The New York Giants turned over just about everything this offseason, and a handful of those bets are already paying off.
With John Harbaugh replacing Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen reshaping the roster, the Giants brought in 10 new starters among their 22. Not every swing connected - Odell Beckham Jr. is called out as one that didn’t quite work - but four of the club’s biggest additions have already justified the gamble.
Tremaine Edmunds may not be the flashiest name in the group, but his impact has been obvious because of what he’s enabling around him. Arvell Reese has been the breakout star on the Giants’ defense, ranging all over the field and looking like a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate.
That role only works because Edmunds is holding down the middle. He has not been flawless, but the veteran linebacker has given New York the steady presence it badly needed.
Through this point, he has 41 tackles, three tackles for loss, and has emerged as a leader for the defense.
Isaiah Likely is making the Giants look smart for trusting him with a bigger role. Questions about whether he could handle starting tight end duties were floating around before the season, and that debate has vanished fast.
He has not only become a dependable starter, he has joined the league’s top tier at the position. Likely leads all tight ends in receiving touchdowns, is fourth in yards, and ranks second in total EPA generated.
He’s now the Giants’ No. 2 target behind Malik Nabers, and the three-year, $40 million deal already has the feel of a bargain.
D.J. Reader has been just as important in a different way.
The Giants’ run defense has not been good - not even close to average - but things would be far worse without him. The 32-year-old defensive tackle has given them real resistance at the point of attack, posting seven run stops and a 77.4 PFF run defense grade, his best in the last half-decade.
New York has had issues with missed tackles, but Reader hasn’t been the reason the unit has struggled. His two-year, $12.5 million deal has already been fully justified.
Jordan Stout rounds out the list, and the Giants made him the richest punter in football for a reason. Harbaugh brought in another former Raven and paid Stout $4.1 million per year, and the early returns have been strong.
He ranks fourth in the NFL in net yards per attempt, fourth in yards per attempt, and fifth in punts inside the opponent’s 20. He has become a steady weapon in the field-position game, and that alone makes the price tag look worthwhile.
In Other News...
Cam Skattebo's Explanation Puts Giants Fans On Notice Again
Cam Skattebo spent part of his latest conversation answering for a moment that stood out in a wet, muddy game and reminded Giants fans why he has become such a talking point so quickly. The rookie running back explained why he went without gloves late, a decision he believed would help him handle the conditions better, and he tied it to the kind of aggressive, no-nonsense style that has made him intriguing early in his time in New York.
The result, though, is what hangs over the explanation now. Skattebo acknowledged the fumble and made clear that ball security has to be front and center as he moves forward, even as he pushed back on doubts about whether he can grow into a lead-back role. For the Giants, the appeal is obvious, but so is the margin for error, and how he responds next will say plenty about where this run-first plan can go from here. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Need Malachi Fields To Answer A Growing Passing Game Concern
The Giants spent the offseason trying to deepen their receiving room, but attrition has thinned that plan quickly. Several of the added pass catchers have already disappeared from the roster because of releases and injuries, leaving Darnell Mooney and rookie Malachi Fields as the main newcomers still standing. Fields flashed enough in the preseason to suggest he could help, and the passing game has otherwise leaned heavily on Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely to carry the load.
Fields is now facing a different kind of test. His early regular-season role has been modest, and the Giants are approaching a stretch in which they may need more than the same familiar targets to keep the offense balanced. With tougher defenses ahead, including a pair of elite secondaries, the margin for a quiet stretch from Fields is getting smaller by the week. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Were Right To Move On From Darius Slayton After All
Darius Slaytons run with the Giants ended the way plenty of roster decisions do in the NFL, with a player who once sat near the top of the passing game suddenly squeezed out by younger options and a changing depth chart. New York moved on after Slayton had previously been its top receiver, a reminder of how quickly a once-prominent role can disappear when a team decides it needs to go in a different direction.
The move has looked even more justified in the weeks since. Slayton landed with the Colts shortly after his release, but his next stop never really got off the ground, and Giants coach John Harbaugh said he expected Slayton would still find another chance to play football. For the Giants, the larger takeaway is less about sentiment and more about roster judgment: sometimes the hard cut is also the right one. [Read more 🡒]