The New York Giants 2023 season was a nightmare for fans and the organization. The off season seemed to only add fuel to that fire when they lost a fan favorite Saquon Barkley, and him going to the division rival Eagles only rubbed salt in the wounds. Not to mention the big Blue faithful screaming to draft a QB replacement for Daniel Jones and what we have is an upset and angry fan base entering the 2024 year. But, is there light at the end of this dark tunnel for the G-Men?
There were a lot of issues with the Giants last season but none were bigger than the offensive line. The o-line wasn't just bad last season, they were historically bad. The Giants allowed 85 sacks last year, of course they led the league, but that finished 2nd most all time in the history of the league. The line was the #1 concern this offseason and while losing Barkey stung, getting the front of offense fixed had to be the priority. The Giants added Jon Runyan Jr., Jermaine Eluemunor, Aaron Stinnie, Austin Schlottman, and Matt Nelson. That all can help health also comes into play. Thomas and Neal's health concerns are an enormous factor.
The Daniel Jones problem is the elephant in the room. Jones does not look like a starting QB in the NFL. The problem is anytime he was out of the lineup the Giants offense somehow looked worse. Jones might not be the answer this season, but he has enough play making ability that if healthy he can bring them to the playoffs, which we already watched him do.
Out goes Barkley and in comes Singletary. Devin Singletary is a solid back, but running behind this offensive line will do him no favors. He does not create space and in an ideal world would be more of a split carries back, rather than a bell cow at this stage of his career. The offense did add Nabers who looks like a true #1 receiver. Nabers will get the lion's share of targets, not only because of his explosiveness and skill level but also because there are no real threats outside of him for Jones to throw to.
On defense the Giants grabbed Brian Burns and that has to improve this unit. Burns is one of the best pass rushers in the league and the Giants have a very good up front core with Dexter Lawrence and company up front. They added a new defensive coordinator as well and it's easy to see why the Giants front 7 will be their best on the field. But, now we go to the secondary who had a key loss and simply didn't replace it. The defense is simple for them this season, either get to the QB or pray because if the signal caller gets time he will expose this weak secondary.
The Giants division is a tough one to nail down. Presumably the Eagles will be better but they faded late and now there are questions there with some new coaching and losing key veterans. The Cowboys are great on defense but after Dak and Lamb the offense lack any kind of threat. Washington has a new everything. New coaching staff, new QB, new RB, new linebackers, new everything. That is a hard team to pin down as well.
So, that leaves the Giants. Vegas set their number at 6 1/2 wins and that might be generous. New York had to fix their offensive line and they might not have done that. Jones is not a quality NFL QB, Singletary won't be able to create the way that Barkley did and while there is little doubt that Nabers will have a good career, there has to be a worry about him carrying the offense on day one. The defense will be beat deep, but can win some games on pressure alone. If all goes right for New York this could be a team that wins 8 or 9 games, but if the bottom falls out they could be holding the #1 pick next year. Vegas's number is probably fair but if Washington can step up with their turnover that means it's a last place finish for the Giants and perhaps some GM or coaching changes to go along with it.