The New York Giants have experienced a substantial amount of roster turnover in recent years as general manager Dave Gettleman attempts to clean up the mess left by his predecessor, Jerry Reese.
Although there has been increased optimism surrounding the team, there’s still a long way to go before they return to their championship form. And part of that will have to come through continuity, which the Giants are drastically lacking at the moment.
Entering 2020, they will have entirely new coaching staff, several new players on both offense and defense, and a second-year quarterback leading the way.
Accordingly, the Giants are ranked near bottom of the league in ESPN’s recent continuity rankings, finishing ahead of only the Carolina Panthers.
31. New York Giants: 66.1% snaps returning
Offensive snaps returning: 71.4% (24th)
Defensive snaps returning: 61.0% (27th)
Starters returning: 18 (9 offense, 7 defense, 2 special teams)Non-coordinator assistants returning: 5 of 14
Coordinators returning: 1 of 3 (Thomas McGaughey, ST)
Starting QB: Daniel Jones, 2nd year
Head coach: Joe Judge, 1st yearWhat it means: The Giants are still near the beginning of their rebuild. They have a young quarterback learning a new system and a first-year head coach. This group will need time to be molded into the team Judge desires. The offense should be further along this year because of the heavy investment (three consecutive top-six picks) in recent years. The defense remains a work in progress and could take at least another offseason to develop its new identity.
Those sort of tempered expectations may not be what fans wants to hear as excitement around the team builds, but the abundance of change is going to stunt any sort of rocket-like 180 for the franchise. Still, it’s clear they are headed in the right direction and may be nearing an exit from these dark times.
