A sense of change is in the air for the New York Giants. Matt Nagy has arrived in East Rutherford as the new offensive coordinator, and although he will be working closely with Jaxson Dart for the first time, he has been following him for quite some time, knowing that he has something different from the rest.
“I was able to watch a decent amount of Jaxson last year, when I was in Kansas City,” Nagy said to the press. “We tried to take as little time as possible watching the quarterback position, but every year I will watch just to see the top guys that are there, and I remember coming away impressed with Jaxson and his accuracy.”
The first moves began to be seen in the new era of John Harbaugh. That’s where the new OC truly began to glimpse Dart’s potential.
“I didn’t know how tough he was and how good a runner he was,” Nagy also added. “At the Combine, us not really being in the quarterback market, watching him, just observing how he handled himself in that group of quarterbacks at the Combine, you could see this moxie he had, this it factor. When I got here to New York and started meeting with him, you could tell right away that was true. This kid is different in that way.”
Matt Nagy looks on prior to a preseason game.
A key piece could leave the Giants
An offer too good to resist from the Bengals might be one way for the Giants to move Dexter Lawrence, who officially requested a trade this week after contract negotiations stalled. Despite being the centerpiece of New York’s defense, the All-Pro nose tackle is seeking a deal that reflects the skyrocketing market for interior linemen, as his current $22.5 million average has fallen behind his peers.
While head coach John Harbaugh has expressed a desire to keep him, the combination of Lawrence’s trade request and Cincinnati’s potential interest—possibly involving high draft picks—has put the Giants in a difficult position as they weigh his massive $35 million-a-year salary expectations against his long-term value to the franchise.
Nagy gets players back
Giants expect Cam Skattebo to be back before Nabers, as the young running back is already jogging and expected to participate in the offseason program following his ankle injury. While both are key pieces for the offense led by Jaxson Dart and the scheme of offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, Malik Nabers’ recovery from a torn ACL has him on a slightly longer timeline, with a projected return closer to training camp or the start of the regular season.
