LIFE OF MYSTERY
THE GIANTS, after much maneuvering, are what we thought they were. The machinations that finally resulted in a finished 53-man roster did nothing to alter what this mystery team will look like Sunday, when it takes the field to face the powerhouse (at least on defense) Jaguars in a rare regular-season opener at home. The last time the Giants did not have to travel to start their season was in 2012 — back when Saquon Barkley was running for Whitehall High in Coplay, Pa.; Pat Shurmur was entering his second (and final) year as Browns head coach; and Eli Manning was a mere 31 years old.
Who made the final cut and who did not (most notably Davis Webb) is always compelling but meant nothing as far as the Giants’ lineup in Barkley’s NFL debut, Shurmur’s Giants debut and Manning’s 215th start for the team. The 22 projected starters for more than a month will take their assigned spots, unless outside linebacker Olivier Vernon cannot overcome an ankle injury (possible) and tight end Evan Engram is not cleared from the concussion protocol (unlikely).
When the move that sends the strongest reverberations through the organization is the discarding of a 23-year-old quarterback who has never played in an NFL game, and whose presence on the field this season, via a Manning injury, would have been met with doomsday projections, the ensuing tremors are real, but not seismic.
The most pronounced shock waves were felt months ago, when general manager Dave Gettleman tore up the offensive line, orchestrated a fascinating NFL draft process and made it abundantly clear he wanted to wipe away many vestiges of the 3-13 mess he inherited. The result is five new starters on offense — four on the offensive line, and five if you count Ereck Flowers moving from left to right tackle — and four new starters on defense. The result is also widespread wonderment — no one knows or has a great feel as to what this team is and how it will function.
Can anyone say for sure what the Giants will do well? Any team with Odell Beckham Jr., Barkley, Engram and Sterling Shepard should be explosive, but despite all the upgrades do you want to swear on a sack of bibles that the offensive line is terrific? With Damon “Snacks’’ Harrison and newcomer Alec Ogletree, the Giants believe they will be difficult to run against. But there are probably 20 defenses around the league that feel the same way as they head into their seasons. The secondary has only two sure things, Landon Collins and Janoris Jenkins. After that, it is a guessing game, and that includes the performance of Eli Apple as the No. 2 cornerback.
Shurmur, too, is tough to predict. His bio is right there on pages 19 and 20 of the team’s media guide, chock full of all sorts of information and never once does it mention his record as the Browns’ head coach — he went 9-23 in his two seasons.
Shurmur completed an impressive spring and summer with his new team, simultaneously exhibiting a deft touch around his players and the media while also giving off an “I am in charge’’ vibe with both groups. There is no one in the building, from the top on down, who has anything but glowing words about Shurmur. He is new to the New York maelstrom, though, and the meter starts running on his tenure Sunday at 1 p.m.
Manning looks and sounds rejuvenated, but he is 37. He is spry but still cannot make much of anything happen with his legs. He has an array of talent around him, but nothing moves unless he hits the ignition.
Barkley’s exploits as a Giant are confined to one 39-yard preseason run 27 days ago and a bunch of good stuff early in training camp, before he strained his left hamstring and was put safely on the shelf. No one has actually seen all he can do for the offense, for Manning, for Beckham, for the reshaped offensive line.
What sets him apart, the Giants insist, is that he should not be viewed as a running back but rather as an offensive weapon.
“That’s what makes him special, the fact that he can be a receiver out of the backfield,’’ Manning said. “That’s a matchup we like. Getting him the ball and letting him be an athlete, get the ball to him in space where he can make guys miss and get some big gains for us.’’
That is the plan. Big gains are needed, everywhere, for this mystery Giants team.