New York Giants training camp preview: Key dates, notable additions, biggest storylines

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With 2024 NFL training camps set to open, it’s time to get up to speed on all 32 NFL teams. Eric Edholm has the lowdown on position battles, key players and notable subplots across the NFC East.

Catch up on the New York Giants’ offseason developments and 2024 outlook below.

Training Camp Dates/Information

• Players report: July 16 (rookies); July 23 (veterans)
• Location: Quest Diagnostics Training Facility | East Rutherford, New Jersey (fan information)

Notable Roster Changes

Preseason Schedule

• Week 1: vs. Detroit Lions | 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, Aug. 8
• Week 2: at Houston Texans | 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 17
• Week 3: at New York Jets | 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 24 (NFL Network)

2024 Schedule Notes

• In Week 12, the Giants will play against the Carolina Panthers in Munich, Germany. This will be the franchise’s fourth game in Europe in their history.
• Based on their opponents’ 2023 win percentage (.516), the Giants have the sixth-highest strength of schedule in 2024.
• New York welcomes former Giants running back Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles to MetLife Stadium in Week 7.

— NFL Research

What You Need To Know

1) The offseason — and the first episode of Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants — pretty well boiled down to two things: Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. And they were very much tied together, it turned out. With Barkley gone to Philadelphia, New York has turned its gaze to Jones. He’s had a complicated few years, playing well enough to earn a massive extension but having suffered through an injury-bit and ineffective 2023 campaign that has him squarely in a make-or-break season. And though GM Joe Schoen came up short in his bid to trade up for a QB in the draft, which theoretically gives Jones a better chance to thrive, there could be competition from Drew Lock. There have been some breadcrumbs dropped along the way, the most recent of which was assistant GM Brandon Brown casually saying, “whoever the QB is” while making a point about receivers in the latest Hard Knocks episode. It would be stunning if Jones didn’t get the early part of the season to prove he’s worth $40 million, but further injuries or ineffectiveness could derail that effort.

2) The other part of that equation, watching Barkley sign with the division-rival Eagles, was a pretty tough pill to swallow, and while the cupboard isn’t bare, there’s a talent drop-off here. Presumed lead back Devin Singletary has been remarkably consistent in his career, both in terms of health and production, but he’s never averaged more than 15 touches a game for a season. How much can Eric Gray and fifth-rounder Tyrone Tracy Jr. (who has one year of RB experience) contribute? Could there be a reunion with free agent Matt Breida? The other side of the coin is that the Giants were a middle-of-the-pack running team a year ago with Barkley starting 14 games, so you can see why the Giants couldn’t justify paying him nearly $13 million per year. But in 2022, when Jones was thriving, the Giants were a top-10 running team, and they’ll have to find ways to replace Barkley’s receiving value, which was significant. The Giants have plenty to figure out at this position in camp.

3) There’s no glossing over the Giants’ offensive line problems from a year ago — and let’s be honest, the issue has lingered far longer than that. Free-agent additions Jon Runyan and Jermaine Eluemunor should help, as they are expected to line up at right and left guard, respectively. Andrew Thomas, whose 2023 season was marred by injury, should be back to being one of the best young left tackles in the league. That’s the bright side. The flip side is that the Giants really need recent draft picks Evan Neal and John Michael Schmitz to play up to their abilities, with Neal perhaps needing to fight for his job. In addition to his struggles on the field, Neal also is coming off ankle surgery in January. If he struggles in camp, is there someone capable of manning that right tackle spot and playing at a respectable level? Third-year pro Joshua Ezeudu might be one candidate, but the remainder of the Giants’ OL additions appear to be depth pieces more than anything. This unit has to be better for the Giants to thrive again, but there’s no guarantee it will be.

4) The Giants haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. left town, and they lost major receiving threats in Barkley and TE Darren Waller (retired) this offseason. Yet hope remains fairly high with the addition of first-rounder Malik Nabers and the promise of young WRs Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt. The Giants bypassed quarterbacks to select Nabers, and he appeared to put on a show in minicamps and OTAs — will that translate to camp, preseason and the regular season? Clearly, the bar is high already, even with the Giants’ apparent limitations offensively. Robinson emerged as a slot weapon, and Hyatt could break out as the deep threat. How other receivers (Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, Isaiah McKenzie, Miles Boykin, Allen Robinson, Bryce Ford-Wheaton) fit in is anyone’s guess, with camp likely sorting much of that out, but the top of the position appears strong. Will anyone ascend as a receiving threat at tight end with Waller out? Daniel Bellinger and rookie Theo Johnson are two to watch, but don’t overlook Lawrence Cager as a possible sleeper.

5) The addition of Brian Burns has added jet fuel to the pass rush, solidifying a strong front seven with Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux and other interesting pieces. New defensive coordinator Shane Bowen arrives with the reputation of being a more balanced play-caller, in contrast to the departed Wink Martindale, whose blitz-or-die scheme had run its course. There’s talent on all three levels for Bowen, but the secondary will face scrutiny in camp — especially as it contends with the Giants’ young WR talent. Losing S Xavier McKinney, who played every defensive snap last season, and CB Adoree’ Jackson might sting. A higher dose of zone coverage could help, but there’s ample pressure on the young returning corps of Deonte Banks, Jason Pinnock, Cor’Dale Flott, Nick McCloud, Tre Hawkins III and Dane Belton, not to mention 2024 Day 2 picks Tyler Nubin and Dru Phillips, to be ready for extended action in the new scheme. Defensive improvement is likely given where they finished in 2023 (27th in yards allowed), but how high is the ceiling?