The Giants.com crew discuss the biggest takeaways from head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen speaking to reporters at the NFL Annual League Meeting in Phoenix.
John Schmeelk: If there was any doubt John Harbaugh was an old-school football guy, it should be erased after his comments about what it meant if a team is able to run on your defense for four or five yards at a time:
"That is the end of the world. That's a disaster. If it breaks out past that we can't even breathe. That's how you feel about stopping the run. We want the run stopped. You want the run stoned. You don't want it going anywhere."
Do you think the Giants are going to do everything they can to stop the run? The signing of a big, long, physical linebacker like Tremaine Edmunds in free agency points to that priority. The next logical question to ask is why the Giants didn't do more up-front in free agency. Harbaugh had an answer to that too, saying "Maybe it's a one-year proposition, maybe not."
He later added, "Just haven't had an opportunity yet. It's like golf. I usually have a lot of bad shots in golf â behind trees and in the woods and stuff. Practiced all the tough shots and really just wasn't available to us yet for ⊠the parameters that we built. You can overpay, but you can't afford it a lot of times. You want to be smart and efficient in how we did it and still going to continue to do that because you're also building for long-term."
Given the Giants' record last season, going all in and pushing money into future years isn't prudent, even with some of the needs up front. It would prevent a more aggressive posture in the future, when a few extra additions could push the team over the top for a deep playoff run. There are also free agents still available to fill out the fronts on both sides of the ball.
Whatever it takes, the Giants are going to stop the run this year. If they have to stack the box, they will stack the box. They have cornerbacks capable of playing man-to-man on an island if the necessity should arrive. John Harbaugh has made it clear, they will do whatever it takes to stop the run in 2026.
Dan Salomone: Isaiah Likely will certainly have a bigger impact in the box score with the Giants, John Harbaugh told the assembled media in Phoenix.
The tight end is new to the Giants but familiar to Harbaugh, who coached the fourth-round pick for his first four seasons in Baltimore. In 2024, Likely set career highs 42 catches for 477 yards and six touchdowns. Even though he became the second-fastest Ravens tight end (34 games) to reach double-digit receiving scores in a career, behind only Mark Andrews (28 games), Harbaugh believes there is more to come.
"I'm certain he's going to be able to put up the numbers ⊠the stats," Harbaugh said. "That wasn't part of the thing in Baltimore because of the supporting cast, so to speak."
Likely was one of a handful of former Ravens players â and many more coaches â who flocked to East Rutherford this offseason.
"I have seen him in every kind of circumstance," Harbaugh said. "So it's really a valuable thing to know players. It's one of the things about your own players and why it's so important to try to keep the players you have on your roster if you can. We'll try to do that with the Giants going forward, but Isaiah is a guy that I coached personally, a lot of the coaches on our staff had coached personally, so we knew him. And not just him, but the other guys, too. He's going bring a lot to the table. He's a talented football player. He's a playmaking football player. He's going to make plays for us."
And for Jaxson Dart.
"I think Jaxson is going to really like him running the routes and being in his line of vision," Harbaugh said. "He's got a big catch radius. He can make plays after he makes a catch. He can get up field. He can make people miss. He can run people over. He's a very good perimeter blocker. You'll see that. That will be good for our run game."
View photos of players arriving to sign their contracts at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
Patrick Ricard
T Jermaine Eluemunor (72)
Darnell Mooney
Isaiah Likely
ILB Micah McFadden (41)
K Jason Sanders
Jason Pinnock
Tremaine Edmunds
Ar'Darius Washington
G Aaron Stinnie (64)
Patrick Ricard
OLB Zaire Barnes (46)
Jason Pinnock
T Jermaine Eluemunor (72)
Isaiah Likely
OL Joshua Ezeudu (75)
ILB Micah McFadden (41)
K Jason Sanders
Elijah Campbell
Tremaine Edmunds
Isaiah Likely
Patrick Ricard
Isaiah Likely
Greg Newsome II
Tremaine Edmunds
K Jason Sanders
Tremaine Edmunds
K Jason Sanders
Ar'Darius Washington
T Jermaine Eluemunor (72)
G Aaron Stinnie (64)
Isaiah Likely
Tremaine Edmunds
Greg Newsome II
Darnell Mooney
Patrick Ricard
T Jermaine Eluemunor (72)
OLB Zaire Barnes (46)
Elijah Campbell
Ar'Darius Washington
Tremaine Edmunds
Patrick Ricard
Ar'Darius Washington
Greg Newsome II
Patrick Ricard
Isaiah Likely
Jason Pinnock
Matt Citak: For several years, one of the Giants' biggest weaknesses was the protection up front. The offensive line had struggled to put together consistent production up until last year, when the line had its best performance as a unit in a long time. Heading into the 2026 season, four of the team's five starters up front are set to return, with the lone exception being right guard Greg Van Roten. Both John Harbaugh and Joe Schoen touched on the offensive line when talking to reporters Monday, with the general manager telling the media that Van Roten is "no longer here" but "not out of the mix." The veteran could still find his way back to East Rutherford, but whether or not that happens, there is still work to be done up front.
If you don't want to take my word for it, here is how Harbaugh responded when asked about the O-line:
"It's a work in progress."
Building on the success the unit found last year is pivotal this season. Jaxson Dart's development is perhaps the most important thing in the 2026 campaign, and what better way to support the young quarterback's growth than with a strong unit protecting him. As both Harbaugh and Schoen mentioned, there are still a few different ways for the Giants to bolster the line. Several intriguing interior O-line options remain unsigned in free agency, while numerous high-upside prospects should be available for the Giants with their first two picks. On top of the possible external options, the Giants also re-signed a few players, including Evan Neal and Joshua Ezeudu. While the two young linemen haven't gotten their careers off to the starts they were hoping for, their new head coach saw enough to bring them back and give them another chance with the franchise that drafted them.
"They're motivated," Harbaugh said about Neal and Ezeudu. "They came to the office and sat down and laid out a plan and a vision of the type of players they want to be. They showed us what they're doing to make that happen right now. So let's give them a shot. Let's give them an opportunity. They're talented. They're tough. They want to be great. They have dreams. They have big dreams. So if they're going to dream big I would like them to do it right here in our building and try to realize those dreams with us."
View every move made by the New York Giants during the 2026 cycle.
QB Jake Haener - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (October 3)
OLB Trace Ford - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (October 3)
OL Kendrick Green - Practice Squad Veteran (October 2)
OL Darian Kinnard - Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad (October 2)
OLB Jihad Ward - Free Agent Signing from MIN Practice Squad (October 1)
DL Josh Tupou - Practice Squad Veteran (October 1)
DL Josh Tupou - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (September 30)
QB Jake Haener - Practice Squad Exception (September 30)
WR Braxton Berrios - Free Agent Signing from NYG Practice Squad (September 29)
WR Charlie Jones - Free Agent Signing from NYG Practice Squad (September 29)
OLB Brian Burns - Reserve/Injured (September 29)
WR Odell Beckham Jr. - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (September 29)
DL PJ Mustipher - Practice Squad Exception (September 29)
QB J.J. McCarthy - Acquired (from MIN) for 2027 Fifth Round Pick (September 28)
QB Jake Haener - Waived, No Recall (September 28)
QB Jake Haener - Free Agent Signing from NYG Practice Squad (September 26)
WR Braxton Berrios - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (September 26)
LB Malik Harrison - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (September 26)
QB Jaxson Dart - Reserve/Injured (September 24)
DL C.J. Ravenell - Practice Squad Exception (September 22)
OL Ryan Schernecke - Practice Squad (September 22)
OL Kingsley Eguakun - Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad (September 22)
DB Elijah Jones - Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad (September 22)
WR Braxton Berrios - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (September 21)
LB Malik Harrison - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (September 21)
CB Nikko Reed - Free Agent Signing (from LAC PS) (September 18)
CB Paulson Adebo - Reserve/Injured (September 18)
CB Jaden Robinson - Practice Squad (September 17)
OL Ryan Schernecke - Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad (September 17)
DL Josh Tupou - Free Agent Signing from NYG PS (September 16)
WR Dalen Cambre - Practice Squad (September 16)
RB Phil Mafah - Practice Squad (September 14)
WR Dalen Cambre - Waived, No Recall (September 14)
WR Dalen Cambre - Free Agent Signing (from NYG PS) (September 12)
WR Braxton Berrios - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (September 12)
LB Malik Harrison - Activated, from Practice Squad (Standard Elevation) (September 12)
WR Darius Slayton - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (September 7)
G Jon Runyan Jr. - Signed, 2-year contract extension (September 7)
QB Jameis Winston - Signed, 2-year contract extension (September 7)
LB Malik Harrison - Practice Squad Veteran (September 3)
DL Ben Barten - Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad (September 3)
OL Geno VanDeMark - Practice Squad (September 2)
DB JT Woods - Terminated (by Club) from Practice Squad (September 2)
OL Kingsley Eguakun - Practice Squad (September 1)
WR Charlie Jones - Practice Squad Veteran (September 1)
OL Darian Kinnard - Practice Squad Veteran (September 1)
DB Elijah Jones - Practice Squad Exception (September 1)
DL Ben Barten, WR Dalen Cambre, FB Grant Finley, OLB Trace Ford, DB Raheem Layne, LB Chandler Martin, OL Ryan Schernecke - Practice Squad (August 31)
WR Braxton Berrios, WR Jalin Hyatt, DL Josh Tupou - Practice Squad Veteran (August 31)
QB Jake Haener, DB J.T. Woods - Practice Squad Exception (August 31)
OL Jarrod Gray - International Practice Player Signing (August 31)
CB Korie Black - Reserve/Injured / Designated for Return (August 30)
CB Art Green, K Ben Sauls - Waived, Injury Settlement (August 30)
DL Anquin Barnes Jr., DL Ben Barten, S Beau Brade, WR Dalen Cambre, FB Grant Finley, OLB Trace Ford, WR Xavier Gipson, RB Eric Gray, OL Jarrod Gray, QB Jake Haener, WR Jalin Hyatt, OL Jake Kubas, LB Chandler Martin, LB Darius Muasau, OLB Caleb Murphy, DL Zacch Pickens, OL Ryan Schernecke, S J.T. Woods - Waived, No Recall (August 30)
QB Brandon Allen, WR Braxton Berrios, TE Tanner Conner, DL Marlon Davidson, OLB Khalid Kareem, S Raheem Layne, OL Evan Neal, OL Lucas Patrick, DL Josh Tupou - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (August 30)
RB Damon Bankston, LB Anfernee Orji, WR Kobe Prentice - Waived, No Recall (August 29)
CB Ugo Amadi, TE Josiah Deguara, DL Leki Fotu, WR Isaiah Hodgins, OL Brenden Jaimes - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (August 29)
WR Calvin Austin III - Reserve/Injured (August 27)
OL Joshua Ezeudu - Traded (to KC) for 2028 Seventh Round Pick (August 26)
TE Josiah Deguara - Free Agent Signing (August 26)
WR Kobe Prentice - Free Agent Signing (August 26)
WR Ryan Miller - Waived, No Recall (August 24)
DL Ben Barten - Claimed (off waivers from NYJ) (August 19)
OL Daniel Faalele - Traded (to JAX) for 2027 Sixth Round Pick (August 18)
RB Najee Harris - Free Agent Signing (August 18)
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster - Terminated, Vested Veteran (August 18)
QB Jake Haener - Free Agent Signing (August 17)
LB Chandler Martin - Free Agent Signing (August 17)
RB Dante Miller - Waived/Injured (August 17)
DB Sam Webb - Reserve/Retired (August 16)
DB Ugo Amadi - Free Agent Signing (August 13)
DB Sam Webb - Free Agent Signing (August 13)
CB David Long Jr. - Terminated, Vested Veteran (August 13)
CB DJ James - Waived/Injured (August 13)
S JT Woods - Free Agent Signing (August 10)
DL Sam Roberts - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (August 10)
OL Brenden Jaimes - Free Agent Signing (August 8)
CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse - Waived/Injured (August 7)
FB Grant Finley - Free Agent Signing (August 6)
TE Tyler Moore - Waived, No Recall (August 6)
DB David Long Jr. - Free Agent Signing (August 5)
DB D.J. James - Free Agent Signing (August 5)
DL Roy Robertson-Harris - Reserve/Injured (August 5)
WR Beaux Collins - Waived/Injured (August 5)
LB Anfernee Orji - Free Agent Signing (July 30)
DL Ben Barten - Waived, No Recall (July 30)
TE Thomas Fidone II - Passed Physical (July 28)
DL Sam Roberts - Passed Physical (July 28)
DL Marlon Davidson - Free Agent Signing (July 28)
TE Tyler Moore - Free Agent Signing (July 28)
DL C.J. Ravenell - Waived, Non-Football Injury (July 25)
LB Cam Jones - Waived, No Recall (July 25)
DL C.J. Ravenell - Claimed (off waivers from TEN) (July 7)
CB Rico Payton - Waived/Injured (July 7)
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster - Free Agent Signing (June 2)
K Jason Sanders - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (June 2)
WR Odell Beckham Jr. - Free Agent Signing (June 1)
WR Braxton Berrios - Free Agent Signing (June 1)
OL Jarrod Gray - Free Agent Signing: Exempt/International Player (June 1)
WR Gunner Olszewski - Reserve/Injured (June 1)
LS Zach Triner - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (June 1)
LB Arvell Reese - Selection List Signing (May 29)
OL Francis Mauigoa - Selection List Signing (May 27)
DL Josh Tupou - Free Agent Signing (May 27)
T Reid Holskey - Waived, No Recall (May 27)
OLB Khalid Kareem - Free Agent Signing (May 14)
CB Thaddeus Dixon - Reserve/Injured (May 14)
CB Colton Hood - Selection List Signing (May 12)
RB Damon Bankston - Free Agent Signing (May 8)
WR Malachi Fields - Selection List Signing (May 7)
DL Bobby Jamison-Travis - Selection List Signing (May 7)
OL J.C. Davis - Selection List Signing (May 7)
LB Jack Kelly - Selection List Signing (May 7)
DT Anquin Barnes, DL Ben Barten, CB Thaddeus Dixon, LS Ben Mann, OL Ryan Schernecke, K Dominic Zvada - Free Agent Signing (May 7)
LB Swayze Bozeman - Waived, No Recall (May 7)
DL Elijah Chatman - Waived, No Recall (May 7)
WR Courtney Jackson - Waived, No Recall (May 7)
DL Marlon Tuipulotu - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (May 7)
DL DJ Reader - Free Agent Signing (May 6)
DL Zacch Pickens - Claimed off Waivers from KC (May 5)
DL Leki Fotu - Free Agent Signing (April 30)
DL Shelby Harris - Free Agent Signing (April 30)
LB DeMarvin Leal - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (April 25)
LB Jack Kelly - Selected in the 6th Round of 2026 NFL Draft (No. 193 overall) (April 25)
OL J.C. Davis - Selected in the 6th Round of 2026 NFL Draft (No. 192 overall) (April 25)
DL Bobby Jamison-Travis - Selected in the 6th Round of 2026 NFL Draft (No. 186 overall) (April 25)
WR Malachi Fields - Selected in the 3rd Round of 2026 NFL Draft (No. 74 overall) (April 24)
CB Colton Hood - Selected in the 2nd Round of 2026 NFL Draft (No. 37 overall) (April 24)
OL Francis Mauigoa - Selected in the 1st Round of 2026 NFL Draft (No. 10 overall) (April 23)
LB Arvell Reese - Selected in the 1st Round of 2026 NFL Draft (No. 5 overall) (April 23)
DL Dexter Lawrence - Traded (to CIN) for 2026 First Round Pick (No. 10 overall) (April 19)
QB Brandon Allen - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (April 13)
OL Daniel Faalele - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (April 9)
WR Ryan Miller - Exclusive Rights Signing (April 7)
OL Lucas Patrick - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (April 6)
WR Da'Quan Felton, DB Patrick McMorris, DB T.J. Moore, DB Myles Purchase - Waived, No Recall (April 6)
K Graham Gano - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (March 30)
LB Cam Jones - Free Agent Signing (March 25)
LS Zach Triner - Free Agent Signing (March 24)
DL Sam Roberts - Free Agent Signing (March 23)
DB Elijah Campbell - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 20)
OL Joshua Ezeudu - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 18)
WR Darnell Mooney - Free Agent Signing (March 17)
S Jason Pinnock - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 16)
WR Calvin Austin III - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 14)
LB Zaire Barnes - Free Agent Signing (March 14)
P Jordan Stout - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 13)
CB Greg Newsome II - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 13)
OL Aaron Stinnie - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 12)
S Ar'Darius Washington - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 12)
CB Art Green - Re-signed (March 12)
TE Isaiah Likely - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 12)
FB Patrick Ricard - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 12)
LB Tremaine Edmunds - Free Agent Signing (March 12)
T Jermaine Eluemunor - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 12)
K Jason Sanders - Free Agent Signing (March 11)
Chris Board - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (March 11)
P Jamie Gillan - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (March 11)
OL Evan Neal - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 11)
WR Isaiah Hodgins - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 11)
LB Micah McFadden - Unrestricted Free Agent Signing (March 11)
OLB Caleb Murphy - Re-signed (March 10)
S Anthony Johnson - Waived, No Recall (March 10)
WR Gunner Olszewski - Re-signed (March 6)
T James Hudson III - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (March 6)
LB Bobby Okereke - Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts (March 4)
WR Courtney Jackson - Free Agent Signing (February 13)
LB DeMarvin Leal - Reserve/Future (January 22)
DT Marlon Tuipulotu - Reserve/Future (January 13)
G Jake Kubas - Reserve/Future (January 7)
LB Swayze Bozeman - Reserve/Future (January 5)
TE Tanner Conner - Reserve/Future (January 5)
OLB Trace Ford - Reserve/Future (January 5)
T Reid Holskey - Reserve/Future (January 5)
S Patrick McMorris - Reserve/Future (January 5)
CB Myles Purchase - Reserve/Future (January 5)
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