PHOENIX — John Harbaugh has seen it every day for the past four years with tight end Isaiah Likely. The way he catches the ball. The details with which he runs his routes. The way he makes yards after the catch.
It has never resulted in Likely having 500 yards receiving in a season with the Baltimore Ravens. Harbaugh, the former Ravens turned Giants coach, has bet that will change after New York signed him to a three-year, $40 million deal. His reasoning — all the things he saw each day in Baltimore.
With that knowledge of the young tight end, Harbaugh isn’t just hopeful that bigger numbers are on the horizon in an offense that doesn’t include former All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews. Harbaugh knows it will happen.
“That’s what I’ve seen. I’ve seen him every day in practice. I’ve seen him make plays. I know how he plays the game,” Harbaugh said this past week at the NFL’s annual meetings. “So, you try to kind of create a vision for a player; what do you think they’re capable of doing? One thing that we always try to do is see what players can do. Not so much concerned about what they don’t do, what they haven’t done, what they can’t do. What can they do?
“When you see a player do it every day, you got a pretty good idea what he’s capable of. So, I’m certain he’s going to be able to put up the numbers you’re talking about, the stats. That wasn’t part of the thing in Baltimore because of the supporting cast, so to speak.”
Likely will still have to compete with tight end Theo Johnson in New York. The Giants envision Johnson being a big part of what they do. Harbaugh noted that Likely and Johnson will make an impactful one-two punch. So, expect a lot of two-tight-end sets. Harbaugh even called Likely and Johnson “very special, talented players” whom he’s excited to see together.
Still, at $13 million per season, it’s clear that Likely is expected to fill the role that belonged to Andrews in Baltimore. Andrews averaged 622 yards and seven touchdowns per season in his four years with Likely. That seems to be fair expectations for Likely in New York.
Overall, Harbaugh and Giants general manager Joe Schoen were really happy with the way free agency unfolded. It allowed them to establish what they’re going to be about as a team.
“Yeah, it was clear throughout the interview process what he wants his team to look like,” Schoen said. “And he’s been in the league so long. I mean, we literally in our scouting reports, ‘This guy looks like a Baltimore guard’ or ‘a Baltimore outside backer’ or whatever. And people just know what that means within the room.
“You’re going to be tough, you’re going to be physical.”
Harbaugh stressed his desire to stop the run and run the football. The Giants admittedly were interested in some offensive linemen (specifically guards), but Schoen said the team was looking for good contract value and not trying to overpay. That ultimately led to leaving the first wave of free agency without an upgraded option, namely former Jet Alijah Vera-Tucker, who signed with the New England Patriots.
So, with a hole remaining at right guard and having done very little on the defensive line, Schoen said this was still a work in progress. Last year’s starting right guard Greg Van Roten remains a free agent. Schoen said he remains an option, but a source told ESPN in recent weeks there didn’t seem to be much traction with Van Roten. Perhaps that changes near or after the draft.
The trade market and draft are other areas to monitor for offensive and defensive linemen. Perhaps someone becomes available who is a better option than the second or third wave of free agency.
“There’s always trade options, there’s the draft, there’s several avenues where we can go through in terms of adding talent,” Schoen said. “So, we’ll continue to look at the offensive line, and I would say defensive line as well.”
Other topics Harbaugh and Schoen touched on at the meetings:
Comp picks
This has been a staple of the Ravens over the years. Baltimore was awarded four compensatory picks this year. The Giants have received just three comp picks over the past five years. Comp picks are earned based on a formula of players lost and signed during free agency each year.
It’s interesting to note that the Giants said comp picks were not a priority heading into free agency despite Harbaugh’s presence. But now that they’re projected to have a pick next year, it’s something they are at least considering as they maneuver into the spring.
“It’s in the back of our mind,” Schoen said. “But if there’s somebody out there that we love and we want to make room for a $5 million player, whatever it is, we would certainly do it.”
Void year
The Giants traditionally have not fully embraced the use of void years in their contracts, essentially designing deals to be paid, in part, down the road. They view it as charging on a credit card, with the future charges being the equivalent of paying interest.
The last time the Giants used void years in a contract was A’Shawn Robinson‘s deal in 2023. Schoen said it’s not a mandate from ownership, but instead a philosophical belief that they don’t feel limits their ability to spend in free agency.
However, Schoen noted there is a time and a place for it. Perhaps when they’re closer to championship contention?
Harbaugh quoted renowned author George Bernard Shaw when he described the head-scratching re-signings of offensive linemen Neal and Ezeudu: “Some men see things as they are and they ask why,” Harbaugh said. “We see things as they aren’t and ask why not.”
Not exactly Shaw’s quote, but you get the point. Basically, why not?
Harbaugh said Baltimore liked Neal, a top-10 pick in 2022, and Ezeudu, a third-rounder out of North Carolina, a lot in the draft. And both players seem motivated. So, he will give them a chance, with Neal focusing on being a guard for the second straight year after coming into the league as a tackle, and Ezeudu getting a shot at both tackle and guard.
The CB position
It would seem worrisome from the outside that the Giants’ starting cornerbacks are Paulson Adebo and Greg Newsome II, and Dru Phillips and Deonte Banks are next in line. But the team seems confident that this group, with new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, can be more effective than last season.
Wilson has been known to work well with the secondary. And Schoen said that Banks is “uber-talented.”
To some degree, the Giants seem to be banking on some underperforming draft picks blossoming under the new coaching staff. Only time will tell.
