There is a different feeling surrounding the New York Giants as training camp moves toward its first preseason game.
It isn’t simply about a new coaching staff, a new offensive system or a collection of new players.
It is about an identity.
And on Wednesday, that identity came through in the words of quarterback Jameis Winston, head coach John Harbaugh and linebacker Micah McFadden.
Three different perspectives. Three different positions.
But remarkably similar messages.
Work. Competition. Accountability. Team.
For Winston, who has experienced plenty of NFL training camps and offensive systems throughout his career, the environment created by Harbaugh and his coaching staff has made football fun again.
“We have done an amazing job just setting a standard as a team that we are going to work our tail off and we’re going to be our very best,” Winston said.
That standard, he believes, is coming from the top.
Harbaugh has emphasized excellence since arriving in New York, and Winston said that philosophy has extended from the front office to the coaching staff and ultimately into the locker room.
“It’s really fun playing football right now,” Winston said. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Football is back.”
A Different Kind of Offensive Room
Perhaps nowhere is the Giants’ new approach more evident than on offense.
Winston described the offensive coaching staff as having “like five coordinators,” but rather than seeing competing philosophies or egos, he sees a collection of experienced football minds working toward the same goal.
Greg Roman.
Matt Nagy.
Brian Callahan.
Tim Kelly.
Different backgrounds. Different experiences. Different offensive philosophies.
Winston compared the combination to gumbo.
“You’ve got the old school, you’ve got the new school, and you’ve got just this melting pot of greatness,” Winston said.
It is an interesting description of an offense that is still being installed.
And perhaps more importantly, it explains why Winston believes the Giants have a chance to build something unique.
The coaches aren’t trying to prove who has the best idea.
They’re trying to find the best ideas.
“There’s so much wisdom,” Winston said. “To me it’s a privilege to get the knowledge of all these great coaches.”
Winston specifically praised Roman’s history as a run-game architect, Nagy’s offensive creativity, Callahan’s experience and lineage, and Kelly’s background running offenses in Tennessee and Houston.
The common denominator?
“They lack ego,” Winston said. “They just want us to be our very best.”
That may ultimately be one of the most important characteristics of the Giants’ new offense.
Everything Is Being Built Around Jaxson Dart
While Winston is providing veteran leadership and experience, the Giants’ offense is ultimately being constructed around second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Dart entered the NFL as a rookie last season trying to learn one system.
Now he’s learning another.
And Winston isn’t concerned.
In fact, he’s impressed.
“It’s fun seeing him just…master what they’re throwing at him,” Winston said.
That is no small task.
The Giants aren’t simply teaching Dart plays. They’re teaching him concepts, formations, personnel packages, checks and multiple ways to attack defenses.
Winston believes the goal is to take all of those ideas and ultimately create an offense that maximizes what Dart does best.
“He’s never lacking work ethic,” Winston said. “He’s been diving in, spending some late nights with these coaches and getting better every single day.”
And that may be the most encouraging part.
The Giants aren’t asking Dart to simply survive a complicated offense.
They’re trying to build an offense for him.
“We’re going to do our best to build an offense that best supports his skill set,” Winston said. “He does a lot well, so it’s a lot that we are capable of doing.”
That is a significant statement as the Giants prepare to finally put some of this work on display in a game.
Harbaugh, however, isn’t rushing the process.
When asked whether Dart will play Saturday, the head coach smiled and delivered the kind of answer reporters have come to expect from him.
“I’ll let you know later.”
Odell Beckham Jr. Is Back
Then there is Odell Beckham Jr.
Few players in Giants history have created the kind of connection with the fan base that Beckham established during his first run with the organization.
For Winston, who grew up watching Beckham, seeing him inside the building is different than watching him from afar.
“I only knew him as this football icon,” Winston said. “The guy that made one-handed catches, and if you put the ball in his hand, he was going to make a play.”
Now Winston gets to see the teammate behind the highlight reel.
And what he sees is a player who isn’t satisfied with his past.
“He’s just hungry for more,” Winston said. “Because he feels like he’s just got some unfinished business.”
Harbaugh echoed that confidence.
According to the head coach, Beckham has reached the point where he is ready to play.
“He’s ramped up, honestly,” Harbaugh said. “I think he’s there.”
Beckham has been taking his scheduled practice reps, getting stronger and continuing to work his way toward game action.
Harbaugh confirmed that Beckham will play.
Exactly how much remains undecided.
But the anticipation is already building.
Winston can feel it.
He remembers playing in New Orleans and throwing a touchdown to Jimmy Graham when Graham returned to the city.
The reaction from the fans was unforgettable.
Now Winston imagines what MetLife Stadium will sound like when Beckham catches his first touchdown in a Giants uniform again.
“I can’t even imagine the anticipation that our fans have,” Winston said.
That moment could become one of the emotional highlights of the preseason.
The Next Generation Is Watching
One of the more interesting relationships developing inside the Giants’ receiver room involves Beckham and rookie Malachi Fields.
Fields, according to Winston, is part of a generation of young players who grew up watching Beckham.
The irony isn’t lost on anyone.
Beckham is now sharing a locker room with players who once watched his highlights as kids.
Jalin Hyatt even wears No. 13 in part because of his admiration for Beckham.
But Winston sees something else in Fields.
Hunger.
Curiosity.
And a willingness to learn.
“Coming in day in and day out to get better,” Winston said. “He has a great rapport with Jaxson.”
More importantly, Winston said Fields is curious about what it takes to become great.
That mindset could be just as important as his physical ability.
The Defense Is Building Its Own Identity
While the offense is learning a new system, the defense is developing its own personality under coordinator Dennard Wilson.
McFadden has been one of the most vocal players about that transition.
And after missing much of the previous season, he is preparing to return to game action nearly a year after his injury.
“I’m excited,” McFadden said. “Feeling good, feeling ready to go play.”
McFadden knows he has competition.
The Giants drafted linebacker Arvell Reese, and the team has added veteran leadership with Tremaine Edmunds.
Rather than complain about his place on the depth chart, McFadden has embraced the competition.
“Control the controllables,” he said.
That means being ready when his opportunity comes and embracing whatever role the team needs.
It also means helping the younger players around him.
McFadden has been impressed with Reese and Jack Kelly, saying both rookies have picked up the defense quickly and played fast without making many mistakes.
And while Reese may represent competition for playing time, McFadden sees him as a teammate first.
“I don’t think Arvell needs too much help,” McFadden said.
That kind of attitude fits perfectly with the culture Winston described on offense.
Fast. Physical. Together.
McFadden also offered an important glimpse into what the Giants want their defense to become.
When asked about improving the run defense, his answer was simple.
It starts up front.
It starts with the front seven.
But ultimately, it comes down to playing fast and physical.
“We want to be correct, but at the end of the day, if you’re fast and physical, I think that kind of makes everything right,” McFadden said.
That philosophy fits Wilson’s defensive approach.
McFadden praised the coordinator for being direct, thorough and intentional.
“He’ll tell you what he thinks about you and how you’re playing,” McFadden said.
And the linebackers appear to appreciate that.
“I like the way he calls it,” McFadden said. “Especially as linebackers. I think he lets us play free and fast.”
That may be exactly what the Giants need.
Harbaugh’s Culture Is Showing Up
Perhaps the most telling comments Wednesday came from McFadden when he discussed the camaraderie inside the locker room.
He didn’t credit one position group.
He didn’t credit one star player.
He went straight to the top.
“Holistically, I think it starts top down,” McFadden said.
Harbaugh has set the tone from his first day in the building.
And that culture appears to be spreading.
Players are spending more time together. New players are becoming comfortable. Veterans are helping younger teammates. Competition is intense without becoming personal.
McFadden noticed the difference when the team returned from its 12-day stay at the Greenbrier in West Virginia.
The scenery changed.
The mountains disappeared.
Hudson Yards replaced them.
But something important remained.
The connection the team developed while away.
Winston believes that isolation from the distractions of New York was valuable.
“It just was us,” Winston said.
The Giants had the opportunity to strip away the glitz and glamour and focus on football and one another.
Now they’re back home.
And they’re carrying that mentality with them.
The Install Is Only Beginning
For anyone expecting to see the finished version of the Giants offense immediately, Harbaugh offered a reality check.
Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy recently said the team was roughly halfway through its install.
Harbaugh believes even that might be generous.
“Probably five percent through,” he joked.
The core principles are in.
But the Giants haven’t even begun installing every way they can disguise those plays, utilize different personnel groupings, manipulate formations or change how they communicate at the line of scrimmage.
In other words, what fans see Saturday will be a glimpse.
Not the finished product.
And perhaps that is exactly what this preseason is supposed to be.
An opportunity to evaluate.
An opportunity to compete.
An opportunity to discover what works.
The Game Is Coming
Harbaugh can feel it.
The players can feel it.
After 10, 12 days of the grind of training camp, the focus begins to shift.
The intensity doesn’t disappear.
It changes.
“We’re still trying to get better,” Harbaugh said. “We’re still trying to focus on technique.”
But the players know what is coming.
Their first chance to play against someone wearing a different uniform.
For Beckham, it will be the beginning of his return to the Giants.
For McFadden, it will mark the end of a long road back.
For Dart, it could be another important step in his development.
For Fields, Reese and the other young players fighting for roles, it will be an opportunity to turn practice performances into something tangible.
And for Winston, it will be another chance to help establish the standard he believes this team is creating.
The Giants aren’t finished.
Far from it.
The offense is still being installed. The defense is still finding the right combinations. The roster is still being evaluated.
But the foundation is becoming visible.
Work ethic.
Competition.
Leadership.
A willingness to learn.
And, perhaps most importantly, a team that appears to genuinely enjoy being around one another.
As Winston put it, “Coaches coach, players play.”
The Giants believe the harder they play, the more they can allow their coaches to do what they do best.
Now they get to find out what that looks like when the games finally count.
And if Wednesday’s conversations are any indication, this Giants team believes it is ready for the next step.
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