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The Giants made a pair of short-term quarterback additions during free agency. It came as no surprise, however, when they moved back into the first round to select Jaxson Dart.
The No. 25 pick certainly represents New York’s future under center. The status of head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen will depend in no small part on Dart’s development, but if all goes according to plan that will not include regular season action in 2025. Daboll confirmed after the draft that Russell Wilson remains on track to handle QB1 duties this season. The 36-year-old echoes that thought.
“It doesn’t change anything at all,” Wilson said of the Dart decision and his preparation for the coming campaign (via the Associated Press through Fox Sports). “I think the biggest thing for me is just being my best every day, leading. I always think about just leading everybody, just leading every room, every moment, every time I get to step between the white lines and the opportunity of that.”
Wilson expressed a desire to remain in Pittsburgh after his single season atop the depth chart. The Steelers showed interest in retaining at least one of he or Justin Fields, but the latter wound up being seen as more of a priority. In the end, both departed on the open market, with Wilson taking a one-year Giants pact. That contract – which came about after team and player showed interest in one another last offseason – has a base value of $10.5MM and includes another $10.5MM in incentives.
As expected given those terms, Wilson said one month before the draft he viewed himself as the Giants’ starter. Jameis Winston (who inked a two-year deal) and Tommy DeVito (who has made a total of eight starts across his two years in the league) were also in place at the time he stated his position. Dart has since joined that group, meaning one of Winston or DeVito could fail to survive roster cuts at the end of the summer.
In any event, Wilson’s level of play with his fourth career team will be critical in determining his outlook and that of the Giants’ regime. A Super Bowl-winning Seahawks tenure was followed by a short-lived run in Denver for Wilson. His one-and-done Steelers campaign produced middling results once the 10-time Pro Bowler was healthy, but stable play in New York could help the team take a step forward compared to last season.
Training camp will of course provide Dart with the opportunity to see game action earlier than planned. Wilson’s stance remains that he will enter the summer atop the depth chart, though, and it will be interesting to see if he will mange to retain that spot.
More must-reads:
- Browns make curious decision with rookie QB Shedeur Sanders
- Nick Saban responds to speculation about coaching return amid NFL rumors
- The 'Single-season sack leaders by NFL team' quiz
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Nick Saban responds to speculation about coaching return amid NFL rumors
Shortly after former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback and current college football analyst Greg McElroy shared that someone "in the know" believes there's a possibility Nick Saban — who retired in January 2024 — might return to coaching, NFL insider Albert Breer suggested that the Dallas Cowboys could be a potential destination for the seven-time national champion. According to Mike Rodak of 247Sports, Saban was asked during a Friday appearance on Fox News if he intends to come out of retirement. "No, I'm really happy with what I'm doing right now," Saban responded. "It's exciting to still be involved in the game. It's exciting for me to work with athletic directors, conference commissioners, people in Congress to preserve the integrity of our game and continue to be able to create opportunities to help young people create value for their future that will help them be successful in their life, which is what we always try to do as a coach." Saban, now working as an ESPN analyst, will be 74 in October. Per Christian Datoc of the Washington Examiner, President Donald Trump could consider having Saban "lead a new commission examining problems arising with the growth of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights and coinciding changes to the NCAA transfer process." Meanwhile, it's thought that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones could look to hire a big-name candidate if first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer fails to impress during the 2025 campaign. Additionally, Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd recently hinted that Saban could be interested in becoming the head coach of the Cleveland Browns if the team selects Texas quarterback Arch Manning as the first pick in the 2026 draft. "There is no opportunity that I know of right now that would enhance me to go back to coaching," Saban added during Friday's segment. "I enjoy what I'm doing. I did it for 50 years. I loved it. I loved the relationships with the players. I loved the competition. But it's another station of life now. I enjoy what I'm doing right now and want to continue to do it — spend more time with my family, my grandchildren, my children. It's been really, really good." The "right now" portion of Saban's comments attracted the attention of Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, who was quick to point out he did not say "no for good" regarding a return to coaching. In short, it seems that rumors about Saban's future could hover over the college and pro football communities through at least the rest of the year.
ESPN Predicts Mets-Twins Trade One Week Before Deadline
The New York Mets are a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East, but their pitching staff is still injury-ravaged despite the recent returns of Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas. Brandon Waddell (hip), Dedniel Nuñez (elbow), Max Kranick (flexor), Paul Blackburn (shoulder), Tylor Megill (elbow), Griffin Canning (Achilles), Drew Smith (elbow), A.J. Minter (lat), Danny Young (elbow), and Christian Scott (elbow) are alll on the Mets' IL. The MLB Trade Deadline is July 31 at 6 p.m. EST, so the front office has one week to add healthy arms from around the league this season. ESPN's David Schoenfield predicted on Thursday that New York would trade for a Minnesota Twins reliever. "One guarantee of the trade deadline: The Mets will add to the bullpen, probably with more than one trade. Though the rotation still ranks fifth in ERA, that was built off a hot start," he wrote. "More importantly, the only Mets starter to complete six innings since June 7 has been David Peterson. As a result, manager Carlos Mendoza has run relievers Reed Garrett, Huascar Brazoban, Jose Butto and Ryne Stanek into the ground. The bullpen had a 2.78 ERA through May, but that figure is over 5.00 since the beginning of June (ranking near the bottom of the majors)." "The Twins have two high-profile relievers in [Jhoan] Duran and [Griffin] Jax, both of whom are under team control through 2027, so they'll be much more expensive than your usual short-term relievers if the Twins decide to trade one or both," he continued. "Duran would be harder to deal -- but bring more in return -- so we'll say Jax will go. Don't be fooled by his 4.09 ERA: He has 68 strikeouts and 12 walks in 44 innings with a 97-mph heater. He's an elite strikeout reliever, the type you want on the mound in October." The Mets are hot despite their injuries, as they're on a four-game winning streak and just swept the Los Angeles Angels. Next up is a road trip against the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres. New York right-handed pitcher Clay Holmes (8-5, 3.48 ERA) will face Giants right-hander Logan Webb (9-7, 3.08 ERA) on Friday.
Yankees have finally found their third baseman in Ryan McMahon
After years of speculation and nothing materializing, the New York Yankees have at last acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies, per the New York Post's Jon Heyman. Pitching prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz are headed to the Mile High City in return. They were the number eight and 21st-ranked prospects in the Yankees' farm system, per MLB.com. Given the Yankees' struggles at the third-base position over the last few years, bringing in a guy who was an All-Star in 2024 and will be much more reliable is a win. Former MLB player and current analyst Cameron Maybin certainly believes that, as he was pushing the McMahon-to-New York narrative over the last week and feels it could be a great fit for both sides. "The third baseman they need plays in Colorado...I'm telling you! Defensively more than adequate and Taylor made for the ballpark offensively," Maybin wrote on social media. Maybin went on to mention how McMahon will feel reinvigorated joining a World Series contender like the Yankees after the last six-and-a-half years of being at the bottom in Colorado. The 30-year-old is not having his best season, slugging 16 home runs and 35 RBI with a .217 average through 100 games with the Rockies, per MLB.com stats. However, he's consistently been a 20-plus home run hitter who drives in runs at a strong rate and has a large sample size of doing so. Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez (.252 average, 36 HRs, 86 RBI) has seemed to be No. 1 target for most teams, and for good reason, but given the Yankees' current situation and weaknesses, McMahon made more sense. Not only does he play a better third base, which New York desperately needs, but he has another two years of control after 2025, whereas Suarez would have been a rental. The acquisition cost was nothing crazy, and adding a lefty bat with some power to potentially take advantage of the short porch at Yankee Stadium is always a bonus. Some may not be satisfied until they see McMahon positively impacting the New York Yankees, but rest assured, this is a very solid pickup.
Why the Toronto Maple Leafs should trade Easton Cowan now
The Toronto Maple Leafs have practically given Easton Cowan a 0% chance of making the opening night roster next season. Even with Mitch Marner gone, the additions up front have the forward corps completely jammed. Dakota Joshua, Matias Maccelli, Nic Roy, and Michael Pezzetta are the new guys. Steven Lorentz will be back, and so will Scott Laughton. Even Nick Robertson should be back, barring a trade. They’ve given Cowan no shot of making the team. He won’t play on the fourth line, and he won’t instantly be in the top-six. He’ll start the year in the AHL and could get a shot when an injury happens, but even that isn’t a guarantee. For these reasons, now is the time for the Leafs to trade their No.1 prospect. Peak value Cowan was actually seen as a reach at the draft, but he’s proven the scouting team right so far. Cowan has been dominant in the OHL and is easily the Leafs’ top prospect, as he has been for two years. He’s one of the only Leafs forward prospects with actual pedigree. His absolute peak value has likely already been reached. He would’ve been worth more last summer, coming off a 96-point campaign in his D+1. But he’s still worth a lot, especially after a dominant playoffs in 2024–25. Cowan is too good for the OHL and would’ve benefited from playing in the AHL last season. No one knows how his rookie season as a pro will go. Cowan could be overmatched against grown men and take years to develop. But that won’t help the Leafs in any way, not during their Stanley Cup window with Auston Matthews under contract. Their only goal should be success now. The chances of Cowan raising his value are super low. Unless he sets the AHL on fire, other teams aren’t going to covet him more than they do now. The most likely scenario is that he looks fine on the Marlies and looks overmatched if he gets called up. Other teams won’t like that! The Leafs don’t have a roster spot for him and can’t afford for his value to drop. The time to trade him is now. A clear need Toronto would be fine to let Cowan take as long as he needs to develop if they didn’t have such a glaring hole on the roster: a top-six winger. Maybe Cowan can be that one day, maybe not. But he can’t be that this year, and unfortunately, the Leafs don’t have time to let him grow. They need someone to play in the top-six, and Cowan is the easiest way, by far, to make that happen. There are players out there. Jason Robertson, Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust, Jordan Kyrou, just to name a few. Cowan can’t fetch one of these guys by himself—not many prospects in the whole league could—but he can be a headliner. Brad Treliving hasn’t taken a big swing yet as the Leafs’ General Manager, but if he wants to (and he should), Cowan is the guy to move. The Pittsburgh Penguins make the most sense. They have Rust and Rakell and are the only team in the league in a full-blown rebuild. Kyle Dubas might have some hard feelings for Toronto, but Brendan Shanahan is gone. If he and Treliving want to cook up a trade together, there’s plenty of reason it could happen. A big risk There’s no doubt trading Cowan is risky. There’s a chance he’s a top-six contributor making under $1M in just a couple of years, and it would suck for Toronto to miss out on that. However, if the right trade presents itself, for one of the players listed earlier, Treliving must pull the trigger. Toronto isn’t in the business of development right now; they’re in the business of winning. Who knows how much longer their window will be open, but they have to take every chance they can to improve their NHL roster. Cowan is a great prospect, and they’ve held on to him for a reason. But with such a clear path to improvement, one that Cowan can help with, Toronto should take every opportunity to improve. That means moving on from Cowan.
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