NFL

Big Blue View mailbag: Nick McCloud’s role, 2025 NFL Draft, more questions

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4 months ago

September 7, 2024

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Ronald Buchheim asks: Why do you think the Giants and fans seem to have little faith In McCloud as CB2? PFF graded him 75 overall and 81 in coverage, fourth-best on defense last year, with 319 snaps. Was that an inadequate sample size? Or could PFF be so inaccurate? Adoree’ Jackson’s numbers were far worse.

Ed says: Ronald, I say this all the time — please don’t put your blind faith in Pro Football Focus to tell you who is and is not a good player. The PFF grades are a tool to be used as part of the conversation. Not as the ultimate answer.

Nick McCloud has done a good enough job as a fill-in. He can play outside, in the slot, and the Giants even dabbled with him at safety during the 2023 preseason. He is also invaluable as a special teams player. The Giants are glad to have him.

McCloud is a former undrafted free agent who was cut by the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. Some players are fine in limited roles, but get exposed when they are asked to play bigger ones. I suspect that is how the Giants see McCloud — as a useful role player, but not a guy they want starting.

Adoree’ Jackson had a bad year in 2023 by his standards, and I have been critical of his effort and tackling at times a season ago. Still, he is a former first-round pick who has more than 60 NFL starts and is just 28 years old. He had a decent enough 95.5 passer rating against last season. The upside is still there.

Jack MacMullen asks: I’d like your thoughts on what’s going on with Jakob Johnson? From most reports, he could be a valuable part of the Giants 2024 season. Currently, he is in a revolving door between on the (53), on the PS, or being cut.

Assuming he is in the plans for 2024, I’m afraid someone will pick him up when he’s not on the (53). Would like to know if you have any idea of what the G-men may be planning for him?

Ed says: Jack, until Friday I would have said nothing is going on with Johnson — other than being used as a human roster piñata. I even posted a lengthy Q&A with him Friday morning.

Now, after the Giants released him from the practice squad on Friday I’m not sure. As a vested veteran, Johnson is not subject to going through waivers when the Giants drop him from the 53-man roster. He would have to sign with another team as a free agent. I still expect him to be back on the practice squad at some point, and to play in games for the Giants this season. Anything, though, is possible.

Greg Carroll asks: Read your reply on 8/31 about the practice squad. Made me think about an issue that has been bothering me. Why must a team suit up only 48 players on game day. Very recently, teams just made some difficult decisions to cut down to 53. What difference would it make (other than to the pencil pushers) if 5 more players suit up? OK. I didn’t research NFL rules – that’s why I follow BBV.

Ed says: Greg, it also bugs me that players who are healthy and drawing a full week’s paycheck are not able to suit up on game day.

This, I believe, is purely about competitive balance. The NFL doesn’t want one team showing up with 53 healthy players and the other one only able to dress 46 or 47 due to injuries. So, they limit the number of players who can be dressed on game day.

If you want to think of the bright side, that’s seven more jobs and seven guys drawing game checks who might not otherwise. Still, if you’re paying guys to be on your roster you should be able to use them on game day. If the other team has a bunch of guys hurt, oh well.

Robert Zolt asks: Assuming Daniel Jones wears out his welcome this year if Shedeur Sanders and Carson Beck are both available when the Giants pick who do you draft and why?

Ed says: Robert, if you have followed Big Blue View for a while you know that I do not immerse myself in studying the draft until the end of the current NFL season. So, I have not studied any of these players in great detail.

The one thing I will say at this early stage is that if I were running the Giants I would be very leery of bringing Sanders to New York, largely because of the entourage he would bring with him. You know that his father, Deion Sanders, has already been vocal about his son’s NFL future, and there has been some chatter about Shedeur feeling “entitled” at Colorado. Coach Prime will have an opinion about everything and won’t be shy about sharing that opinion with the world. I’m not sure the Giants would want to deal with that.

Frits Verbruggen asks: The question I have is actually about Kafka and his role in the organization. Especially since now Daboll confirmed he will be calling the offensive plays. They obviously didn’t want Kafka to leave and made him assistant head coach but now Daboll is calling the plays. To me that sounds a bit contradictory. What will his role be as OC and assistant head coach not calling the plays?

Ed says: Frits, the whole “assistant head coach” title is really just a way for the Giants to placate Mike Kafka and give him a raise while head coach Brian Daboll takes full control of the offense. Many head coaches around the league call plays, so offensive coordinator without play calling responsibility is really not unusual.

Kafka is really support for Daboll and the other offensive coaches at this point. It is murky because he doesn’t have an obvious responsibility for a position group. He has described it as helping Daboll and the position coaches in any way he can, sharing ideas, sharing what he sees, etc.

It is an obvious step back for Kafka, who has been thought of as a potential future head coach. I can’t spin it in a way where it isn’t.

Ronnie Boswell asks: Daniel Jones rookie season showed promise outside of the turn over issues (which was a huge problem). Pat Shurmur was not a good head coach and was rightfully let go. However, at the time I thought what the impact would be on Jones’ development. The Joe Judge era stunted his growth. I like Jones and hope this season with what should be his best O-line and receiver corps has a Phil Simms type resurgence. However, if that’s not the case Schoen and Daboll will most likely try to get “their QB”. Outside of Beck, Sanders, and Ewers, who are some of the college QB’s we should be watching on Saturdays? (Side note I really do hope Jones kills it this year and the question is a moot point).

Ed says: Ronnie, rather than reinvent the wheel I’m just going to refer you to the ‘Summer Scouting’ post that BBV’s Chris Pflum did on the 2025 quarterback class. The names you are looking for are in there.