Oddsmakers have little confidence in the NY Giants this upcoming season.
New York (-650) has the fourth-worst odds in the league to miss the playoffs, with just the Broncos (-950), Panthers (-1300), and Patriots (-2000) having longer odds, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
The Giants' chances of claiming the NFC East title are also minuscule. Big Blue and the Washington Commanders are knotted together with a +1000 shot at winning the division.
The reigning division champion, Dallas Cowboys, is tied with the Philadelphia Eagles (+120) in a two-horse race for the NFC East crown.
The 2024 season officially started for New York on July 16, when the rookies reported to training camp, and the veterans will arrive a week later.
Here is a look at the biggest storylines for the Giants heading into training camp:
The Giants' $160 million quarterback continues to rehab from a torn ACL injury and is not a lock to be ready for the season opener on Sept. 8 against the Minnesota Vikings. Jones will have one final opportunity to establish himself as the long-term answer under center for New York.
"I expect a lot of myself, I expect a lot of the team," Jones said. "And what's going on outside that is not necessarily something that is going to drive me."
What is going on outside is that Jones faces an uphill climb to reset his career in the Big Apple. One year after leading the Giants to a surprising playoff berth, the former first-rounder endured a disastrous 2023 campaign. Jones tossed two touchdowns and six interceptions for 909 yards in just six games last season.
Jones, who has yet to be medically cleared for contact drills, expects to be restriction-free when veterans hit the field on July 24.
"The knees feel good, really good," Jones said. "Every week I've continued to feel better and better, and taking steps, doing a lot of the same things I've been doing, but doing them better and feeling sharper and cleaner with a lot of my cuts, working to getting that explosiveness back and then taking steps and improving my change of direction and cutting from even where it was before the injury.
"I've kind of hit every mark I've set to hit that the doctors and trainers have set for me to this point. I'm gonna push to do as much as they'll let me do."
If Jones is not ready for the season opener, backups Drew Lock and Tommy Devito will battle for the starting nod.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen pulled no punches when discussing the state of the offensive line during the premiere episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants.
"The reality is, facts — three serious injuries in two years, we need to protect ourselves," Schoen said. "He (Jones) didn't have much chance last year, that's legit.
"All season, the four guys, your core guys that are going to play together, played less than 60 snaps together. Miami, we got f–king three practice squad guys playing for us. Nobody can f–king — you could have Pat Mahomes, he can't f–king win behind that."
The offensive line, beset by injuries and inconsistent play, finished the season ranked 30th in Pro Football Focus' annual rankings. Despite upgrading the offensive line through free agency and the draft, the Giants are projected to trot out the fourth-worst offensive line in football this coming season.
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New York added veterans Jon Runyan, Jermaine Eluemunor, Matt Nelson, Aaron Stinni, and Austin Schlottmann in free agency. Runyan and Eluemunor are likely to start along with Andrew Thomas, 2023 second-round pick John Michael Schmitz Jr., and 2022 first-round pick Evan Neal.
The Giants also hired a new offensive line coach, Carmen Brucillo, after surrendering the second-most sacks (85) in league history last year.
For the first time since 2018, the Giants will be playing without their top offensive playmaker, running back Saquon Barkley. The former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year inked a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Schoen signed former Buffalo and Houston runner Devin Singletary to be the new workhorse. The former third-rounder had a career-high 898 yards last season on a whopping 216 carries. The 26-year-old also caught 90 passes for 193 yards.
Other running backs in the mix include youngsters Eric Gray and rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr. The first-year player, a converted receiver, has looked good enough in mandatory workouts to impress head coach Brian Daboll.
"Tracy has been a good — I wouldn't say surprise later-round draft pick, but he's done a good job in this camp of picking up the information pretty quickly."
The Wink Martindale era ended controversially and New York tabbed former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen to run the defense in 2024. Unlike Martindale, who used blitzes 45 percent of the time to harass opposing quarterbacks, Bowen blitzed just 22 percent of the time last season with the Titans.
"Wink kind of wanted you to play hard and fast," inside linebacker Bobby Okereke said. "You know, just play physical, downhill, figure it out. Here, it's a process of elimination. If this guy goes vertical, you check two. If two does this, you check three. You kind of put it in buckets, and that's the process of decision-making."
Although Bowen prefers a less aggressive approach, he acknowledged that his system will be adapted to fit the players.
"Ultimately, scheme for me is finding what fits our players best, right?" Bowen said. "We got to do a good job as a coaching staff figuring that out as we go, as we've been through the spring and we can evaluate, and as we get into training camp, continuing that evaluation. Something that never really stops as we go throughout the season."
While the upcoming season will be a pressure cooker for Jones, Schoen and Daboll will also be under the microscope. Another underwhelming season could spell the end for the bumbling duo.
As the New York Giants gear up for the 2024 season, several questions and challenges lie ahead. With Daniel Jones’ health still in question, a revamped but unproven offensive line, and a new defensive coordinator, the team faces significant uncertainties.
Bettors might find value in the current odds, particularly given the team's potential for both over- and under-performance based on these variables. Evaluating the Giants' offseason moves and early training camp developments will be crucial for anyone looking to make informed wagers this season at New York sportsbooks.
