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You ask, we answer. The GAG is fielding questions from readers about New York’s biggest pro sports teams and getting our beat writers to answer them in a series of regularly published mailbags. In today’s installment: the Giants. We all know that the Giants’ O-line has been a horror for many years now. … How …
You ask, we answer. The GAG is fielding questions from readers about New York’s biggest pro sports teams and getting our beat writers to answer them in a series of regularly published mailbags. In today’s installment: the Giants.
We all know that the Giants’ O-line has been a horror for many years now. … How much of the Giants’ O-line problems were due to poor coaching (including stubbornly keeping Ereck Flowers as a tackle)? And with [Jason] Garrett as the new OC in tandem with his trusted O-line coach [Marc Colombo] who have a track record of developing stout offensive lines, is it reasonable or wishful thinking that we will see improved performance from the unit? — Bob Donnelly
Two valid questions. I put the blame on the failures of Ereck Flowers mostly on Flowers. He did not work hard enough to fix his glaring technique issues despite getting excellent coaching early in his career. Have you considered the front office (i.e. former GM Jerry Reese) did not want Flowers moved inside to guard because it would make his selection with the No. 9-overall pick look bad? One of the real disappointments of the Pat Shurmur regime was that it became evident he did not put together a strong staff. I do not think offensive line coach Hal Hunter was a good fit with Flowers.
It is not wishful thinking to expect Garrett and Colombo will get the best out of whatever offensive linemen they get to work with. From what I hear, Colombo is an excellent teacher and a very spirited coach. He did an outstanding job with the Cowboys, and there is every reason to believe he will do a good job with the Giants. Of course, he is not a miracle worker; he needs good players.
What are the chances of re-signing Markus Golden? If not, what other pass-rushers can the Giants add since it looks like they’ll address offensive line in the first round of the draft? — Noah
First of all, we do not know for certain the Giants will address offensive line in the first round. We do know they will take an offensive lineman high in the draft, but it is not set in stone that selection will come in the first round.
The Giants are not the only team to pass up Golden in free agency. There are 31 other teams that took a look at Golden’s body of work — and yes, his 10 sacks for the Giants last season — and determined what he is asking for is not commensurate with what he is worth. The player does not set the market, the market sets the market. Golden proved in 2019 that he could stay healthy and that his surgically repaired knee could hold up through the rigors of a season. But he also missed plenty of practice time as the Giants navigated through the knee issue. Golden will land somewhere, but I do not think this Giants coaching regime is particularly keen on him. This new group values versatility, and Golden is not the most versatile player. Plus, the Giants signed Kyler Fackrell in free agency, and he in many ways is a duplicate of Golden.
Paul, based upon what you saw last year, do you think the Giants made the right move in last year’s draft by using the sixth-overall pick to take Daniel Jones? — Greg
I cannot tell a lie: I was surprised when the Giants took Daniel Jones at No. 6. I knew they liked him and I figured he would be on the board at No. 17 for the Giants. I was wrong about that. At least one other team — the Broncos — would have taken Jones before the Giants got to him at No. 17. Looking back at what Jones was able to do as a rookie, I think it was an excellent pick. Am I sold on Jones being a franchise quarterback? No, not yet. But he really did put together a more-than-respectable rookie year. He was thrown onto the field much more quickly than anyone anticipated. His only glaring problem was ball security — not holding on to the ball and losing it on fumbles. His rate of interceptions (12 in 459 pass attempts) was completely acceptable. It is hard to find quarterbacks, and at this point, I would say Jones has plenty of upside.
Does the current Giants regime think highly enough about Daniel Jones long term that they would pass on Tua Tagovailoa if he is still sitting there when it is the Giants’ turn to draft at No. 4? — Pete Ghobrial
Short answer: Yes.
Longer answer: Yes, the Giants think enough about Jones’ long-term potential that they would pass on Tagovailoa in this year’s draft. The best-case scenario for the Giants is they trade down with the Dolphins or Chargers if one of those teams is hot for Tua.
As a longtime season-ticket holder, what are the Giants’ plans for ticket prices this year and when will the bill have to be paid? — Lawrence Traino
We have reported the Giants are delaying payment deadlines amid the coronavirus outbreak. And I believe the Giants will not be raising ticket prices for the 2020 season. That is just about the only good thing about a bad season: Ownership knows it is difficult to justify raising ticket prices coming off a lousy year. I am fairly certain most fans would rather have a really good team and pay a few more bucks than what has gone down the past few years.
