New York Giants 2022 Preview

    The Giants kick off the 2022 season in Tennessee today.  While every season starts undefeated and training camp always has its highlights that lets fan dream, the Giants front office and coaching staff are very realistic about what’s expected this year.
    The Giants needed to clean up the mess left by Gettleman.  The mess not only included an unskilled team, but even worse, a cap situation that makes it impossible to fix for a few years.  Taking last years 4-win team, they then went about cutting their best corner back in James Bradberry- as well as layers like Gibril Peppers and Logan.  Cutting Martinez, their best run, stuffing linebacker right before the season made no sense to me, other than the fact that given he is in his last year of a contract, he wasn’t part of the future plans for the team. They know they are not really trying to win now. 
    His season is meant to evaluate Daniel Jones at QB in his final year of his rookie contract.  I believe he is neither a franchise QB or as bad as he has looked, due to the lack of a line in front  of him or healthy receivers to throw to.  The Addition of Evan Neal at tackle and slight improvements on the lines interior, along with a healthy Barkley, could mean a solid- but likely spectacular- season for Jones.
     The question next year will not be on a big extension or a franchise tag, but more likely whether to renew him for $10-17m per year and acknowledge they will have a game manager. 

    The offense will be improved for 3 reasons.  The line will be better, a healthy Jones was far superior to the backups they had last year - that took a possible 7 win team to 4.  Furthermore,  improved coaching will benefit the Giants.  The coaching staff last year -especially Jason Garret, was the least imaginative there is.  Bringing in good coaching should help more than anything else.   Lastly, a healthy Barkley running behind an improved line won’t hurt either. Mostly it’s the super low bar of last year that means there should be some improvement.
 
    On defense, the Giants are hurt by a cap situation that had them cut valuable players.  Robinson as CB2 does not look like he will hold up and the Giants below the draft by missing out on good 2nd round CBs and eventually took a not ready for prime time Flott in round 3.
Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams are excellent upfront. When they get healthy, a combo of Ojulari and Thibodaux on the outside should mean an adequate pass rush for the first time in many years.
The interior linebackers and some of the secondary is just too weak to compete in todays pass happy NFL so the defense could take a step back unless Thibodaux really comes in and dominates from the start.
Sadly, this all adds up to a 6-11 team.