Giants Camp Opens With No More Excuses

John Harbaugh is bringing a sharper standard to Giants training camp, but demanding better execution only matters if the roster can stay healthy, finish games and overcome several unresolved weaknesses.

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Has John Harbaugh already changed the Giants’ standard?
The expectations sound different, but the real test is whether that urgency produces better execution and more wins once the games begin.

Harbaugh made the strongest statement of the Giants’ opening day at The Greenbrier when he said the team was not there simply to practice. Every drill, play call and practice period is supposed to prepare the Giants for the games they need to win. He praised the team’s focus, Jaxson Dart’s command of the offense and the work Malik Nabers has put into his recovery. However, Nabers remains on a gradual plan, and Harbaugh would not place a firm timeline on his return to full practices. 

Joe Schoen also acknowledged that Dart must learn another offense in his second season, even though continuity would have been preferable. We discuss whether Harbaugh’s experienced offensive staff can reduce that developmental cost and help Dart build on his rookie year.

Can the Giants replace Dexter Lawrence by committee?

Schoen admitted the timing of the Lawrence trade limited the available options because the main free-agent market had already passed. D.J. Reader, Shelby Harris, Darius Alexander and the inside linebackers will collectively be asked to replace his impact. Schoen also stopped well short of declaring the run defense fixed, answering that the Giants will have to see whether the new personnel and emphasis actually work. 

The roster remains unsettled. Schoen said the Giants will continue exploring trades, waiver claims and available veterans, with cornerback and wide receiver among the most important camp competitions.

Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios are fighting for roles in a crowded receiver room. Schoen said Beckham can still get open and catch the football, while Harbaugh thought he looked good during the opening practice. None of the veteran receivers have been handed a roster spot.

We also discuss Schoen describing his job as year to year despite receiving an extension, Cam Skattebo’s backflip and the warning that followed, Kayvon Thibodeaux’s importance to the defense, and the challenge of running a physical camp without losing irreplaceable players.

The Giants are talking about execution, competition and finishing games. Now they have to prove that “no excuses” is more than a training-camp slogan.

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