Big Blue View
New York Giants headlines for Thursday
Good morning, New York Giants fans!
Bobby Okereke: There’s been an odd vibe around Okereke this offseason, beginning with reports that he had fallen out of favor with some in the organization and continuing with his unexplained disappearance from practices this spring. Okereke was brimming with optimism when he spoke to reporters after the team’s first OTA practice, but then he wasn’t in attendance at any of the next four open practices of the spring. Coach Brian Daboll doesn’t provide injury updates during the spring, so it’s not clear if Okereke suffered a setback with the back injury that sidelined him for the final five games of last season. There are some parallels to linebacker Blake Martinez’s unexpected release before the 2022 season, but the main difference is Okereke was brought in by this regime. When the dust settles, the Giants need Okereke to return to the disruptive form he displayed in 2023.
There is absolutely something to be said for creating clear direction. No doubt, the Giants need leadership in the worst way on the field and in the locker room. Still, there is nothing wrong with competition, either. In fact, Wilson would earn more credibility with teammates if he beat out Winston in a fair fight rather than having the coaches bury Winston on the depth chart and limit his snaps.
What fans want to see is points and wins. The best quarterback, the one who gives the team the most hope, should be the one that starts the Giants’ season opener at the Washington Commanders on Sept. 7. If Wilson earns that, then it should be him. But not making Wilson beat out Winston and Dart in camp would be disingenuous. Handing him the job without a challenger would be a decision made with optics prioritized over merit and improvement.
You’ve heard of the sports movie “Eight Men Out.” Let’s call Giants training camp “Twelve Men In.”
Post Sports+’s annual exercise of breaking down the offseason roster into three categories — locks, bubble players and longshots — reveals there could be as few as 12 spots up for grabs during camp, which begins when 91 players report on Tuesday.
#####...
