It's that time of year, the time when the dust has settled and the shine has already worn thin on early offseason moves. It's a time when the fruits of labor are dissected and analyzed like never before because all we have is time. Time to sit with our thoughts... which unfortunately leaves the low-hanging fruit ripe for the picking.
Most OTAs and minicamps have wrapped up, leaving long breaks between now and training camp. However, that doesn't necessarily mean there isn't any news to report. There are still ongoing camp absences and contract disputes needing to be addressed, making trade season more prevalent than imagined. Star players like Jalen Ramsey, Micah Parsons, and Trey Hendrickson come to mind, making this portion of trade season even more interesting.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay basically says no trade target in their right mind would want to land in East Rutherford — at least not one who values stability. (Kay’s words, not mine.) According to their latest article, the New York Giants are one of the least desirable locations for a trade ahead of training camp. As I said earlier, low-hanging fruit is in season.
Bleacher Report lists Giants as least desirable trade destination
After a tumultuous 3-14 season, general manager Joe Schoen set out to do one thing and one thing only: Improve the roster. From an outsider looking in, it seems he has done exactly that. Quarterback room? Check. Offensive line? Check. Defensive line? Check. Secondary? Check.
In all, Schoen brought in important pieces that upgraded just about every individual unit on the roster. Receiver and tight end might be the only spots that didn’t get a clear upgrade. That's a pretty solid offseason. The cherry on top is the 2025 draft class headlined by first-round picks Abdul Carter and Jaxson Dart. The class is expected to come in and perform just as well, if not better, than the 2024 class, which might have saved Schoen's job.
Still, despite the on-paper upgrades, strong OTAs, and actual signs of competence, the G-Men can’t seem to shake the “clown show” label.
Kay wrote, "With a nightmarish salary-cap situation (only one team has less available dollars) and a regime likely on its way out with yet another reboot on the horizon, players should be wary about being traded to the Giants this offseason."
Head coach Brian Daboll and Schoen's hot seats are well-documented. That's not surprising. And yes, they don't have as much cap space as they'd like, but that's what happens when you pay for talent in free agency. Paulson Adebo, Jevón Holland, and Russell Wilson aren't going to come cheap.
Speaking of Russ, Kay acknowledges the new QB room, but fails to say anything positive about it: "The Giants quarterback situation is one of the NFL's strangest, with both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston coming aboard in free agency before being joined by No. 25 overall pick Jaxson Dart shortly after."
What exactly is so strange about it? Russ is the starter. Jameis is the veteran backup (like he has been for several seasons now). Dart is the rookie waiting in the wings and developing on the sidelines. That sounds more calculated and thought-out than strange to me, but to each their own.
Maybe it’s not the most glamorous setup. Maybe it still looks a little clunky from the outside. But undesirable or not, it finally feels like they're working toward something. And for now, that’s more than fans could say a year ago.