The New York Giants are not getting much respect around the NFL community at the moment.
With 2024 training camp just around the corner, Bleacher Report writer Alex Ballentine called the NYG organization the “least desirable” trade destination in the entire league on June 22. Ranking them just behind the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos.
“The Brian Daboll era got off to a promising start, but it didn’t take long to reach hot-seat status,” the NFL analyst began.
Continuing: “The 2022 campaign resulted in the Giants’ only winning season since 2016. However, that season has turned out to be a mirage. The Giants went 6-11 last season and are locked in to pay Daniel Jones for at least one more season and will have to pay $22.2 million in dead money if they part ways with him in 2025.”
Ballentine did seem to like the Malik Nabers addition, referring to him as an “electric rookie receiver,” but he concluded that Darren Waller’s retirement and Saquon Barkley’s departure might cancel out the WR selection in terms of overall production.
“There are a lot of concerns on defense too. Replacing Wink Martindale with Shane Bowen is a transition that could take time, and New York is still looking for answers in the secondary,” the writer went on.
Factoring in the Giants’ cap situation and QB uncertainty both now and in future seasons, Ballentine deduced that “getting traded to the Giants would mean going to a team still searching for important answers on offense and defense without the guarantee of coaching stability or a big contract.”
Aka, a big-name trade candidate’s worst nightmare.
How Can the Giants Remake Their Image in 2024?
The Giants had seemingly begun building a new culture around Daboll in 2022, but that all came crashing down last season amid coaching feuds and embarrassing QB/OL play.
Having said that, Big Blue is still an iconic franchise with a rich history of postseason appearances and NFL titles. The Giants have won four Super Bowls including two over the past 20 years.
They have also been crowned another four times before that, as NFL champions prior to the Super Bowl era.
Couple in the fact that this franchise represents New York City — one of the largest media capitals in the world, if not the largest — and the Giants are not often seen as an undesirable location for an athlete. So, how does Daboll’s team get their image back?
It all starts with him. No player wants to be a part of a dysfunctional locker room, and like it or not, this organization was clearly dysfunctional in 2023.
Once he rights the ship amongst his staff, the NYG head coach must do what he was hired to and either fix Jones or find a starting quarterback elsewhere. That could mean drafting and developing one — something the Giants passed on attempting this spring — or acquiring a veteran and getting more out of them than their previous franchise.
Either way, it all starts with more victories. Players, fans and sports pundits were all excited about Daboll after his first year in New York. Winning does that, and winning can once again change the narrative in 2024.
Bryce Young, Sean Payton & Cap Space Force ‘Least Desirable’ Honor Onto Giants
If you’re wondering how the Giants were deemed less desirable than teams like the Panthers, Broncos and New England Patriots — who ranked fourth — it mostly came down to a few key organizational pillars. Coaching, quarterback ceiling and the ability to pay a trade target big money.
The Patriots edged the Giants in two of those three areas. Drake Maye offers more potential than Jones at this time, even if it’s purely speculative, and New England is also in a much better place financially than Big Blue.
The Broncos and Panthers are worse off in the cap department, but they each had a “silver lining” according to Ballentine.
Denver’s was Sean Payton, who has “a long enough track record of success to have the benefit of the doubt.” Daboll has a track record as an offensive coordinator, but his HC resume is now muddled after one tremendous season and one putrid one.
As for Carolina, it’s Bryce Young that offers a glimmer of hope. Most aren’t ready to give up on the former No. 1 overall selection just yet, especially with QB guru Dave Canales taking over as his new head coach.
