EAST RUTHERFORD — Conversations will be necessary. A critical eye is needed in all areas.
The Giants enter the final week of Brian Daboll's second season as head coach, and as they turn the page and look to the near future with general manager Joe Schoen and Daboll leading the way, they figure out what went wrong and the process of getting things right will be crucial to the franchise's success and both men remaining at the forefront as the faces of this era. .
Here are five burning questions heading into the Giants' Week 18 finale against the Eagles:
1. Is Joe Schoen ready to move to quarterback?
Much has been said about Tommy DeVito and what he couldn't do for the Giants as a starting quarterback, and what Tyrod Taylor does best. DeVito didn't make the most notable big plays, but he didn't turn it over in six starts. This is a skill. Tyrod is a bum. It is also a bust.
The best analogy I can make about Tyrod in Attack on Titan: He's the golfer that everyone in the tee box watches in amazement. Oh man he can beat her. It can be an adventure on the greens, though. DeVito takes the irons, plays from the get-go, doesn't wow you much, but grinds from hole to hole.
Taylor is the better quarterback and DeVito is still developing. He'd be lucky to build a resume anywhere close to Tyrod's. But what you get with Tyrod you also sacrifice. You get the bomb to Darius Slayton, not a lot of players make that throw, but you also get a goal line foul on Buffalo and a missed two-point shot to Saquon Barkley.
What Taylor and DeVito showed in Daniel Jones' absence: The Giants should want it all at quarterback. You don't have to sacrifice one skill at the expense of another. As with Jones: questions about leadership and potential versus durability and lack of production. That's why Schoen should pull the trigger on a rookie QB in the draft if the evaluation leads him there.
QB is the way to compete with the best teams in the league. The right choice makes it easier to build around the situation. I think it's backwards thinking to think everything has to be perfect before you get a QB. A QB is not a finishing piece – he is the foundation. We'll eventually find out if Schoen sees things the same way.
2. Can Brian Daboll and Wink Martindale move forward together?
When a team fails to meet expectations the way the Giants have this season, there are going to be changes. One of those areas will be on Daboll's coaching staff, and ever since the report surfaced that the head coach and his defensive coordinator, Wink Martindale, were “in a bad place,” speculation has been hanging there like a storm cloud.
The Giants have built their defense in the Martindale mold. Players were added to fit his system. Yes, there is a personal conflict at times between Daboll and Martindale. But sometimes that's not a bad thing, as long as both sides can find a way to do the job. The organization needs to find a way to get these two to work out any differences they may have. A lot has been invested in this relationship and this defense, especially from a players perspective, to save them before a crucial Year 3.
3. Will Saquon Barkley return?
Barkley learned a hard lesson about the NFL and the business side of the sport. He wouldn't get any of the incentives he settled for on the eve of training camp, and he wouldn't get any money because the Giants didn't head to the playoffs. Barkley wants to be here, but we'll find out sooner rather than later if Schoen and Daboll feel the same way and make a financial commitment to assure everyone that Sunday's finale isn't him singing in a Giants uniform.
4. Is fixing the offensive line the top priority?
Of the current issues hampering the roster as it currently stands, it's hard to say anything else. Evan Neal's condition with surgery on his ankle is a big part of that puzzle, and the uncertainty surrounding whether he can improve to a level worthy of the No. 7 overall pick in 2022. The Giants should seriously consider bringing in a new voice to the unit's head coach, though. Although the history between Daboll and OL coach Bobby Johnson is something he will have to confront head-on if we are to make such a move. They may need three new players at both the guard positions and right tackle if Neal can't be counted on.
5. How many cornerstones does this franchise really have?
Andrew Thomas and Dexter Lawrence are nearing the top of their position, both under contract after signing lucrative extensions before the 2023 season. Bobby Okereke has worked his way to the next level. After that, the youth are served. Kayvon Thibodeau is a good player, and as Martindale says, he may not have a “ceiling.”
Deonte Banks had a promising first season and showed all the tools to be an exceptional corner, which is a niche.
It's too early to elevate any other players to cornerstone level, but it's clear the Giants need more offense to build around than they do now. This is something Schoen and Daboll need to realize.
