The Giants may not have planned it this way, but hanging on to Kayvon Thibodeaux is starting to look like the kind of move that ages well fast.
New York passed on trading the 2022 No. 5 pick this offseason, even with reported interest from the Saints, and the early days of training camp are already giving that decision some cover. Injuries are hitting defenses around the league, and that kind of chaos tends to make patience look a lot smarter than urgency.
Carolina lost edge rusher Nic Scourton to a torn ACL last Friday, a blow that is almost certainly season-ending. Then on Wednesday, the Saints saw Bryan Bresee go down with a significant knee injury. Bresee’s injury wouldn’t have changed much for Thibodeaux in a direct sense - Thibodeaux is an edge rusher, while Bresee plays on the interior - but it still underscores the same point: availability can flip a team’s plans in a hurry.
That’s been the theme across the league already. Roy Robertson-Harris and Gunnar Olszewski both suffered likely season-ending Achilles injuries during offseason team workouts, and undrafted rookie cornerback Thaddeus Dixon tore his Achilles in rookie minicamp before even getting to OTAs.
So while nobody is trying to invite more bad luck, the Giants come out of this looking wise for not moving Thibodeaux just to move on. Injuries can rewrite a player’s season, his role, even his future, and one setback is often all it takes.
Schoen is applying that same logic elsewhere, too. Devin Singletary and Jalin Hyatt are also in contract years, and both are unlikely to play major roles by Week 1.
That still doesn’t mean Thibodeaux is untouchable. A trade could still happen down the line, and his value should only rise if the injury wave keeps rolling. For now, though, the Giants are sitting on a 25-year-old edge rusher with 23.5 career sacks - and that’s not a bad place to be.
In Other News...
Jalin Hyatt Suddenly Has One Clear Path Out Of New York
Jalin Hyatt has spent training camp in a difficult spot with the Giants, and the way things are lining up now, the receiver may be staring at an exit before long. New York still has decisions to make, but Hyatts profile as a vertical outside threat gives him a clean fit elsewhere if the roster math breaks against him, which is why teams like the Panthers and 49ers are worth watching.
Carolina in particular stands out because the receiver room took a hit with rookie Chris Brazzell II sidelined by an LCL tear. That opens a possible lane for Hyatt to step into the kind of vertical outside role Brazzell was expected to handle, giving him a more natural opportunity than he might find in San Francisco. For a player trying to salvage his footing, the next move may come down to whether a team can offer not just a roster spot, but a clear role. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Have An Early Slot Decision That Could Change Their Offense
Training camp has put the Giants in early mode on a receiver group that needs a new answer inside after WanDale Robinsons departure. The front office and coaching staff are sorting through the depth chart with an eye toward keeping the passing game fast and functional, and Calvin Austin III has emerged as a natural fit for the slot because of the way he can work underneath and create quick separation.
Darnell Mooney gives the group a different kind of value, and it is one reason the Giants believe they can build a passing attack that does more than simply replace one players role. His ability to threaten defenses vertically changes how opponents have to line up, and the Giants are trying to settle on a combination that keeps that speed on the field without making the offense easy to predict. [Read more 🡒]
Odell Beckham Jr. Is Giving Giants Fans A Familiar Feeling Again
Odell Beckham Jr. has already given Giants fans a few reminders of why he became such a magnetic player in the first place. At training camp, he has been popping up with the kind of catches that used to turn practice into a show, including a toe-tapping grab in the end zone, and he has done it while trying to carve out a spot in a wide receiver room that does not have much room to spare.
For the Giants, the appeal is bigger than just the highlight reel. Beckham is not being asked to come in as the primary option, but he does look positioned to claim one of the few available spots and provide a steady target in the passing game. Just as important, his presence around a young receiver group could give the team something it has been missing, even if the final shape of his role is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]