DECISIONS: 5 Questions That Could Sway GIANTS DIRECTION

0:00Hey everyone, this is Ross Jackson, one of the hosts of The Lockdown Podcast Network. Thank you for being here, because your support means everything. And if you're looking for another way to support the show that you love, while getting something awesome in return, check out the Every Day or Club. You get ad free episodes of your favorite lockdown show, access to a members-only group chat for fans of your team, and you can even jump into the national chats and talk about whatever's happening across the league. Tap the Every Day or Club link in the show notes to learn more. On today's Lockdown Giants Podcast, five questions to which we still don't know the answers to, but which, once we find out, will determine a lot. You are Lockdown Giants, your daily New York Giants Podcast, part of the Lockdown Podcast

1:04Network, your team, every day. Hello New York Giants and welcome to Lockdown Giants, I'm your host Patricia Trayna, and on today's mini episode of Lockdown Giants, you know, the Giants have answered a lot of questions. It seems in free agency regarding possible directions that they want the franchise to go in under New Head Coach John Harbaugh, but there are still some very glare questions that haven't been answered just yet, and they're very important that they get answered sooner than later, because I think they're going to tell us a lot about potential personnel moves, potential schemes and whatnot. So on today's mini show, I've got five questions that I'm going to go over. I'm going to tell you what I think is going to happen. I'm going to tell you why the questions are so important and just how that's going to help to shape the Giants moving forward. So again, welcome on into everybody.

2:05All right, let's get into the first question. Now we all know that the Giants haven't really addressed offensive line, particularly that right guard spot. They brought back Joshua Azudu, they brought back at the Niel. They had Jacobus, but what we don't know, and this could determine what the Giants ultimately do in the draft, what are their plans for Marcus Boe? Now last year, we all know Marcus Boe was kept at tackle by the previous coaching staff. There were some times at the end of last year where Marcus Boe dabbled a little bit, if you will, in the guard spot at the guard spot towards the end of the year, that he confirmed to me. But where is his future moving forward? Do they want him to stay strictly at tackle where, by the way, they just resigns your main aluminum or to be the starting right tackle? So is Marcus Boe going to be the swing guy? Or do they have a bigger role in mind for him?

3:07And I'm not saying that even if the Giants move Marcus Boe to guard, that should put an end to any speculation or any hope that the Giants draft the guard. But where they maybe ultimately take a guard or what type of guard they ultimately take, that all could hinge on what they do with Marcus Boe, who I don't really think played it as much in college, but is guard who's going to be his future? Is he going to cross train? And I would think it would make sense to cross train him at guard, really get into that. So that's something, obviously, we're going to want to find out moving forward what the Giants coaches. So what I think of Marcus Boe is he going to be strictly at tackle and, you know, for the time being a swing tackle, or does he have a future at guard? All right, the next question that the Giants need to get an answer to is Deontay Banks salvageable? Now, this is a guy who, as we all know, in 2023, he was the first overall pick by the

4:11Giants in the draft, the first round pick. This is a guy who has a world of talent who, his talent suggests he should be one of the upper echelon cornerbacks in the lead. That said, bad habits and inability to adapt to coaching, I mean, he's been through what two position coaches since he's come to the Giants, Benchings, I mean, attitude questions. There's been a lot that has gone wrong for Deontay Banks, that the Giants just haven't been able to solve. Now, as we know, John Harboss coming in, giving everybody a clean slate, that also applies to Deontay Banks. The big question is, does he take advantage of it? Now, last year, interestingly enough, you know, we heard in the off season how Banks was engaged, how he was asking the right questions, he was working hard, et cetera, et cetera. But he didn't beat out Cordell Flop.

5:13So questions about, was it the talent, was it the skiing, was it the coaching, or was it the player? And that's something that the Giants have got to figure out because, look, I sit here today and I tell you that cornerback is a big need for the Giants. But maybe they have had discussions with the player, maybe they feel they can, you know, would Juvenade his career, get him back on the right track, get more out of him? I don't know the answer to it, that's something the Giants are going to need to find out and find out in a hurry because Banks is in the final year of his deal. So, you know, Banks, it's basically, prove it or move it, as they say. All right, coming up next, I've got three more big burning questions that the Giants need answers to and I'll tell you what those are right after this. Hey Giants fans, this is the time of year where all you really want is something warm, easy, and satisfying.

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9:21family. Now the number one sports podcast network in America. I be host Patricia Trayna and of course, welcome to our blue crew community members. Our newcomers are every dayers and everybody in between. Thank you for spending part of your day with us here on the Lockdown Giants podcast on today's mini episode. We're talking about the biggest glaring questions of the New York Giants that's questions that depending on the answer could the could sway the direction the Giants ultimately take. Okay. So in the first part, we talked about what they're going to do with Marcus Bow, is he a guard or is he going to be a tackle or is he going to be foe? We talked about the Ante Banks, who's just been an absolute bus so far. So I've got three more for you and I'm going to start with Jaylin Hyatt. Now Jaylin Hyatt, unlike the Ante Banks, he's worked at his craft. He has really given it his all, but for whatever the reason, they haven't been able to get the most out of him.

10:22It just seems like the last two springs, Jaylin Hyatt has been like the best looking player, one of the best looking players on offense. And then we get the training camp and we get to the preseason and all that just seems to evaporate. So the question now becomes, can this new coaching staff work with Jaylin Hyatt to get him over the hump that he's been unable to get over with the previous staff? And that could go a long way towards depending, defining the future of the receiver core. Jaylin Hyatt, remember, this is a guy they traded up to get for in the third round, has not pinned out, which is unfortunate because I do know the cake gives it his all. But you know, the other thing with Jaylin Hyatt is he had this big learning curve coming out of Tennessee and I just don't know if the coaching was there to help him get over that learning curve, you know, or to help him shorten the learning curve, I should say.

11:23If they can get something out of him as he goes into the final year of his deal, then that's a bonus for the giants. So fingers crossed for Jaylin Hyatt because like I said, good kid, I know he works at it, but something's holding him back. Okay. Now the next question, and this one, I think I know the answer to, but I'm going to throw it out there anyway, are the giants going to stick primarily with Drew Phillips as their slot corner bat, or are they going to rotate different guys in there? They have different guys that can play the slot and Drew Phillips to his credit has been pretty solid. I mean, he's had some ups and downs last year, but for the most part, you know, he's probably the least, one of the least of the problems that the giants have. So what is going to be his role moving forward? So you're going to primarily be the slot guy, or are they going to rotate different guys in there to get better matchups, especially when the opposing teams put larger slot receivers

12:26in there? I don't know the answer to that. I mean, I would be inclined to say that Drew Phillips is probably going to get that job back, but I can see a world where they rotate or not rotate, have a committee, if you will, and play it according to matchups with that slot receiver position. That would not surprise me in the lease. So that's something we'll obviously need to keep an eye on, because going back to what I said about corner bat being a problem, corner bat depth, that would fall under that, you know, area, if you will. And then the last question that I think the giants need to ask themselves, are they done with wide receiver? Now there are still people in mock drafts who say that giants absolutely need to add another wide receiver. And they do, you know, they can use another X receiver. They don't know if they're going to have, you know, Malik neighbors to start this season

13:27or Malik neighbors is ever going to be the same after that ACL injury and all the other issues that he had in that knee. But here's another part of the equation that I don't think enough people are talking about. And this, you know, I get it, it's not the primary job of a receiver, but it's important nonetheless. And that is the ability to downfill block. Now receivers, when they're on the field and it's a running play, their job now becomes to block down the field to help open things up at the second level and beyond for the running backs. Mondale Robinson was really good at that. I don't think a lot of people noticed it, but Mondale was really good when it came to downfill blocking. And I think according to pro football focus, last year he was the highest graded run blocker amongst the receivers on the giants. So he's gone now.

14:29Do the giants have enough physical receivers that if they're called upon to run block, they can handle it. Now interestingly, Matt Nagy, who came over from Kansas City, that was one of the problems he had there. Some of his receivers were not really good run blockers. And again, I know that run blocking is like a secondary responsibility for a receiver, but it is important. It's an important part of the offense. I mean, go back and look at the tape and at random, you'll see on some of the better runs in the NFL. You will see that usually a receiver is downfill blocking or sealing off a guy, which springs that running back for additional yards. So that is a big question that the giants need to ask themselves because the guys that they have added at receiver so far, while they should certainly help with the passing game, they're run blocking scores according to pro football focus, not as good as what

15:32Mondale scores were. So that's another question that the giants have to ask themselves when it comes to the continuing reshaping of the roster. All that being said, folks, I feel good about the direction the roster is headed. Of course, we won't know until they actually get on the field and they actually put the pads on and we start seeing a real football, but on paper, it looks like an impressive direction that they're headed. But as I've said before, championships are not one in March. So still plenty of work to be done as a giant shape, John Harbaugh's first giant roster of his tenure. All right, Jay Pins, I will see you tomorrow on the Lockdown Giants podcast.