situation. Normally, non-injured players take a break and get away during the Bye week. They deserve it. Has there been any conversation of the WR/TE/RBs sticking around to get some extra work with JJ during the upcoming break? I could see the benefit of that.
Ed says: Kölner, I don’t think we will see something like that. The team will practice once or twice during the bye week, anyway, before getting a four- or five-day break. That’s how this usually works.
David Kanter asks: Colts gave DJ a massive contract extension and now he immediately sucks. Everyone this week is talking about Colts unloading talent. We’ve seen guys who were a headache for us leave and find success at other teams. DJ seemed poised to be that guy. What do you make of his very short-lived success with the Colts?
Ed says: David, Giants fans should know what Daniel Jones is. He is a middle of the road quarterback who needs a good team around him. Playing a certain way, where he doesn’t have to carry his team, he can be effective. The Colts have not been good. Alec Pierce, their big-play receiver, has been hurt. Injuries appear to have taken some of Jones’ running ability.
Adam Jacobs asks: I was wondering about the state of the running back room, and what could/should be done with it. If Harbaugh and Schoen feel that the room needs an update, would you rather do A. Explore a trade for Jonathan Taylor, or B. Start the scouts on who are the best backs in the draft. Do you think that next year’s lead back is currently on the roster? If not, what would you do at this point in the season to fix the problem.
Ed says: Adam, John Harbaugh has made it clear that he is not punting on this season despite the Giants losing their starting quarterback in Week 2. You don’t trade a draft asset for J.J. McCarthy if you are writing off the season and worrying solely about the future.
Harbaugh and the Giants sense an opportunity given the middling state of the NFC East. I would expect the Giants to investigate the price tags for Taylor, Tony Pollard of the Tennessee Titans, and any other available back they believe is better than what they currently have. Or, who can at least add something to their rotation.
That said, the ultimate goal is not just to make the playoffs this year as an eight- or nine-win team and then get bounced in the first round. The ultimate goal is to build a team that has a chance to contend for a deep playoff run on a consistent basis. The Giants have to be careful about giving up draft assets for short-term fixes.
As for the draft, the reality is Giants scouts started on the 2027 NFL Draft long ago. Probably a couple of years ago. You don’t start them looking at the running backs, or at any position, now. They have already been doing that. They are out there looking for the best players they can find who fit what the Giants want to do at every position, but I’m sure that there are priority positions, and that when Harbaugh and GM Joe Schoen approach the draft there will be specific target areas.
Ray Kochert asks: When I watch the Giants weekly I am always looking for improvement in players and position groups. So far this season I have not seen us get better. Our defense is getting worse. The offense most of the time is playing catch up. What gives?
Ed says: Ray, what specific improvements are you looking for? The Giants played a bad game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Every team plays a bad game now and then. Let’s not overreact to that. Let’s wait and see more evidence.
The Giants are in survival mode. They lost their quarterback. They lost their defensive leader and most important defensive player. They have weaknesses they are trying to find answers to, such as their run game and interior defensive line depth. Let’s see if they can figure those things out. Let’s see if J.J. McCarthy gives them anything.
Bruce Frazer asks: I read that the Giants have only 4 picks in the next draft. Given the number of season ending injuries so far, how do the Giants recoup more picks? All the speculation having the team trading for Johnathan Taylor seems to be illogical at this point.
Ed says: Bruce, they have five picks and are projected to get a fourth-round compensatory selection, so they would have six overall. I would disagree that trading for Jonathan Taylor is illogical. He is 27. He is signed to a reasonable contract through 2028. That is not just a move for this season. It is a move that would help Jaxson Dart because it would put a star running back in the backfield next to him for two full seasons.
I keep saying that the Giants need to be careful about giving up draft capital for short-term fixes for this season that don’t help Dart when he returns next season. Taylor would help Dart, so it’s a move you have to consider.
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