You know and love all the National Football League cliches about the passing game. “It’s a quarterback-driven/pass first league” and “it all starts with the quarterback” are basically the top two NFL throw game platitudes. The New York Giants know these bromides as well, and they’ve taken them to heart, having done a reworking of their passing attack.
They have to, considering the harder times that the club has fallen on lately. If the Giants can get their air attack going again, maybe this once proud franchise can finally get back to their winning ways.
“The playbook here in New York is huge,” rookie wide receiver Antwane “Juice” Wells said in an exclusive with RG.org. “We’ve got to hone in on the details and really get this thing down. Because once we do, I feel like this offense will be really hard to stop.”
Juice Wells has reunited in the Big Apple with this college quarterback at the University of Mississippi, Jaxson Dart. The two former Ole Miss Rebels are going through the motions together as NFL rookies in the city that never sleeps.
Dart was drafted to be the G-Men QB of the future, while Russell Wilson was signed to be the QB1 for 2025. Wells discussed his adjustment from college to the pros.
“I haven’t been to any other organizations, of course, but I just feel like it’s different here, honestly,” Wells said.
“I’m not just saying that, just to say that. The way ( New York Giants Head) Coach (Brian) Daboll and Coach (Mike) Groh ( the New York Giants Wide Receivers Coach) treats their players, is amazing.
“You know you’re gonna work here. You’re going to earn everything, but I feel like they also make it fun here.”
NYG has a bona fide superstar in the making in their WR1 Malik Nabers. Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton are their WR2 and WR3 respectively.
Wells, an undrafted free agent, is hoping to stick on the roster this summer, and then find his way into the receiver rotation as the season progresses.
He has an endorsement deal already, with Loom, a juice company based in the same state (New Jersey) where the Giants play their home games.
“I can drink these and not have a lot of sugar and calories into my drinks,” Wells said, when describing the benefits of Loom.
Nutrition is an essential part of both training and wellness, and both principles are critical to success. So is the need to maintain a positive attitude. Juice describes the positivity that flows through the New York Giants facility, despite the team’s recent poor win-loss record.
“The whole staff here, down to the to the people that cook for us, the strength and conditioning staff and just everybody around the building, their spirits are up and they’re happy,” Wells added.
“I mean, this team was a losing team last year, and everybody around here still has high energy and they expect nothing but greatness out of us. I feel like that just says a lot about this organization.”
“The way they treat their players is great. The chemistry in and around this building, is great.”
Dart will likely be the third string QB when the season kicks off in September, as Jameis Winston was brought in to be the No. 2 for time being. Former QB1 Daniel Jones is now long gone.
Tommy DeVito has been a spot starter here and there over the past couple of years. And while he has the same exact name as Joe Pesci’s character in Goodfellas, but he’s not a made man for a roster spot by any means.
Whenever you see a New York Giants depth chart, you’ll see him listed as fourth string. Wells is in a similar position, at the WR slots, so he’ll have his work cut out for him to make the 53-man roster.
However, there is no doubt that Juice Wells will put in that work to try and get there.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter