Top questions as camp opens
NEW YORK — The Giants’ goal isn’t just to win more games. It’s to make the playoffs. More than a goal, it is an unspoken mandate, dictated by more than $100 million in offseason spending.
An aggressive spring accelerated the Giants’ steady rebuild under second-year head coach Joe Judge. Ownership aims to put a contender on the field that brings fans back into MetLife Stadium post-pandemic and digs the franchise out of its recent perennial futility.
The Giants believe the opportunity is there in the NFC East, which has ranked as one of the worst divisions in NFL history for two years running.
Here are the three questions to be answered as camp opens, and as Judge tries to turn around a franchise with one playoff appearance and two winning seasons in the last nine years.
How good is the offensive line?
GM Dave Gettleman’s promise and primary charge when he arrived in December 2017 was to fix the O-line. Entering Year 4, the Giants’ front is still a question mark.
Judge has thrown an unprecedented amount of coaches and resources at the offensive front this season, demonstrating the team’s urgency to finally field a consistently competent unit in front of Daniel Jones.
But Rob Sale is this line’s third position coach since Judge got hired in January 2020, with Marc Colombo fired last fall and Dave DeGuglielmo leaving at season’s end.
The focus, of course, should be on the players, but outside of left tackle Andrew Thomas and center Nick Gates, there are no sure things in the Week 1 starting five. Thomas needs to play consistently like the No. 4 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Shane Lemieux, Zach Fulton and Will Hernandez primarily will compete at guard, but someone needs to assert themselves as a stud.
The Giants would like 2020 third-round pick Matt Peart, the former UConn star, to win the right tackle job, but he’s starting camp on the physically unable to perform list, and it’s possible Nate Solder will be needed there in the early going at least.
Which Daniel Jones will we see?
The true evaluation of Jones will happen in the games that count, but in camp, it would be great to see him not to be tentative or turnover prone in the red zone.
In other words, a good camp would see Jones confidently and consistently deliver touchdown passes in the red area, as the Giants need him to do this fall.
The Giants’ 17.5 points per game average was second-worst in the NFL last season ahead of only the Jets’ 15.2. Jones moved the ball well between the 20s at times, but the offense settled for too many field goals and Jones committed some critical mistakes down near the goal line.
What can be expected of the new guys? Receivers Kenny Golladay, John Ross and Kadarius Toney. Corner Adoree Jackson. Tight end Kyle Rudolph. Which of the Giants’ splashy new additions will show out this summer?
Can Golladay form a bond quickly with Jones? Will Ross’ speed add a new downfield dimension? Will Toney push through his positive COVID-19 test and barely miss a beat?
And what of Jackson, the Giants’ free agent overpay on defense to complement their crazy money for Golladay on offense?
Jackson, who missed all but three Titans games due to injury last season, could take the Giants defense to another level if he can lock up the outside opposite James Bradberry. But he also could just as easily be a liability. It’s on Jackson to prove he was worth the cash.