The Giants didn’t make a splash at the trade deadline, and that was the point. Instead of forcing a move, they stayed put and kept their focus on what’s already in front of them: a defense that’s humming, a rookie linebacker who keeps showing up everywhere, and a quarterback situation that appears to be trending in the right direction.
J.J. McCarthy was on the practice field Tuesday, and the early signs around the Giants suggest he and Cam Skattebo are both lining up to play.
That matters for a team that has already been juggling quarterbacks and still sits at 5-2-1. The next stretch will be about keeping that momentum intact, not chasing headlines.
Skattebo made it clear he doesn’t think the Giants need outside help at running back. “You’ve seen what I can do,” Skattebo said.
“When I come out and I’m ready to play football, I can be one of the most dangerous backs in the league. Simple as that.”
The Giants’ confidence in their current group also extends to the defense, where John Harbaugh praised Dennard Wilson’s work adjusting on the fly. The changes have been varied and deliberate, with blitzes, simulated pressure, two-deep and three-deep looks, man coverage, and zone all showing up in the mix. Even when opponents have moved the ball, the players have been able to handle the shifting picture.
“I think he’s done a great job with that. I mean, to me that’s one of the important things in coaching, a mark of a great coach, is the ability to adapt to your personnel, your circumstances, the opponent, all those things, and have a system built that’s able to do that,” Harbaugh said. “And Dennard and the whole coaching staff have done a great job of that.”
That adaptability has helped unlock Arvell Reese, who has become one of the more intriguing young pieces on the roster. Through eight games, Reese has played at least 30 snaps at seven different spots: right inside linebacker, left inside linebacker, right linebacker, right EDGE, left linebacker, middle linebacker and left EDGE. The Giants never treated his role like something that had to be solved immediately, and that flexibility has paid off.
The bigger picture around Reese is simple: he looks like a player the Giants can build around. He’s 21, the team is in Year 1 under John Harbaugh and Dennard Wilson, and the experimentation has been part of the plan from the start. The result is a defense that can move pieces around without losing its edge.
That’s why the deadline quiet didn’t feel like a miss. It felt like a vote of confidence in the roster as it stands.
The Giants already have young talent flashing, a veteran anchor in D.J. Reader, and a defense that’s earned plenty of attention for the way it’s playing.
Reader, for his part, is still beating the age curve. At 32, he’s embraced the idea that he’s one of the “old heads” in the room, and he’s turned that into production.
PFF listed Reader as the highest-graded player on the Giants with a 90.0 overall mark through nine games, and noted that his grade leads all qualified interior defenders this season. He’s also the only player at the position with an 80.0-plus PFF run-defense and pass-rush grade.
So while the deadline came and went without a move, the Giants’ story stayed centered on what they already have: a defense that keeps adjusting, a rookie who can line up all over the field, and enough belief in their own pieces to stand pat.
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