For a brief period this past spring, New York Giants receiver Darnell Mooney felt destined to break out — and as absurd as it might sound, there was a degree of common sense involved.
Mooney had played for offensive coordinator Matt Nagy in Chicago, and he brought familiarity to a receiving corps lacking both Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton during offseason workouts. No one expected him to easily top 1,000 yards, but he certainly had the potential to be a capable No. 2 or No. 3 receiver.
Fast forward to late August, and it’s unclear whether Mooney will even make the Week 1 roster. He surprisingly didn’t play against the Dolphins on Saturday, and there has been mounting speculation that he could be traded within the coming weeks.
Harbaugh cleared up the mystery late Saturday night, explaining that Mooney had brief, approved leave to serve as best man at his brother’s wedding.
While family comes first, the Giants’ failure to communicate his absence only fueled the trade speculation — and it doesn't change the underlying issue that Mooney's quiet training camp has seemingly left him on the roster bubble.
New York Giants receiver Darnell Mooney has quickly emerged as Joe Schoen’s latest failure
At least on paper, Schoen did plenty right this past offseason. Acquiring a first-round pick for All-Pro defensive tackle-turned-malcontent Dexter Lawrence was a storke of pure genius, and he earned rave reviews for how many of John Harbaugh’s former players, including Isaiah Likely and Pat Ricard, he was able to help bring to New York.
In fairness to Schoen, he only guaranteed Mooney $3 million upon signing. Most of us would love to be guaranteed $3 million! But for the Giants, it was a relatively risk-free move. The worst-case scenario was that he wouldn’t pan out and they wouldn’t be tied to him beyond this year … which is seemingly exactly what has happened.
Nabers is still in ramp-up mode, Jalin Hyatt is out with a leg injury, and the Giants already cut JuJu Smith-Schuster. Yet we’ve heard nothing noteworthy about Mooney in recent weeks, and any hopes that he’s someone who simply plays at his best during meaningful (or, in the case of the preseason, semi-meaningful) games died on Saturday.
Schoen and the Giants already got a late-round pick back for veteran offensive lineman Daniel Faalele, who joined the team earlier this offseason after playing for Harbaugh in Baltimore. In theory, it’s not impossible that the 28-year-old Mooney could fetch a similar price. The Seahawks just lost Jake Bobo to a knee injury, and the reigning champions can afford to take a chance on someone like Mooney.
It’s nonetheless unfortunate that Mooney’s time in New York appears to be in its final days. Reuniting with Nagy should have worked out for all parties, and there was legitimate reason for optimism. That also applied to Faalele, even if he was slated to be a backup. Both brought starting experience and knew the coaching staff incredibly well.
If the Giants do indeed part ways with Mooney, that would imply that Braxton Berrios will make the Week 1 roster. Nabers and rookie Malachi Fields are guaranteed spots, as is Slayton if he’s not traded. Odell Beckham Jr. had 17 yards on two catches against the Dolphins, and we’ll see how much he plays against the Jets next weekend.
Then, there’s Calvin Austin III, who had a 21-yard run and a 20-yard catch against Miami. He finished with 45 offensive yards on three touches and another 29 yards on two punt returns. All signs point to him also making the roster.
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