No live contact is permitted during the Giants‘ 10 voluntary OTA practices, which kicked off Tuesday in East Rutherford, N.J., leading into a mandatory two-day minicamp in mid-June.
But Joe Schoen’s and Brian Daboll‘s team must demonstrate urgency even here in phase three of the offseason, two months prior to the start of training camp.
Because there will be no excuse for the Giants to be ambushed by their Week 1 road trip to the Washington Commanders as they were in their last two season openers by the Dallas Cowboys (40-0) and Minnesota Vikings (28-6) at home, respectively.
And if they don’t start quickly this fall, all of the worst-case scenarios immediately come into play for the team, the coach and the GM.
What does urgency look like during non-contact spring practices featuring 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills?
It looks like getting players in playing shape and keeping them healthy.
It looks like practicing hard and to a line, just not across it.
It looks like pushing players into competitive situations to create position battles.
It looks like players getting more reps and winning those position battles on merit, not status or salary.
It looks like developing the rookies at an appropriate pace to maximize their development and also their abilities to impact games in year one, if they prove capable.
It looks like finding out specifically what Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Jaxson Dart all can do in 11-on-11, even in practice.
There is no room this season for the Giants working their way into an identity or playing shape in the opening four weeks.
They have to figure out who they are and who they are not now, here in May and June.
If there is a still a glaring hole on their depth chart that becomes more obvious during OTAs, don’t wait until the start of training camp to sign a starter like they did last year with guard Greg Van Roten.
Solidify the team so they can build a foundation now, rather than waiting until August to start thinking like it’s a real football game.
Practice situational football instead of making seat-of-their-pants, in-game decisions and running rushed plays that were not repped in the appropriate context during the previous practice week.
Identify coaches’ roles and responsibilities, delegate appropriately and show trust in the staff. Do not step on toes and finger point like years’ past.
All of this is to say that the Giants are playing in the same division as the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles and Saquon Barkley, who would love nothing more than to sweep and embarrass them again this year.
They play in the same division as the Commanders, whose ascending quarterback has turned them into an instant contender.
And then there’s the Cowboys, who now have two receivers in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens who promise to give the Giants’ secondary headaches if it isn’t fully prepared in Week 2.
Those two road division games are daunting right out of the gate in September. But they’re also opportunities — if the Giants are ready for them.
To be ready, however, Schoen and Daboll need this team practicing and preparing with its hair on fire now, and they need to make calculated decisions as leaders to drive the offseason competition at an optimal and constructive place.
Because if they’re not ready for Week 1, the past two years have shown they will not recover. Instead, it will be representative of who they are.
