EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Rebuilds are rarely pretty, and are typically filled with fits and starts, just as the New York Giants‘ offense has been this summer.
However, if the Giants’ August 3 training camp practice is any indication of what this offense has the potential to look like when it is firing on all cylinders, good things could be coming in the Big Apple.
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Kenny Golladay had arguably their strongest performance as a duo since New York made Golladay the highest-paid receiver back in March 2021.
Roughly midway through the first 11-on-11 period, Jones launched a beautifully thrown back-shoulder pass along the near sideline that Golladay went up and pulled down a contested catch over cornerback Adoree’ Jackson before landing in bounds for a deep completion.
There was also this catch by Golladay during individual drills that got the crowd on its feet:
GOLLADAY 🙌 pic.twitter.com/J3XJVCljk3
— New York Giants (@Giants) August 3, 2022
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Plays like those have been few and far between for the Giants’ offense over the past decade.
However, just as by all accounts this has been an uphill battle for the Giants’ offense against Don “Wink” Martindale’s defense this camp, Jones and the first-team got off to a really sluggish start.
During the walkthrough period to open practice, Jones missed second-year wideout Kadarius Toney in the end zone on a fade pattern, forcing the offense to settle for a field goal.
Later, in a full-team drill, Jones held onto the football for an eternity in the pocket, scrambling around before tossing the ball across his body and against the grain, but overthrowing running back Saquon Barkley high along the sideline for an incompletion.
While there were fireworks, there were also obvious growing pains, underscoring that this is very much a work-in-progress in Brian Daboll’s first year as head coach.
Here are three key takeaways from Giants practice on August 3.
1. Saquon Barkley Once Again the Focal Point
Saquon Barkley looks like Saquon Barkley again.
Two years removed from a torn ACL, and looking to turn the page from an injury-riddled 2021 campaign, Barkley looks as explosive as ever.
Late in Wednesday’s August 3 practice, the Giants lined Barkley up in a three-wide receiver stack along the near sideline with Kadarius Toney and Wan’Dale Robinson, before motioning Barkley back into the backfield and sending him on a wheel-route, where Jones hit him in stride for a 10-yard touchdown.
Sources have told Heavy that a point of emphasis among the coaching staff this offseason has been to utilize Barkley more from the slot and the receiver position, in large part because this staff understands Barkley is “best used as a space player, and should be used in the passing game as much as the running game.”
Barkley’s versatility was one of his best traits during his college career at Penn State and one of the driving forces behind the Giants choosing him No. 2 overall in the 2018 NFL draft, and it seems Daboll and this coaching staff understand the value of utilizing Barkley’s speed and elusiveness in the open field.
But, Barkley is a running back by trade, and on Wednesday there was a play where Barkley had a really quick jump-cut before sprinting upfield for a would-be touchdown against the starting defense.
If the Giants can maximize Barkley’s ability as a runner and receiver, it could throw open Daboll’s playbook and lead to a bounce-back campaign for the veteran running back.
Matt Lombardo for Heavy.com
2. Kayvon Thibodeaux Looks Explosive
The emphasis here is that it’s only one training camp in the dog days of August, Kayvon Thibodeaux sure looks like he is going to be a problem for opposing offensive tackles.
Thibodeaux’s bend was impressive during a one-on-one rep early in practice, when after an explosive first step drew a holding call against fellow top-10 pick Evan Neal.
The Oregon alum not only looks the part as an edge rusher, but he turns the corner really quickly en route to the quarterback. It will be fascinating to see how Martindale moves Thibodeaux around in this scheme.
Thibodeaux took reps almost exclusively with the first-team defense and should be an instant impact contributor.
3. Brian Daboll Growing a New Culture
In his first opportunity as a head coach, Daboll certainly sounded like a man who understands the challenges in front of him.
Especially taking the helm of a franchise that hasn’t made the postseason since 2016, and hasn’t won a playoff game since the Super Bowl back in 2011.
Just as much as installing an offense, and figuring out how to best deploy his players to give them the chance to succeed, Daboll must teach this roster how to win.
It has been over a decade since the Giants’ culture embodied going into every game believing, legitimately believing they would win. Changing that mentality is one of Daboll’s chief responsibilities as head coach.
“I don’t know if it’s the hardest [part of this job],” Daboll said. “There’s a lot of things that have come across my desk the last few months that I ask for a lot of opinions not just from my staff, but from people that have done it in the past. You know, humble, don’t have all the answers, doing the best job you can and creating a culture that you see for your team as you got to give it sun and water every day. It just doesn’t stay the same.”
Brian Daboll admits building a winning culture “takes time” and that it’s something “you need to give lots of sun and water.”
After burning through two coaching staffs in four years, the Giants are hoping Daboll’s arrival in North Jersey, fresh off a four-year stint as Josh Allen’s offensive coordinator that had the Bills knocking on the Super Bowl’s door, finally changes the attitude. And most importantly the results.
Veteran players who have played under former head coach Joe Judge and are now in the midst of their first summer training camp led by Daboll have noticed that this really feels like a fresh start.
“It starts with the energy,” Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas told Heavy following practice on August 3. “Brian Daboll brings the energy every single day and encourages us to play with that same energy.”
According to Thomas, there is a simple approach to how this staff hopes to tackle success.
“They’re always saying they want smart, dependable, tough guys,” Thomas said. “We’re trying to embody those things every day by knowing the playbook, working hard, and trying to be extra physical when we have the pads on.”
Daboll is betting that while he’s installing a system that the Giants are also adopting a new mindset.
“I’ve definitely thought about it,” Daboll said. “You naturally think about it. You want to try to win. If you’re a competitor, you want to win in everything you do. So, you try to, in these situations in practice, you try to create as competitive an environment as you can whether that’s in the cafeteria, at the walk-through, in the locker room, everything’s about competition.”
What’s Next
Heavy’s NFL training camp tour continues on Saturday, August 6 in Philadelphia, where the Eagles are looking to build on last season’s playoff appearance. Stay tuned.
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3 Takeaways: Daniel Jones, Kenny Golladay Dialed In at Giants Camp