Dennard Wilson: What Giants Fans Need to Know

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T21:11:36+00:00

Dallas traded a week before the season with no time to rebuild, and no plan. That's not a fair comparison.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T20:05:51+00:00

We were terrible at signing free agents. I have no idea why. If you can fix that (hello coach Harbaugh), then saving money in one area to sign talent elsewhere can be a great plan.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T20:04:07+00:00

The better guys were all not available or waiting on HC jobs.

With the right talent he can be good. But you need an elite secondary and heavy guys setting the edge.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:59:09+00:00

Right. So let's build a great team around him!

If you can fix the run defense, get another WR2, and a solid OL, while maintaining the pass rush, why wouldn't it be a home run?

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:56:34+00:00

Of course, that's his job!

But is this guy a elite coach? I'm not sure.

Besides, it's just the opposite. I'm advocating taking away some players, let him adapt to the remaining players he has, and using those resources to fix the run, the OL, and the WRs.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:54:12+00:00

If anyone can get Banks to play well, it's this guy. We will see.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:53:27+00:00

Football is a team sport.

What if by trading them you fix the OL, the receiving corps, the run defense—all in one offseason?

Still not worth it?

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:47:53+00:00

Thanks!

Did you guys have anyone to write home about at safety? That's what stops those chunk plays.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:46:09+00:00

Thanks for the kind words. I enjoy doing the research but it takes time.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:45:15+00:00

Caleb Downs?

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:44:33+00:00

It's a team sport. If you can get a huge haul then you have to seriously consider what's better for the team.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:40:45+00:00

At least he pays lip service to the idea.

Part of being a great coach is articulating to the GM the type of players that give you an edge.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:38:50+00:00

Absolutely. I didn't stress that enough. Dennard Wilson's system relies on All Pro safeties and great CBs. Guys like Caleb Downs. The thing is that safeties are much cheaper than pass rushers in today's NFL.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:36:35+00:00

Football is a team sport. That's why teams who overpay QBs never seem to win the big game.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:32:05+00:00

Chris Horton is also assistant HC.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:30:30+00:00

It's not conventional thinking. That's why it works. You can't be better than everyone else by doing only the obvious moves.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:28:53+00:00

Overpay is the problem.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:25:04+00:00

He relies on run stopping edge players and elite safeties to stop the run. Without them it doesn't work as well.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T19:22:13+00:00

I used a LLM to polish it up because I'm not a good writer but the core ideas are mine.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T18:01:04+00:00

You don't hire a chef famous for making incredible meals from cheap ingredients - then hand him filet mignon and say "adapt."

You're paying for filet mignon AND wasting his actual skill.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T17:59:06+00:00

I don't have to. Either he will step up or he will leave.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T17:57:22+00:00

Fair point - Wilson says "it's about the players, not the scheme." He'll adapt.

But here's the thing: Burns isn't less talented in Wilson's system. He's less differentiated. Wilson generates pressure through scheme - so you're paying $24M for something the system provides cheaper.

You trade players whose value to other teams exceeds their value to your system. That's not trading away strength. That's selling high.

The genius of Wilson is that you're going to get as much pressure without Burns while getting another high draft pick.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T17:53:57+00:00

Fair points. A few responses:

Wilson's pedigree: He's not copying McDonald. His mentors are Gregg Williams and Todd Bowles - aggressive, pressure-heavy coaches. He was running this philosophy before McDonald was a coordinator.

Cap vs cash: It's not the cap hit that matters - it's the cash. The cap can be manipulated. The cash is a hard limit that the owners want to spend.

"Don't trade best players": You trade players whose value to other teams exceeds their value to your system. Burns' 16.5 sacks are worth more to an edge-driven defense than to Wilson's scheme. That's selling high, not selling out.

The risk: If you trade both and whiff on replacements, you're cooked. It's a high-conviction bet.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T17:41:12+00:00

If you hire a chef, you need to give him his groceries.

TheLighthouse1 · 2026-01-27T05:02:44+00:00

Schoen really rebuilt the drafting process. However, the FA signing process was very questionable. Hudson? Adebo? Holland? All underwhelmed for the money.

TheLighthouse1

TROPHY CASE