The New York Giants had a busy offseason. Following a 3-14 finish to the 2024 season, general manager Joe Schoen had some work to do to get the roster back in order and hopefully field a competitive team for the upcoming 2025 season.
He made critical moves in both free agency and the NFL Draft, overhauling the quarterback room, upgrading the defensive backfield, and adding pass-rushing talent to supercharge Big Blue’s defensive line.
Despite the many moves Schoen and company made, not everyone came away fully impressed.
ESPN hands the Giants a B for their offseason
ESPN’s Seth Walder recently graded the offseason moves for each of the NFL’s 32 teams. While many other analysts and publications came away impressed with the Giants, ESPN felt a bit more middle of the road, handing them a B for their offseason.
Giants, Jaxson Dart, Russell Wilson
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Walder praised the Giants’ signings of veteran QBs Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. However, he called their draft-day trade-up for Jaxson Dart into question.
“It was a no-brainer for Houston, but that doesn’t mean New York was wrong to make the deal,” Walder wrote. “The math for draft trades completely changes when quarterbacks are involved because the upside is so much higher than for any other position. This was a risk well worth taking. Dart might not work out, but the Giants gave themselves a chance to find a franchise quarterback.”
It was indeed a risky move to trade up for Dart. But if he happens to become the Giants’ franchise quarterback, it will be worth the risk.
Paulson Adebo signing criticized
Among the many moves the Giants made, their priciest came in the secondary, signing CB Paulson Adebo to a three-year, $54 million deal. Walder was particularly critical of this move.
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“Their most expensive free agent acquisition was Adebo. I was not a fan of the move. Adebo, who suffered a broken femur in Week 7 last season, had strong on-ball numbers over the previous two seasons combined, with minus-49 EPA allowed as the nearest defender, per NFL Next Gen Stats. But on-ball production isn’t stable from year to year, and metrics that I would consider more important — such as target rate and yards per coverage snap — are more worrying. In his limited sample last season, Adebo was targeted 21% of the time (most by any outside corner with at least 250 coverage snaps) and had a high 1.6 yards per coverage snap allowed.”
The Adebo signing, like the Dart selection, was certainly risky. He is coming off a significant injury and has never been a team’s primary cover man before. But he does have projectable traits that could allow him to thrive in the role here with the Giants.
Was the Giants’ offseason a success?
Generally, the Giants’ offseason is viewed as a success. They revamped their quarterback room, upgrading the most important position in the sport. They also added loads of defensive talent while retaining key skill position players that should have their games maximized by the upgrades under center.
Jan 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen before game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Question marks still remain, however, as the Giants’ offensive line is still a concern, and some of their offseason moves have boom-or-bust potential.
If Schoen’s calculations were on the money, though, then this offseason could be one that sets up a foundation of future success for the New York Giants.
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