Big Blue View
Karl Oltz asks: Like most Giants fans, I’ve been cautiously optimistic about the upcoming season. But now I am concerned since the Giants have had three season-ending injuries and we aren’t even to training camp yet. I know injuries are apart of football, but every year the Giants seem to be among the teams that suffer the most of them. Since it appears that the three injuries are Achilles tears, you have to wonder if it’s the field, player conditioning, intensity of the OTA’s, or just plain bad luck. What’s your take? Are other teams seeing these type injuries this spring?
Ed says: Karl, I don’t know if there is a single explanation for the rash of Achilles tears. It is weird, and concerning. None of these happened on the MetLife Stadium turf, let’s be clear about that. The Giants do not practice there.
One (Gunner Olszewski) happened on grass. One (Roy Robertson-Harris) happened on Field Turf in the indoor practice field. I don’t know for certain where the injury to undrafted cornerback Thaddeus Dixon occurred.
The training and medical staffs have changed — they change at least somewhat every time there is a coaching change. The Giants have been practicing on these same fields for years without anything like this happening. There is nothing unusual about the way the Giants are conducting OTAs. Hopefully, the Giants examine everything — footwear, the way they stretch, condition of the playing surfaces, anything else that might contribute.
I honestly don’t know if there is a real answer.
I think fans will be heartened by how aggressively the Giants have reacted to the injuries, testing every player for susceptability and purchasing new equipment.
BadgroRedtoGiantsBlue asks: Can you please explain the nuances of what June First means to clubs? I know free agents signed before can not have their annual salary for the ’26 season pushed forward into further years, and those signed post June 1st can. Does this have anything to do with the signing of free agents, say like OBJ? Like if we sign him post the 1st of the month, we than can push his salary ahead and not have it count on the ’26 cap, and if before the NY Giants could not, is that a thing? So could you please clarify the machinations of June First and the NFL.
Ed says: Badgro, sorry I didn’t get to this one last week. Here is an explanation of the significance of June 1 from Over The Cap. It is more accurate and in-depth than I could give you.
The biggest impact for teams involves the modification of salary cap accounting rules for players whose contracts will be terminated after June 1 or whose contracts were terminated with the “Post June 1” designation. Prior to June 1 any player removed from a teams roster, either by release or trade, will have all their remaining salary cap allocations accelerate into the current League Year. For example a player with $1 million...
