Now that John Harbaugh is in the room, maybe the New York Giants will stop letting promising players leave the building, only to become key pieces somewhere else. It's a tired method. One that's crushed this once proud franchise for too long.
However, in this zero-sum game, former Giants players are coming out winners. And there might not be a bigger surprise winner than defensive lineman Cory Durden, who turned his career around in his first season away from East Rutherford with the New England Patriots.
The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder wasted no time making the most of his increased playing time. His shocking ascension came at the perfect time for the Pats, who are on their way to another Super Bowl. According to Daniel Rotman, the undrafted defender out of Florida State has been a completely different player since leaving the Meadowlands:
2023-24 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
Snaps | 128 | 476 |
QB hits | 0 | 1 |
QB pressures | 4 | 30 |
Tackles | 13 | 30 |
Tackles for loss | 1 | 5 |
Cory Durden’s breakout season is a message the Giants hate to see
Big Blue cut ties with Durden on August 26 of last season. The Pats wasted no time signing him to their practice squad on August 28, before calling him up to the big leagues on September 6.
The Giants got their first taste of Durden's homemade humble pie after their Week 13 drubbing by the Patriots, when the 26-year-old put together a strong performance against the team that cut him. New England head coach Mike Vrabel took that pie and smashed it in the G-Men’s face with his postgame comments, not-so subtly calling out the organization’s decision-making process.
Related: Giants castoff exposes painful failure in NY's disastrous roster building
Of course, it’s not just the player. The coaching staff and defensive scheme matter a lot, too. But if I go down that rabbit hole, we’re staring right at another glaring indictment of the G-Men's previously terrible roster construction. So let's not, because the Harbaugh vibes are at an all-time high right now.
There will be a couple of upcoming Giants free agents who have another Cory Durden situation written all over them:
- LB Micah McFadden
- TE Daniel Bellinger
- OL Evan Neal (I can already see this one becoming a nightmare)
- SAF Dane Belton
It wouldn't surprise me if literally any of those four (Neal not as much, but he was a top-10 pick not five years ago) broke out with a new team due to increased playing time or better scheme fit. It's a Big Blue specialty.
Harbs has to hear the message loud and clear: this team can't afford to let talent walk and succeed elsewhere. That's some old regime-type stuff. We're onto bigger and better things from here on out.