Big Blue View mailbag: Running game, playoff money, Landon Collins, more questions

New York Giants fans have a long weekend before waiting for the Giants to take on the Washington Chiefs on Sunday night. Let’s fill in some blank space by opening the Big Blue View Mailbag.

Bob Donnelly asks: The Giants’ early success was in large part due to success on the ground. Barkley and Jones both had impressive numbers. In your view, what do the Giants need to do to see the game back on Earth, and do you think they can make it happen?

ed says: Bob, we’ve written about that a little bit this week.

Saquon Barkley being healthy, he says, will help. The Giants need a big game from him. But the truth is, a lot of the conflict on the ground has come down to offensive line issues. The Giants started the same offensive line in each of the first seven games. They started with four left guard, two center and two right tackles since then, right rookie tackle Evan Neal had a terrible game against the Eagles. They need better bans.

I’ve also said I’d like to see more creativity from offensive coordinator Mike Kafka on running calls. We haven’t seen Wildcat or much in the way of two-back formations lately. Anything in terms of movement or formation would give Washington something to think about.

The teams have also done a better job in recent weeks, keeping the area guard off Jones, something that was a big part of the running game early in the season.

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Paul Fuller asks: What difference will the Giants make financially in the playoffs? Bonuses / pool for players? Bonuses for coaches? Extra money for the owners? I know it’s going to be a great experience for the team to get to the playoffs and great for the fans, just wondering about the money.

ed says: Here’s your answer in terms of player money, straight out of the collective bargaining agreement (thanks to Giants PR chief Pat Hanlon for popping me in the head and reminding me he was there):

Anything extra for coaches would have been negotiated as part of their contracts.

As for the teams, Hanlon said there isn’t any massive financial gain for teams that make the playoffs. This article from Sportico explains why:

The NFL’s economic model spreads wealth. Its massive media contracts, along with a good chunk of gate receipts, are split evenly among the 32 teams. The playoffs are no different. The league collects nearly all ticket revenue from the play-offs and simply provides stipends to home and away teams that cover travel costs and stadium operations. Home teams keep their share of franchise and parking revenue, typically $1 million to $2 million combined, per game, but that’s a rough miss for teams who can expect a check next season from the NFL for combined revenue of about $400 million. . Running the Super Bowl boosts merchandise sales for the teams, but much of that revenue is shared equally as well.

Meanwhile, qualifying expenses can accumulate. Qualifying for the Super Bowl is a rarity for most teams, with New England the obvious outsider, so ownership often skips the travel stipend meant to bring employees to the Big Game. When you also factor in coaches and player incentives — the Bucs owe Tom Brady $2.25 million for his Super Bowl win last year — teams can end up losing money during the playoffs.

“Central revenue sharing gives NFL teams less control over playoff dollars than their counterparts in other leagues,” said Sean Clemens, director of sports investment banking at Park Lane. “But it’s the same system and revenue base that you see ends up with the highest profit margins in sports, so you don’t see owners complaining.”

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Kölnerbigblue asks: In terms of our security, what’s going on with Dane Pelton? I know he’s a rookie and there will be growing pains but he started the season very promising and after that it seemed like he fell off the radar. It seems strange.

ed says: Kollner, Belton is a fourth-round rookie pick. What’s going on with Belton is he was drafted on the third day and still has a learning curve as he develops into an NFL player. According to Pro Football Focus, Belton (29.4) is the Giants’ lowest-rated fullback. Yes, less than the often despised Ty Crowder.

Belton is losing picks to veteran safety Tony Jefferson, who is returning from a season-ending foot injury. Giants are trying to win games, and now Jefferson is a better player. He also has several years of experience playing for Martindale, so he knows defense probably better than anyone on the list.

Belton might develop into a good player. For now, though, the Giants can’t seem to feel using it gives them the best chance of winning.

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Walker Joyce asks: Why can’t Xavier McKinney cover his club hand and play?

ed says: Walker, your question was a really long rant. I’m not going to subject everyone to it, so I boiled it down to what you were really asking.

First and foremost, everyone who was considering this needs to understand how hurt McKinney was. He didn’t just have a little broken finger, in which case he might just roll it up or cover it up and go outside and play.

McKinney injured several fingers on his left hand. I don’t know the exact extent/nature of the injury, but it required surgery and multiple staples to hold the bones in his fingers together to allow them to heal after surgery. Whatever the injury, it wasn’t just a broken finger. I have a guess as to what really happened, but I’m not going to make speculations that might be incorrect.

McKinney has said several times since the injury that he is willing to “get together” and play. I’m sure the Giants would love to play him. Obviously, the medical staff didn’t agree to allow that – even with the club. To me, that means the surgically repaired bones in his hand aren’t stable/strong enough to withstand NFL punishment – even with a club.

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Here’s a pair of Landon Collins questions

Edwin Gummers asks: How does the Giants currently use Landon Collins? I read some articles that Washington used him in the past as Buffalo Nickel, a role he apparently did quite well. My understanding is that it is currently used, and limitedly, in dime packages as an LB/S hybrid, but it doesn’t really want to be called an LB. Where do you think that is heading, and do you expect him to return to the team next season, and if so, in what position?

Bill Virginia asks: Our current databases cannot cover or deal with love except for love. It’s true that Collins is poor at covering but he’s a tackle machine. Is he already in the kennel or what does his training staff location give him?

ed says: Edwin and Bill, the answer is the Giants don’t use it at all. Collins is on the practice squad, appearing in two games. He played a total of 30 snaps versus the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks, and has not appeared in a game since Week 8.

Head coach Brian Dabul was asked after Xavier McKinney’s injury if Collins was a safe option. He indicated that he was not, as he was spending most of his time learning the linebacker position.

If Ty Crowder is active every week and Collins is sitting on the practice squad and hasn’t been promoted, what does that tell you about how the coaching staff sees Collins’ progress at that spot? This does not mean that they are in an imaginary “kennel”, it just means that they do not think it is better than what they are currently running out of.

That may change this week, as Collins has now had several weeks of training to learn the linebacker position.

I don’t know if Collins will be back in contention for a place on the roster next season. I say this all the time, and it goes with Bell’s “treatment machine” remark – I know people remember what Collins did for the Giants early in his career. This was a long time ago. It’s not the same player. If he was, he wouldn’t have been out of a job for the first four weeks of the season, and he wouldn’t have been languishing on the practice squad. Just because a player was at some point five or six years ago doesn’t mean they are now.

Bill, I also think you’re tough on guys in high school. Giants miss Xavier McKinney and Adoree’ Jackson, but the guys they’re using weren’t that Bad.

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Mark Ciccio asks: I’ve read quite a bit about how disappointed Evan Neal was (especially after the Washington game), and how he doesn’t track like Andrew Thomas’ first season. I seem to remember before he got injured a few weeks ago many were talking about how he was getting better and it looked as if the ends of the books were covered, and the inside was what needed attention this off-season.

I’d like your opinion…is this just a fickle fan or are there any facts to this claim? Also, isn’t it a lot compared to someone who’s now seen as one of the best in his position (AT), rather than hoping we have a good to very good RT for the future?

ed says: Neal had a tough game Sunday against the Eagles, already his worst game of the season as he allowed a sack and his worst eight pressures of the season.

Mark, you should know by now that fans always react (overreact?) to the last thing they see. This week, Neil is a complete bust who shouldn’t have been No. 7 overall. It will never be any good. He must sit on the bench or move to guard. In fact, he’s a good young player who should improve with time and be a good NFL player. Nick Valato and I have talked about this, and Neil’s problems come down to one major issue – not keeping balance.

Neal is 54 of the 59 qualified tackles evaluated by Pro Football Focus, with a combined grade of 45.9. Other rookies drafted ahead of him (Ickey Ekwonu, 34 in 64.9) and Charles Cross (46 in 61.7) have fared better. This does not mean that it will be long-term. The way Andrew Thomas has developed, after a rookie season in which he may have been the worst tackle in the league, should be a reminder of that.

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Douglas Forth asks: In my opinion, Sunday’s game against Washington is a big one. When you rate Daniel Jones’ season, how will you rate the big games and the big moments?

ed says: Newsflash, Douglas! Sunday’s game is a big game in it everybody Opinion. The short answer to Jones is this – quarterbacks are always judged on how they perform in the biggest moments, so of course Sunday night and what happens the rest of the way will be a major factor in how the Giants view Jones.

Just look at Eli Manning’s career. His Super Bowl titles, and his stellar performances during those two title walks, carry far more weight than some of his regular season pedestrian action.

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Jeff Newman asks: Ed, if we’re going to franchise Barkley and we can’t come to terms and have to trade him, what kind of compensation can we expect? When will that happen?

ed says: Jeff, I don’t know when the Saquon Barkley trade will happen. That may depend on whether or not Barkley signs the sign and agrees to play under it if a long-term deal is not reached, or if he refuses to sign it and forces the Giants’ hand.

Compensation? I look at Christian McCaffrey’s trading as a baseline. The Carolina Panthers have second- and third-round picks in 2023 and third- and fourth-round draft picks in 2024 from the San Francisco 49ers. The Giants may not get that much money for Barkley, but I’d like to believe that second-round pick and a bunch of other picks It will be available in Barclay’s Deal.