It’s late July, and the Jets’ and Giants’ training camps are just around the corner.
Are we excited yet?
We should be.
Despite their debacles last season, outlooks in both camps have been positive.
But they should still be tempered. Don’t start saving money for playoff tickets. This is the time of maybes and ifs.
There is enough sentiment around in Jets’ camp that Aaron Glenn can produce enough wins in his second season to save his job. He can thank GM Darren Mougey, who has orchestrated an impressive stance since he arrived with Glenn last year.
It’s also imperative that this is Mougey’s show to run, a complete reversal from last year when most believed Glenn called the shots. At least, he apparently did in the beginning of last season.
For the Jets, it will be about being respectable again with a realigned lineup on the defensive side of the ball, and Geno Smith serving as the bridge quarterback to the presumed next franchise quarterback in the 2027 draft.
That is, if Smith can keep his head on straight after his recent girlfriend and speeding tickets issues. If not, the intrigue and anticipation for rookie quarterback Cade Klubnik has already built.
There’s also Breece Hall, whose extension was what diehard Jets’ fans were longing for. Now, Hall has to produce from the backfield.
On the Giants’ side, it’s about their $20 million ($8 after taxes) man, John Harbaugh who is seen as the next Bill Parcells, building the team with integrity and grit.
Harbaugh will certainly play it his way, as he is holding training camp at the Greenbrier in West Virginia. And you Giants’ lifers thought Albany or Yale was a hike.
For the Giants, it’s also about the quarterback with second-year phenom Jaxon Dart, who hopefully has learned that the NFL isn’t a running quarterbacks’ league. It will be interesting to see how Harbaugh handles Dart.
Human bowling ball – remember the Colts’ Don Nottingham? – running back Cam Skattebo is back after a horrid ankle injury. But Skattebo recently decided to do a backflip at the Fanatics Fest that was unadvisable (See Geno Smith above).
Like the Jets, the Giants’ defense will be the key to their season. They will need Abdul Carter to be on a straight and productive path.
This coming Jets’ version should be better than last year’s disaster. Six or seven wins sounds about right, and the playoffs are a longshot.
The Giants are being talked about as a dark horse for the NFC East title. They could make it interesting, especially if everything falls into place. If Malik Nabors comes back earlier and looks good, they may have a legitimate shot.
But don’t forget, this is July.
This is the time of maybe and ifs with an extension version to come in training camp.
Yes, we can get excited, but we should also be realistic.
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