The Giants clearly are not operating as though president John Mara’s vote of confidence in head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen means anything.
How else do you explain the team’s inaction at the NFL trade deadline?
To recap: Mara told reporters before the Giants’ Week 8 game against the Steelers that “we are not making any changes this season, and I do not anticipate making any changes in the offseason either.”
This was in regard to Daboll’s and Schoen’s job security. Mara preached that he wants to be more patient like his late father, Wellington, and not continue a revolving door of coaches. Mara fired the previous three coaches after only two seasons, and Daboll is now in his third season.
The Giants (2-7) have since lost two more games. They are favored to beat the Panthers (2-7) Sunday in Germany, but after that they may not be favored again in their final seven games. So there is still plenty of time for the season to go from bad to an utter disaster.
That’s why “anticipate” was the operative word from Mara. He insists he is committed to giving Daboll and Schoen a chance to turn around this franchise that has had only one winning season in the past eight years, but he also reserves the right to change his mind.
If Schoen truly believed that his regime was safe, why not move players like linebacker Azeez Ojulari and wide receiver Darius Slayton for more draft capital before Tuesday’s trade deadline?
Long-term growth is more important than squeezing out a couple more meaningless wins when the Giants aren’t going to the playoffs and that would only hurt their draft standing.
Or perhaps Schoen and Daboll aren’t convinced that their jobs are safe regardless of how the on-field product looks for the rest of the season. That makes more sense.
Ojulari and Slayton are set to become free agents after the season. The Giants could re-sign them, but it is certainly no guarantee, especially for a player like Ojulari, who won’t come cheaply and is only a rotational piece for this defense when the Giants are healthy.
Ojulari has six sacks and nine QB hits this season and has started the past four games. He could be coming off the bench again as soon as two weeks from now if Kayvon Thibodeaux is ready to return from his wrist injury after the Giants’ bye week.
Depth is important in football obviously, but it’s hard to see the Giants shelling out upwards of $10 million annually on a long-term contract for Ojulari when they are probably going to need to find new starters at quarterback, wide receiver, right guard, defensive tackle, cornerback and safety next offseason.
Even if the Giants were underwhelmed by Ojulari’s market at the deadline, moving him for something this past week would have been better than losing him for nothing in March.
The Giants would only receive a compensatory pick for Ojulari in 2026 if they don’t cancel out that loss with another signing, and that’s unlikely to happen. The team is projected to have about $67.5 million in cap space if it cuts quarterback Daniel Jones as expected after the season.
Not trading Slayton, meanwhile, was more understandable if the Giants are confident that they will re-sign him as their No. 2 receiver next season considering he is on at pace this year for career highs in catches and yards. And the on-field product would have suffered more in the short term with the Giants currently averaging only 15.4 yards per game.
But for the Giants to ultimately trade nobody and acquire nobody was a puzzling decision at this point in the season. Their only move was to cut cornerback Nick McCloud, a respected player in the locker room, to save around $1 million, which doesn’t exactly speak to a culture of competitiveness.
Schoen is expected to speak to the media next week, so surely some questions on this topic will be answered.
But one thing is clear: As much as Mara wanted to downplay it, there remains an uneasy feeling around the building that if the Giants continue to put an embarrassing product on the field over these next eight weeks, there may not be enough proof that the current regime is capable of resurrecting this franchise from the dead.
The Giants might end up starting over. Again.
Giants Gameday
The Game: Giants (2-7) vs. Panthers (2-7), Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany, Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET (NFLN)
The Line: New York by 4.5
History: The Panthers lead the all-time series since 1996, 7-6, but the Giants have won the last two matchups in 2022 and 2021.
Key Matchups:
Giants C John Michael Schmitz vs. Panthers DT Shy Tuttle: Schmitz has had a solid second season in New York and should have the upper hand in pass protection and run blocking this week against a mediocre Panthers interior line. Carolina is allowing a league-high 159.3 rushing yards per game.
Giants TE Theo Johnson vs. Panthers S Xavier Woods: Johnson got more involved in the passing game last week vs. the Commanders with three catches for a career-high 51 yards and his first NFL touchdown. The rookie is an x-factor for this Giants offense. Woods has one interception and two passes defended while patrolling the middle of the field and starting all nine games this season.
Giants run defense vs. Panthers RB Jonathan Brooks: Carolina’s second-round rookie might make his season debut after recovering from a torn ACL. Brooks would in a timeshare with Chuba Hubbard, who is fifth in the NFL in rushing yards. The Giants are allowing the fourth-most rushing yards per game and most yards per rush, so even if Brooks doesn’t play, this will be a tough assignment.
Giants OLB Brian Burns vs. Panthers RT Taylor Moton: Burns has one sack in four of the past five games and will be amped up to perform well against the team that drafted him. Moton is an eighth-year pro who has started 106 games and helps anchor an above-average Carolina offensive line.
Injury Report:
Giants: OUT: WR Darius Slayton (concussion), WR Bryce-Ford Wheaton (Achilles); QUESTIONABLE: K Graham Gano (right hamstring), S Jason Pinnock (abdomen), LB Matt Adams (calf), ILB Darius Muasau (hamstring).
Panthers: OUT: WR Adam Thielen (hamstring), OT Ikem Ekwonu (ankle); DOUBTFUL: S Jamme Robinson (knee); QUESTIONABLE: RB Jonathon Brooks (knee), OLB Jadeveon Clowney (rest/knee), S Lonnie Johnson Jr. (quadricep), S Jordan Fuller (hamstring), TE Tommy Tremble (back), OLB D.J. Wonnum (quadricep).
Giant Facts: The Giants are 3-0 in games played in Europe, the most recent one coming against the Packers in London in 2022. … The Giants’ 15.4 points per game rank last in the NFL. … The Giants are one of 16 teams who have yet to convert a two-point attempt and the only team to do so with more than two attempts (0-for-6).
The Prediction: Giants 24, Panthers 20
Source: Berkshire mont