jason garrett

New York Giants: Why Evan Engram Will Be A Top Tight End This Season

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New York Giants, Giants, Evan Engram

The New York Giants‘ offense has a respectable group of playmakers for Daniel Jones to share the football with throughout his second season. In 2020, the Giants have a new coaching staff. Joe Judge was brought in to replace Pat Shurmur after two disappointing seasons.

On the offensive side of the ball, Judge made a splash hire. After spending ten years as the head coach of one of the Giants’ biggest rivals, Jason Garrett left the Dallas Cowboys and joined Joe Judge’s staff in New York. Garrett will serve as the Giants’ offensive coordinator.

The Giants’ previous two offensive coordinators were the team’s head coaches. Now, the offensive coordinator will run the offense and call plays while the head coach oversees the entirety of the team.

A signature aspect of Jason Garrett’s offensive scheme is the heavy usage of the tight end position. Jason Witten had a Hall of Fame-caliber career during his time with Garrett and the Cowboys. One of the Giants’ most talented playmakers is their tight end, Evan Engram. Pairing him with Jason Garrett could lead to a huge season from the fourth-year tight end.

Why Evan Engram Will Break Out In 2020

The biggest challenge for Evan Engram throughout his three-year NFL career so far has been staying healthy. Evan has already missed 14 games in three years. But by the looks of it, Evan Engram is healthy and will be ready to go for the 2020 NFL season:

Keeping Evan Engram healthy and on the field will be crucial to the offense’s success in 2020. Engram is usually a top target in the team’s offensive scheme, but his role might even increase with the acquisition of Jason Garrett.

Between the ages of 25 and 31, Jason Witten was targeted in the Cowboys offense an average of 127 times a year–and that was despite their having a legitimate No. 1 receiver and a top rushing attack. – Gene Clemons of Giants County

In 2019, Evan Engram was tied for the second-most targets per game by tight ends in the NFL with 8.5. Engram only played in 8 games though, and a healthy season with a high target volume could lead to a breakout performance. In those first five games, Evan was averaging 9.6 targets per game, 74.6 yards per game, and totaled 2 touchdown receptions.

In his rookie 2017 season, Evan Engram was healthy and played in 15 games. That season, he was the Giants’ primary receiving option and received a whopping 115 targets. Evan caught 64 of those targets, totaling 722 yards and 6 touchdowns. Hopefully, the Giants can replicate that success in 2020.

Will the New York Giants Have A 1,000-Yard Receiver In 2020?

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The New York Giants have put together an offense with a multitude of talented playmakers. Entering his second NFL season, Daniel Jones will be sharing the football with the likes of Saquon Barkley, Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, Golden Tate, Darius Slayton, and others. On paper, this is a pretty solid stable of playmakers.

This is the same group that the Giants put on the field in 2019. But, with a new offensive scheme under Jason Garrett, will this same group of playmakers improve in 2020?

One area of the Giants’ offense that has been heavily discussed this offseason is the receiving corps. Many have criticized the Giants’ offense, citing a lack of a true number one receiver as a major weakness. Even former Giants Super Bowl champion wide receiver Amani Toomer stated this to be a weakness. With that being the case, what will the wide receivers be able to accomplish in 2020 with Daniel Jones and Jason Garrett?

Will There Be A 1,000-Yard Receiver?

From 2014 to 2018, the Giants had one primary receiver running the show and dominating the competition. Odell Beckham Jr. managed to surpass 1,00 receiving yards in every season he played with the Giants (except for 2017 when he only played in 4 games before suffering a season-ending leg injury).

Odell’s departure in the 2019 offseason came as a huge surprise for most Giants fans. Beckham had been the team’s best and most consistent player over the past five seasons and his absence was felt on Sundays in 2019. The Giants did not have a 1,000-yard receiver in 2019 and the team’s receivers struggled to fill the void that the Odell trade left behind.

Will that change in 2020? Will one of the Giants’ receivers crack 1,000 yards? Based on the career history of the Giants’ receivers, it is not very likely.

Sterling Shepard?

Sterling Shepard has never totaled 1,000 receiving yards in his four-year career. His career-high is 872 yards in 2018. Additionally, Shepard spent much of the 2019 season off the field due to injuries. It is unlikely that Sterling Shepard will net his first 1,000-yard season in 2020. Jason Garrett will be running a run-first offense that will use slot receivers like Shepard and Golden Tate as reliable chain movers and underneath route-runners. Shepard likely will not have enough big-play opportunities to have a chance at 1,000 receiving yards.

Golden Tate?

Golden Tate likely will not reach the 1,000-yard milestone this season for the same reasons as Sterling Shepard, though he seems to have a better chance than Sterling. Tate did manage to total 676 receiving yards in 11 games last season. Golden has had three 1,000-yard receiving seasons in his career, but not since 2017. At nearly 32-years old, it is hard to imagine Golden Tate having a career resurgence and becoming anything more than a reliable number two receiver with the Giants this season.

Darius Slayton?

Of all the Giants’ receiving targets, Darius Slayton has the best chance to total 1,000 receiving yards. Slayton flashed tons of potential in limited playing time in 2019. The rookie racked up 740 yards and 8 touchdowns, which was the most of all rookie receivers. Big Play Slay proved to be a big-time playmaker. If Slayton develops in year two he could have a breakout season and become that number one receiving threat that the Giants currently do not have. An expanded role as Daniel Jones’s favorite receiving target in 2020 gives Darius Slayton the best chance to top 1,000 receiving yards.

New York Giants: Jason Garrett A Major Upgrade At Offensive Coordinator In 2020

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New York Giants, Jason Garrett

The New York Giants are entering the 2020 NFL season with a new coaching staff. Pat Shurmur was fired from the position after two disappointing seasons with Big Blue. His replacement, Joe Judge, has quickly won over the fanbase with a commanding introductory press conference and the hiring of an excellent and experienced coaching staff.

Joe Judge hired multiple former head coaches as assistants on his coaching staff. The biggest name of all was Jason Garrett, former the Dallas Cowboys head coach from 2010-2019. Garrett was hired to serve as the Giants’ new offensive coordinator, replacing Mike Shula who held the position since 2018.

Mike Shula was always an interesting hiring for the New York Giants. He was not the team’s first choice at offensive coordinator- that was Kevin Stefanski, who is now the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. However, once the Vikings denied permission for the Giants to interview Stefanski, the team shifted focus and went with Shula instead.

Shula had some familiarity with Dave Gettleman from Carolina. He was a member of the Panthers’ coaching staff from 2011 to 2017. Shula’s offensive scheme helped quarterback Cam Newton reach MVP status en route to a Super Bowl appearance in 2015. In New York, though, Shula was not running his own scheme, rather, he was helping Pat Shurmur run his scheme.

A Different Coaching Philosophy

One of the biggest differences for the Giants in 2020 will be the fundamental change in coaching philosophy. Under the last two head coaches, McAdoo and Shurmur, the Giants’ offensive coordinators were far less involved on Sundays. Both Shurmur and McAdoo called plays for the Giants, quite unsuccessfully. Both offensive schemes were criticized for being predictable and inefficient.

Perhaps the most detrimental aspect of having the head coaches call plays was their lack of situational awareness. Quite often, both coaches would forget to call timeouts or call them at unfavorable moments. McAdoo and Shurmur had poor clock management skills that many attribute to the two coaches being too wrapped up in playcalling.

The Giants will not have that issue anymore as they welcome in a new philosophy. Now, the offensive coordinator will run the offense and call plays while the head coach oversees the entirety of the team. Luckily for New York, they secured one of the NFL’s brightest offensive minds in the league with Jason Garrett.

Jason Garrett As An Offensive Coordinator

During his long tenure with the Dallas Cowboys, Jason Garrett always had one of the league’s top offenses:

“With Garret calling plays, the Cowboys passing offense was never ranked lower than 9th in yards per game or 11th in yards per play, including two top five finishes in both categories. The rushing offense was top ten in yards per play four times.” –via Giants.com

Now with an offensive coordinator dedicating his attention strictly towards the offense, the Giants could see more consistency out of its scoring unit.

New York Giants: New Offensive Scheme Will Lead To A Dominant Season By Saquon Barkley

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants have one of the NFL’s most talented players on their roster. The second overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, Saquon Barkley, is one of the NFL’s up and coming stars and, in only two seasons, he is one of the top running backs in the league.

Barkley, nicknamed “Saquads” for his massive leg muscles, is a superhuman athlete. Saquon’s offseason workouts recently made waves on the internet:

Since the Giants drafted Saquon Barkley, they have found little success in the win-loss column. Barkley has been a human highlight reel but his incredible performances have rarely led to team victories.

An Injury-Riddled 2019

Saquon Barkley was nearly unstoppable as a rookie in 2018. In his first season, Barkley led the NFL with 2,028 total yards from scrimmage. He also racked up 15 total touchdowns. Saquon’s main job is to run the football, yet he still managed to break a Giants franchise record with 91 receptions in his rookie season.

Giants fans did not see that same version of Saquon Barkley in 2019. In the team’s Week 3 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Saquon suffered a high ankle sprain that would keep him sidelined for three games. Upon his return to the starting lineup, Saquon struggled to replicate his prior success.

Even though he missed three games in 2019, Saquon Barkley still managed to top 1,000 rushing yards on the season. But it was not hard to notice that Saquon was not at full health during the 2019 season. Saquon admitted this offseason that the injury nagged him and kept him from performing at his highest level.

“In the first game I came back I ran a rush to the right side of the field and I kinda got rolled up on it again,” Barkley said. “Luckily it was wet, it was a rainy game, so I didn’t get stuck on anything but it was just nagging. It happens.

“It was tough to deal with. Once we got to the offseason and I got some time to myself to work on it and be happy with it, it made me feel a lot better.” – Saquon Barkley on his 2019 injury

A New And Improved Scheme In 2020

Saquon Barkley was not only held back by his ankle injury in 2019. He was also held back by the Giants’ offensive scheme. Former head coach Pat Shurmur served as the team’s play-caller on offense. Considering Shurmur was fired after this past season, it is safe to say he was not doing the best possible job as the team’s play-caller.

Pat Shurmur’s rushing offense was bland. When a coach has a back like Saquon Barkley on his roster, it is the coach’s job to call plays that maximize the back’s talents. One way that some of the best NFL teams get the most out of their running backs is through the use of pre-snap motion. Teams with top rushing offenses, like the Ravens, Chargers, Rams, and 49ers, use pre-snap motion a high percentage of the time. All these teams rank in the top-ten team rates of motion at the snap for the 2019 season.

The New York Giants’ offense ranked on the opposite end of the spectrum. The Giants emplored pre-snap motion on 5% of their offensive snaps, ranking 27th in the NFL. While pre-snap motion does correlate to rushing success, the Dallas Cowboys’ offense did not feature pre-snap motion enough to rank them in the top-ten. However, they were not in the bottom ten either. Jason Garrett’s offense does feature more pre-snap motion than Pat Shurmur’s did, but he still does not use pre-snap motion at an extremely high rate.

One area wherein Jason Garrett will help the Giants’ rushing offense is the diversity of the rushing direction. The Giants ran the ball up the middle 63% of the time in 2019, one of the highest rates in the NFL. The Cowboys ran the ball up the middle 50% of the time, one of the lowest rates in the NFL. The Cowboys ran the ball off the left tackle at one of the highest rates. Compared to league averages, Dallas ran the ball off the right end, right tackle, and left tackle at a higher rate than average. They ran the ball up the middle and to the left end at a below-average rate.

The Giants ran the ball off the left tackle at one of the lowest rates in the NFL last season, another opposite to the Cowboys’ rushing scheme. The Giants ran the ball to the left end only 5% of the time. They ran the ball to the left tackle, left end, and right end at a below-average rate. They were well above average in their rushing percentage up the middle and also well above average in their run percentage off the right tackle.

Saquon Barkley is one of the hardest players to tackle in the NFL. Very rarely does a defender tackle Saquon Barkley in a one-on-one, open field situation. Barkley is a professional ankle-breaker. For this reason, the Giants would be wise to run the ball outside and get Saquon out in space. Shurmur preferred to shove Barkley down the middle of the defenses’ throats. In 2020, the Giants will run the ball outside more often. This will lead to a breakout season from Saquon Barkley.

New York Giants: Expect A Slow Start And Strong Finish In 2020

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New York Giants, Joe Judge

The New York Giants have rebuilt their roster and coaching staff once again. They fired Pat Shurmur and hired new head coach Joe Judge as his replacement. Judge constructed an experienced coaching staff full of like-minded individuals. Judge has many previous connections with the members of his staff, whether that be from Alabama or New England.

Now the youthful New York Giants will enter the 2020 season with brand new offensive and defensive schemes, along with a new locker room culture. There is a lot to be excited about. Daniel Jones is entering his second NFL season with a new and improved offensive line and offensive coordinator. Along with a fully healthy Saquon Barkley, there are many reasons to believe the Giants’ offense will be successful this season.

The same goes for the defensive side of the ball. The Giants have built a talented secondary with standout names such as Xavier McKinney, Jabrill Peppers, and James Bradberry. Combine that with the new, man-coverage and blitz-heavy defensive scheme from Patrick Graham, and there are reasons to believe the Giants’ defense will be a vastly improved unit.

I believe the Giants will see improvement in 2020. There was a lot of talent acquired this offseason and I believe Joe Judge and his staff will be a major improvement. However, I do not see the Giants achieving overnight success. This has been a historically tumultuous offseason, and even with all these improvements, the Giants are going to get off to a slow start in 2020.

Getting Up To Speed

The New York Giants have a completely new coaching staff entering the 2020 NFL season. Both sides of the ball will need to grow accustomed to the way the men in charge run things. There are new playbooks to be learned and mastered. All of this needs to be done despite the fact that the coronavirus pandemic is keeping players and coaches separated.

One would hope that the team has any inconsistencies ironed out by the time the season begins. Whether the timing on some route combinations is a second off or the disguise on some blitzes is too complex, there are going to be hiccups for this young New York Giants team. Even with a full offseason and no pandemic, there would still be hiccups.

The Giants are new and improved. But they might not play like it until the end of the season. Joe Judge has been dealt a really bad hand. He has seen two of his players get arrested this offseason and has had to work through the internet due to a world pandemic. Every team has to deal with the stress of coronavirus, but not every team has to deal with such a challenge with a rookie head coach. The Giants will work through these challenges but expect to see numerous hiccups along the way.

New York Giants: Daniel Jones Hosts Workout With Receivers In Texas

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants have a true leader in their newest franchise quarterback. After sixteen years with the legend Eli Manning, the Giants began a new chapter in 2019. Daniel Jones is now the face of the New York Giants, and so far, he has shown admirable leadership qualities.

Eli Manning’s offseason workouts at Duke were an annual tradition. Every year, Manning would rally the troops together and conduct workouts with Duke head coach David Cutcliffe. Daniel Jones is working hard to continue this tradition, though in a slightly different way.

The coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult for professional sports to conduct offseason activities. Teams have been conducting minicamps virtually. Recently, though, things have begun to ease up. More and more states are reopening or partially reopening and moving into their first phases of return to normal life. Along with this, Daniel Jones has conducted some offseason training with his teammates.

The Texas Workouts

Daniel Jones “organized an off-site throwing and catching program with his skill players” the past two weeks. Jones and company came together in Austin, Texas, to get some work in. The Giants’ training facility is closed because of COVID-19, so The Giants players needed to find another location to practice.

According to the New York Post, “the arrangements were helped along by Colt McCoy,” who used his strong connections with his alma mater (University of Texas) to help Daniel Jones arrange these training sessions.

There was “a pretty good group of guys” in attendance. Among those guys includes wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton and tight end Kaden Smith. Additionally, Saquon Barkley, Golden Tate, Jonathan Hilliman, and Corey Coleman joined the quarterbacks in Texas. The Post also reports that there were “as many as 15-20 players participating at various points in time.”

The Giants have a new offense to learn this year. Former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett was hired this offseason to serve as the Giants’ offensive coordinator. The players in Texas spent time running routes designed by Garrett and discussing the concepts in the passing game.

This is one of many moments where Daniel Jones has already established himself as a leader of this football team. Last week, the 23-year-old released a statement in support of his teammates and the Black Lives Matter movement. This week, Jones has brought his teammates together to focus on football and preparing for the 2020 NFL season.

The Giants’ quarterback is a leader. At only 23-years-old, Daniel Jones has already impressed in that regard. On the field and off the field, Jones is proving to be an excellent man and teammate. Giants fans seem to be lucky enough to have another classy individual lead their team into battle once again.

Ex-Giants QB Kerry Collins salivates over Daniel Jones-Jason Garrett connection

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

When a former two-time Pr-Bowler quarterback speaks out on the connection between a young signal collar and an offensive coordinator, it is best to take their opinion seriously. Former New York Giants quarterback Kerry Collins is excited about the connection between Jones and new OC Jason Garrett.

Collins spent five seasons with the Giants from 1999 to 2003, setting Eli Manning up for his Iron Man-like tenure. However, Jones is the next quarterback in a long lineage of success-infused passers (the exception being Dave Brown).

Jones showed exciting potential in his rookie season last year, posting 3027 yards, 24 touchdown passes, 279 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns. However, the Duke product fumbled 18 times and threw 12 interceptions, leading the league in lost fumbles at the position. Nonetheless, his productive numbers or something to work off of, and they represent a much better player in year 2.

Collins believes Garrett will help Jones tremendously in his development and progression of the NFL level. He has the ability but just needs an experienced mentor to guide him through the challenges and physical/mental tests.

“For a young guy like Jones, who has obviously shown a lot of ability, Jason is gonna help him immensely, with everything,” said Collins. “He’s not just gonna be an X’s and O’s guy, he’s gonna talk about that position and what it means to be successful. I’m really excited to see that combination.

“I’m sure Jason is gonna be heavily involved with Daniel’s development,” Collins added. “I just could not think of a better guy to have with Jones right now. His brains, the kind of guy he is, I think that match will be just absolutely phenomenal.”

Garrett has spent over a decade refining his play-calling abilities and learning from some of the best offensive coordinators in the game. While he served as head coach for the Cowboys from 2010 to 2019, Garrett featured as the Cowboys’ OC back in 2007, guiding them to the second-best offense in the NFL and immediately begin interviewing for head-coaching spots. Evidently, he stuck with the Cowboys and fell below a .500 winning percentage just over 10 years.

His knowledge of the game and quarterback position should serve a greater purpose with Jones. Garrett helped develop Dak Prescott and Tony Romo, and the Giants also brought in New England quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski to help aid in his quest to establishing Jones as a franchise quarterback. Big Blue finally has the right coaching pieces in place, but can they put it together? That is the question we will be asking come the regular season.

New York Giants: Dave Gettleman’s Plan Is Finally Starting To Take Shape

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New York Giants, Dave Gettleman

When Dave Gettleman was hired by the New York Giants in 2017, there were several challenges laid out ahead of him following a two-win season. He was tasked with ushering in a new era for a once-proud franchise. Job one was addressing the quarterback position, as Eli Manning failed to keep the Giants competitive throughout the season. In the 2018 draft, Gettleman ignored the quarterback position until the 4th round. Finally, he selected Kyle Lauletta, who is best remembered for his off-field transgressions rather than on-field progression.

Trading Jason Pierre-Paul in one of his first moves as general manager implied an incoming rebuild. However, by trading for veteran Alec Ogletree, Gettleman seemed to be taking measures toward being competitive with a roster that otherwise was not capable of making a run. 

In 2018, drafting Saquon Barkley was a controversial decision, as he passed up a plethora of quarterbacks who had the physical tools to turn any franchise around. Nonetheless, getting the best player in the draft was an understandable move. What happened next, on the other hand, was not. Failing to surround Barkley, the new face of the franchise, with a talented offensive line was a recipe for disaster. Considering the daunting history of running back longevity, this ignorance was all the more confusing. The lack of a plan was apparent yet again, as the franchise’s new toy was at risk of being run into the ground before the team had a chance to regain relevance. 

Trading fan-favorite Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns was initially an unpopular move, but it has proven to be a shrewd one. Committing to a rebuild by adding talented youngsters Jabril Peppers and the pick that became Dexter Lawrence showed the direction for a franchise in desperate need of a rebuild. 

The signings of Nate Solder and Patrick Omaneh were attempts to rehabilitate the offensive line and pound the ball with Barkley. With Omaneh cut before his first season ended and Solder moving to right tackle two seasons into his record-breaking contract, fans were left to wonder how their general manager would next try to build this unit.

Despite two years of subpar results, owners John Mara and Steve Tisch showed confidence in Gettleman, while exiling head coach Pat Shurmur. It is anyone’s guess how long they will give him going forward.   

With this new life, he sure has taken off running. 

In his third season, he has compiled a roster and coaching staff that puts his biggest investment, Daniel Jones, in a position to succeed. If Jones is going to step up to the task of becoming a franchise quarterback, he now has the pieces around him to prove it. By adding Will Hernandez in 2019, as well as Andrew Thomas and Matt Peart in 2020, Gettleman has committed to getting younger and stronger in front of his franchise QB. One of Jones’ biggest strengths is his ability to stretch the field. He recorded nine touchdown passes of over 20 air yards in his shortened rookie campaign, putting him in a tie for second in the NFL. This makes the protection in front of him essential, as he needs time to find dynamic veteran playmakers Evan Engram, Golden Tate, and Sterling Shepard. Not to mention electric vertical threat Darius Slayton, who is coming off a rookie season highlighted by big plays and a rapport with Jones that indicates he can be the quarterback’s big-play running mate for years to come. 

Gettleman has put together a group that can work cohesively to physically dominate the opposition, leaving the defense exposed to the threat of play-action. This allows Jones to use his legs and scan a field with one-on-one matchups across the board, putting him in a position to succeed. 

Jones struggled with turnovers in his freshman season, which is a significant issue, but being thrust into a situation where he would go on to be sacked 38 times in under 13 full games would make any rookie quarterback uncomfortable. With more time in the pocket, a healthy cast around him, and a full (albeit limited) offseason under his belt, now is the time for Jones to prove that he is the quarterback of the future for the New York Giants.

The addition of Jason Garrett to the offensive coordinator position is a seemingly ideal fit. A young and physical offensive line, paired with a young quarterback surrounded by dangerous playmakers, models Garrett’s old Dallas Cowboys’ rosters. Furthermore, Garrett’s nine seasons as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys make him the perfect voice to guide inexperienced but innovative coach Joe Judge in an attempt to bring the New York Giants back to relevance.

The current model of consistency among NFL Super Bowl winners is building a strong offensive line with a quarterback who limits mistakes. In recent seasons, the Patriots, Chiefs, Niners, and Eagles have all followed this model to build impressive rosters that competed for super bowls. Building a strong offensive line will allow Jones to feel comfortable and improve his decision-making, setting the organization up for consistency at the highest level.

The job is not done yet. Steps need to be taken on the defensive side of the ball, but progress has been made. In spite of a serious hole at the inside linebacker position and a lack of pass rushers, an improved secondary that is highlighted by promising young athletes such as Jabril Peppers, Xavier Mckinney, and James Bradberry offers hope that there is a young foundation budding for years to come. 

Being able to run the ball effectively will increase the time of possession and mask the flaws of the defense. As the old adage goes, the best defense is a good offense, and this will likely be the New York Giants best chance to field a competitive defense in spite of only having a few strong cornerstone defensive players.

As it stands, the Giants are gearing up for a 2021 playoff run. This year will provide tape for the brass to decide where they stand at several key positions. Although the idea of winning the offseason is generally a trap, there is finally hope for Giants fans. 

After two directionless seasons, Dave’s plan is starting to take shape.

New York Giants: Jason Garrett’s offense is 13 years in the making, what should we expect?

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New York Giants, Jason Garrett, Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley

When the New York Giants initially brought in former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett to take over their offense, they likely foreshadowed 10 years’ worth of experience wrapped up into one all-inclusive scheme.

Ultimately, the offense Dallas ran in 2019 brought a modern approach to the game that included many different styles and sets, continuously breeding unpredictability for opposing defenses and allowing Dallas to expose weaknesses.

I can’t imagine the Giants looked at Garrett and asked him to bring his offense from 2013, when he was forced to give up playcalling, rather than asking him to install the system from the number one ranked passing attack with Dallas last season.

“When we came to Dallas in 2007, we wanted to put in a system of offense that was something we would have with us regardless of the players that we had,” Garrett said. “A system that’s comprehensive and flexible to cater to the strengths and weaknesses of our team. The early part of that tenure, I was the play caller and then three other guys were able to do that, but it was our system. It was flexible.”

What should we expect from Garrett, and what units will benefit from him the most?

Well, running back Saquon Barkley will be a focal point, which should be a necessity considering the Giants spent the second overall pick in 2018 on him. Running backs often have shortened careers in the NFL, and utilizing Barkley with a run-first mentality is the reality of their future offense.

Aside from Barkley, I believe the tight end unit will also benefit significantly from Garrett’s style in 12 personnel. Injuries last year to Rhett Ellison and Evan Engram forced the Giants into 11 personnel far too frequently, limiting their offensive efficiency and pushing former head coach Pat Shurmur into a corner with his play-calling tendencies.

Engram will be a focal point in the passing game, we can predict, based on Garrett’s utilization of Jason Witten and Blake Jarwin over the past few years. Kaden Smith also showed plenty of potential, justifying more starting reps in 2020. The Giants also signed blocking specialist Levine Toilolo to replace Ellison, who retired this off-season after suffering a concussion in 2019.

However, the offensive line has been a priority the past few offseasons, having yet to complete the rebuild. The drafting of Andrew Thomas and signing cam Fleming shores up the tackle position. They also added Matt Peart in the third round to develop at right tackle and Shane Lemieux from Oregon to compete at center along with Nick Gates, Spencer Pulley, and Jon Halapio.

If the offensive line can come together, Barkley and the tight ends should benefit. This also translates to success for quarterback Daniel Jones and the wide receiver corps. There’s’ no doubt that Garrett’s system has evolved from almost a decade ago when he gave up play-calling duties, as his general concept remains in place. At the same time, different coordinators helped round out the utilization of specific talents to fit their mold.

“There’s no question it has evolved. There’s no question the language over the years has evolved and grown. But that’s part of the system. You don’t want your system to be stagnant. This is the only way we can do it, this is the only way we can call it. You want it to grow, you want it to be flexible. I think that’s one of the basic premises of the system we’ll put in.”

I believe year one with Garrett should prioritize the installment of a general scheme that works for every player, but 2021 will begin to dive deeper into specific talents and how to game plan with knowledge players on the roster. This is a significant part of the rebuild, and while I don’t expect the Giants to be dominant on offense next season, they’re taking steps in the right direction.

New York Giants: Evan Engram Primed For Breakout Season

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New York Giants, Evan Engram

The New York Giants‘ offense is primed for a breakout season in 2020. After two years with head coach Pat Shurmur running the offense, New York is taking a different approach in 2020. The Gmen hired Joe Judge as their next head coach and he assembled a phenomenal coaching staff. Judge made a splash on offense, hiring former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett as the team’s next offensive coordinator.

Jason Garrett’s scheme emphasizes the usage of the tight end position. Considering this, if Evan Engram can stay healthy in 2020, he should be in for a breakout season.

Evan Engram’s Health Questions

New York Giants tight end Evan Engram is entering his fourth season in the NFL. The controversial receiving-threat has seen his total number of games played decrease every year. Engram receives plenty of criticism for this.

Many fans criticize Evan Engram for not being able to stay healthy. Evan is a former first-round pick, so the bar of expectations is set pretty high. Part of the expectations includes playing more games than not, and, ideally, playing all sixteen games in a season. Engram has yet to accomplish this.

Evan played in 15 games as a rookie and was dominant, totaling 722 yards and 6 touchdowns. Since then, Engram has not looked the same. In 2018 he saw his number of games played decrease to a total of 11 games. Then, Evan Engram hit a real low point in 2019, playing in 8 games and starting only 6 of them.

Entering his fourth season, what evidence is there that Engram will be able to play a full season? Believe it or not, he might benefit from the impact that coronavirus has had on the NFL’s offseason. COVID-19 has halted life as we know it and could be allowing Engram extra leisure time to rest and heal his foot injury.

Why 2020 Will Be Engram’s Best Season

As long as he can stay healthy, Evan Engram will have his best season in 2020. This offense is set up perfectly for his success. Daniel Jones is entering his second season and will need his best playmakers available to help him take that sophomore leap. Engram will be a big part of that.

Jason Garrett loves to scheme the offense around the tight end position. Giants fans should know this better than anyone, after watching Jason Witten tear our defense apart for over a decade. Hopefully, Garrett can utilize Engram in a similar fashion and make him a staple in the Giants’ offense. Witten once received 147 targets in a season, so maybe an increased number of targets will lead to increased efficiency and production from Evan Engram in his fourth season.

Lance Meadow of Giants.com explained it this way:

“Last season, Evan Engram was on pace for a career year. Through the first five games, he accumulated 33 receptions, 373 yards, and two touchdowns… When you look at the Cowboys offense during Jason Garrett’s tenure, the tight end position played a prominent role in the passing game. Just look at Jason Witten’s production.” – Lance Meadow via Giants.com

Lance also made an excellent point regarding Blake Jarwin’s efficiency in Garrett’s offense:

“While Witten’s stats certainly jump off the page, the same can be said for Blake Jarwin, who is more comparable to Engram in terms of build and athleticism. With Witten taking a backseat to Jarwin in each of the last two seasons, the latter emerged as a notable playmaker with his targets, receptions and receiving yards increasing from 2018 to 2019. Jarwin’s usage and emergence is an encouraging sign for Engram.” – Lance Meadow via Giants.com

All Evan Engram has to do is stay healthy. If he can do that, under Jason Garrett in 2020, he can breakout and become one of the best tight ends in the NFL.