Big Blue View mailbag: Dexter Lawrence, Daniel Faalele, NFL Draft, more

Fans do fan things, and always need someone to blame when things go wrong. In Baltimore, fans decided Faalele stunk and Harbaugh was to blame for standing by him. The fact that Harbaugh brought Faalele to the Giants tells you he has faith in the guy.

Maybe the starting right guard for the Giants is in the draft class. I don’t know. If the coaching staff judges Faalele to be the best player they have, he will play. Honestly, I don’t care what mistakes Harbaugh may or may not have made with the Ravens. I care what he does with the Giants.

John DeJesus asks: Great job as always covering the Giants! I read an article a few weeks ago stating that Christian Wilkins plans to play this year. While he has a lot of baggage, do you see the Giants being interested, considering the state of the DL and the potential for trading Dexter Lawrence?

Ed says: John, the first problem is that nobody seems to know at this point if Wilkins is healthy enough to play. Secondly, his “baggage” is the kind of baggage that has made teammates uncomfortable. I don’t see the Giants taking the chance.

Henry Mildener asks: Why aren’t the Giants interested in signing GVR? At the very least he could be a swing guard. Plus it would bring back the entire line together for another year. Where is the downside?

Ed says: Henry, I have said over and over that I think signing Greg Van Roten was always on the table for the Giants this offseason. I think, though, that the two sides likely saw his value differently. Van Roten made $3.25 million last year, and I have to believe he would like more than that. My guess is that the Giants don’t want to go there.

I agree that Van Roten could at least be a three-position backup. You have to remember, though, the Giants have a new head coach and will run a different offensive scheme. Maybe John Harbaugh looks at Van Roten, sees a 36-year-old journeyman, and wants to go in a different direction.

My guess is that the Faalele signing makes a return by Van Roten unlikely.

Warren Schuman asks: When I read all the draft coverage from your team, and other Giants/nfl/draft analysts, there’s very little talk about the Gmen using their first- or second-round pick on a CB. Beyond Styles and Downs it seems like all the focus is on OL and DT. I definitely agree that these are areas of need, but I actually think CB may be their biggest area of need (unless Dexter Lawrence is traded). Paulson Adebo was a huge disappointment last year, and even if he rebounds, he’s a not a true shutdown CB1. And who’s CB2? Banks? Newsome?

Ed says: Warren, I don’t know that I agree that there has been little discussion of cornerback. I don’t think the position is the Giants’ biggest need, but adding a young player there would be good. I think the issue is that most people don’t see Mansoor Delane, the top cornerback in the draft class, as being worthy of the No. 5 overall pick.

There are a number of cornerbacks who could be available at No. 37, and be worthy of being selected there. It becomes a question of what the Giants’ priorities are going to be. You can’t address everything.

Michael George asks: Ed, in your article “NY Giants 7-round mock draft: Examining a Dexter Lawrence trade scenario” you said “What I do know is that the combination of [Navy running back Eli] Heidenreich’s skills is intriguing. I would like to see if the braintrust of John Harbaugh, Matt Nagy, Brian Callahan and Greg Roman can find some creative ways to use him.

You guys know that I’m old, but I remember that when I was a kid the Giants had a player named Joe Morrison. Sometimes he was a halfback. Sometimes he was a flanker. Sometimes he was a fullback. He probably played some tight end, too. He was really just a good, versatile football player who had a 14-year career because he could do a lot of different things well enough to be an asset.

Could Heidenreich be that kind of player? I wouldn’t be upset if the Giants tried to find out.”

Yes, I too remember Joe Morrison and the excitement he brought to the table. He always seemed to be around the ball, especially as a receiver and returner. But today’s game is so much more specialized. Can you really make an argument that a player with his skill set fits into today’s offensive schemes?

Ed says: Michael, I can 100% make the argument that a player like Heidenreich has a place in today’s game.

Offensive coordinators are forever trying to design schemes and create matchups that put defensive players in conflict, that align defenders against players they really don’t have the skillsets to handle. A multi-position player like Heidenreich has the potential to help a creative offensive coordinator do that. I think a guy like Kyle Shanahan would love to have a player liek Heidenreich.

Is he a receiver with running back skills? A running back with receiver skills? Whatever. He can do a lot of things.

Danny Woodhead hd a nine-year career. He was, generally, a running back. Yet, he played hundreds of snaps in his career aligned as a wide receiver or slot receiver.

Deebo Samuel is a wide receiver who played more than 100 snaps at running back for the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 and 2022.

Bijan Robinson is probably the best current example. He is a running back, but in three seasons he has spent more than 400 total snaps aligned as either a wide or slot receiver.

There are many draft analysts who think Jeremiyah Love has that same skillset.

Players with versatility to do different things and align in different positions give offenses advantages.

Matt Totaro asks: Ed, I keep seeing a lot of mock drafts projecting Sonny Styles to the Giants, and I’m struggling with that a bit. He reminds me a lot of a former Giant, Isaiah Simmons, who, coming out of college, I really thought was going to be a star in the NFL.  When you look at their combine numbers, they’re very similar overall. But when you dig into their final college seasons, Simmons’ production really jumps off the page compared to Styles.[Graphic at left]

So what am I missing? What makes Sonny Styles different, and why isn’t he going to be Isaiah Simmons 2.0?

Ed says: Matt, I have said this before. Isaiah Simmons and Sonny Styles are two completely different players. Simmons came out of college with questions about his instincts, and about what position he could actually play and play well. Scouts knew he was an athlete. They weren’t sure he was a football player.

That question is not asked abotu Styles. Scouts know he is an off-ball linebacker. They know he has instincts. They know he can cover. They know he has leadership traits. They know what he is.

Go to the 3:46 mark of the video below. Trevor Sikkema, formerly of Pro Football Focus, talks about what he thinks of Styles.

Anthony Cantore asks: Seems like everyone hates Joe Schoen — writers and fans alike. Writers say there is talent on the roster then they go on to say what an awful job he did. I know he has made mistakes but he also done many good things. My feeling last year he put together a roster that should have won more games with good coaching. Now with Dexter Lawrence problem everyone is blaming him. I love the John Harbaugh hire. In my opinion if John Harbaugh said extend him, trade him or don’t do anything that’s what would happen. He’s the one making the decisions. What is your opinion on Joe Schoen and who is making the decisions on Lawrence and the rest of the roster?

Ed says: Anthony, Schoen has done some good things and some bad things. The record just hasn’t been good enough. Yes, John Harbaugh now has the final say. It is Schoen, Dawn Aponte, and Ed Triggs (Director of Football Operations) doing the contract negotiating, though.

I can’t blame Schoen for the Lawrence situation. He got out in front of it in 2024 and got him on a market-value four-year deal. It’s not Schoen’s fault Lawrence isn’t happy with what he signed.

Rômulo Ruggeri asks: Hi Ed, I’m a Giants fan visiting all the way from Brazil for the first time!

My question is regarding Dexter Lawrence: Considering the reports that money isn’t his main driver anymore and he simply wants out, and knowing that Joe Schoen already added incentives to his contract last year—which suggests friction started a while ago—is there a real possibility that Dex has been eyeing a trade since last offseason?

Specifically, do you think he ‘mailed it in’ last season on purposeto lower his trade value and make it easier for the team to let him go?

Ed says: Rômulo, I love hearing that people around the globe are using Big Blue View to keep up with their beloved Giants.

Do I think Lawrence “mailed it in” last season? Absolutely not. I think his elbow was far more of an issue than anyone knew. The Giants have admitted that the elbow was a problem. Even a 350-pound man as good as Lawrence is will struggle to handle double teams when he can only push back with one good arm.

I remember wondering why Lawrence worked so little on the field during OTAs in the spring and then again in training camp. That might have been part of the reason.

I also believe Lawrence wasn’t fully in the right frame of mind last season. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t playing hard, but we all know that when we are frustrated and not happy in our jobs that can affect performance.

No way he would intentionally not play his best. How would that help his case for the extension/raise he wants?

Brian Misdom asks: Hi Ed, to what extent do you believe the reports that the situation with Dex is not about money and he simply wants out?

The reality is money talks and I think it’s more likely than not he is a Giant for 2026. But we do also have Schoen’s history with Saquon, McKinney and Love to look back at where he would not really budge from his price point.

Dex doesn’t have leverage with 2 years left but if there is any truth to these reports, do you see it as more damaging to keep him or trade him away?

Ed says: Brian, I fully believe Lawrence is frustrated. Watching all of those terrific players leave the Giants, get paid, and succeed elsewhere is certainly part of the calculus. I think that has probably impacted his trust in Joe Schoen.

I have said again and again that all of the losing has taken a toll, and that Lawrence perhaps wants no part of another rebuild.

The Giants don’t have to do anything here. They can take the position that unless they get a ‘Godfather’ offer they can’t turn down, Lawrence has two years left on a deal he signed and has no choice but to play for them if he wants to play football in 2026.

I would think they need to make some type of short-term compromise. I don’t think John Harbaugh wants to risk the locker room unhappiness that would come with losing the team’s best defensive player.

Doug Mollin asks: In contract/trade situations like this, does it behoove the Giants to allow his agent to work on finding a trade as well?

His agency has major stars across all sports (LeBron, Alcaraz, Justin Jefferson … even Strahan and Stephen A).

Letting them do a little work could: (a) find a good trade that works for the Giants or (b) let Dex find out there’s really not much of a market for him.

If common ground cannot be found, if a trade cannot be found, how about this — guarantee all of 2026, add in some incentives, tear up 2027. Basically kick this can to next season? Dex becomes a free agent, we negotiate or not, we get comp perhaps if he leaves.

Ed says: Doug, at this point I would say no, it’s not time to let Lawrence’s agent seek a trade. Anyone who wants to make a trade knows how to reach Joe Schoen. If you let the agent seek a trade you are a) admitting that you are trading him, and b) letting the agent/interested teams set the price.

I keep saying this, but I think the two sides will eventually find some type of common ground that increases what Lawrence can or will earn in 2026. After that, we’ll see.

Submit a question

Have a Giants-related question? E-mail it to bigblueview@gmail.com and it might be featured in our weekly mailbag.