GM Joe Schoen Bye Week Press Conference

Joe Schoen (0:00)

Quick housekeeping, just from a roster standpoint. We're going to add Dean Lowry to our practice squad today. We're going to move on from Jason Brownlee, who was a receiver on the practice squad, so that'll be the move there. We're going to put Tyrone Tracy on IR, and we signed Greg D'Ousier from the LA Chargers practice squad to the active. He's a running back from Memphis, he's a rookie.

So those are moves that we're going to make today, you'll see on the waiver. Otherwise, open it up for questions.

SPEAKER_2 (0:33)

What does that do for your running back position? Obviously, come a little shorter there without Tracy.

Joe Schoen (0:39)

Yeah, that's why we're poaching the running back from the Chargers, and then we have a practice squad running back, and Mafa, who we like, who's been drafted by the Cowboys a couple years ago. So we like him, and again, we've been rolling with three. Last week was the first week, but ideally, that's typically your number depending on special teams. So still have a lot of confidence in Scott and Motor, and excited to see what Gray can do.

SPEAKER_3 (1:05)

Does that change your approach with the trade deadline coming out? Does that change your approach to the running back position?

Joe Schoen (1:10)

No, Tracy's not going to be... This isn't like some of the other ones that we've had where it's season ending.

This won't be something that's going to be long term. So fortunately.

SPEAKER_4 (1:19)

When you were in this situation in 22, after a good start at the trade deadline, you showed a strength and made any moves. Is this situation different? And if so, just in what ways?

Joe Schoen (1:29)

There's a lot of the factors into it. In terms of where we are pick wise, we don't have a fourth or a fifth right now. So you take that into account.

In some situations, that may rule some players out. Maybe that's what their value is. Maybe a third is too rich or a sixth isn't enough. So then you start looking into future picks and contract status, where we are depth wise. So a lot of factors that we'll look at and who's going to be available, who's really available. And it's easy to say, go sign X, Y, and Z position. But if a team's really not ready to get rid of somebody where they're asking too much, it doesn't match up with where you see the value, then it doesn't make sense to do it. So we're going to look at all the options that are available. And there are certain teams that have already started some trades. And we've been in contact with those teams and have a pretty good idea of who may or may not be available. And again, it's got to make sense short term and long term when you make those moves.

SPEAKER_5 (2:25)

Joe, you're 4'2 and 1, you're here, you're first place at the bi-week.

Did you ever think you would be in this position? And what's your overall feeling on the state of the Giants right now?

Joe Schoen (2:38)

I'm happy where we are. I really like the team. I like the makeup of the players, the grit. I was thinking about it, just the end of game happiness that we've had, whether it was the last play of the game in Tennessee or Arizona or even Washington, the way that played out. And then the walk-off run by Motor on Sunday in Houston. So just the resilience of the players, the way we performed in late in games in the fourth quarter and overtime, credit to the strength and conditioning staff, the training staff. They did a phenomenal job through camp and through the season, making sure we hit our numbers at practice. And that way we wouldn't get into those situations in the fourth quarter and even in overtime that you still have your stamina. To be able to have those two big runs at the end of the game, to finish a game, that was awesome. That was a great feeling. It was cool to see. So again, I'm really proud of the guys, the way they've worked.

You guys, some of you guys were down in West Virginia too. It's been a long few months since then. I mean, that seems like forever ago when you guys were in your Airbnb down there in Greenbrier.

We were in those hotel rooms. But just really proud of where the guys are, really proud of the coaching staff. We've been through some adversity with injuries and really that next man up attitude has shown up consistently with these guys. Really proud of Micah McFadden, just the guy right there that got hurt in the first game last year, signed back here. We draft Arvel, and then he gets another opportunity to start and goes out and leads the team and tackles. Just really proud of guys like that and the way they're approaching it. So did I think we'd be here? Again, you never know each team takes on the personality of its own, but I'm really happy about where the guys are, and they've earned the right to be in first place in the NFC East, and we have meaningful games ahead of us that I'm looking forward to.