{"id":666015,"date":"2026-05-26T12:50:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T12:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/666015\/"},"modified":"2026-05-26T12:50:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T12:50:10","slug":"albert-breers-takeaways-with-joe-schoen-john-harbaugh-in-lockstep-the-giants-are-gaining-momentum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/666015\/","title":{"rendered":"Albert Breer\u2019s Takeaways: With Joe Schoen, John Harbaugh in Lockstep, the Giants are Gaining Momentum"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jump to a topicNew York Giants<\/a>Los Angeles Rams<\/a>Kansas City Chiefs<\/a>Accelerator Program<\/a>CBA<\/a>New York Giants<\/a>Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a>What June 1 means<\/a>Quick-hitters<\/a><\/p>\n

Last set of takeaways for May, with some trade action expected in the next week and mandatory minicamps on the horizon.<\/p>\n

New York Giants<\/p>\n

The Giants now can truly move forward. That\u2019s because the team pushed an extension for GM Joe Schoen<\/a>, who was in a contract year, over the goal line last week. It\u2019s obviously great news for Schoen, but the organization, too, in that it aligns the timelines of John Harbaugh and Schoen<\/a> neatly and gives those in the building peace of mind that the revamped football operation will now have a real shot to grow in the new coach\u2019s first year.<\/p>\n

It also shouldn\u2019t come as a surprise to anyone paying close attention.<\/p>\n

If the ownership group was ever looking to walk away from Schoen, it had a funny way of showing it. The Giants announced after firing Brian Daboll in November that the sitting GM would lead the search to replace the coach. The team then announced in early January that Schoen would be retained. Two weeks later, Harbaugh arrived and it was Schoen at the podium introducing him at the team\u2019s press conference.<\/p>\n

What has happened since, as I see it, is really a credit to both guys. I sat down with the two of them in March to discuss the state of the team, as well as their arranged partnership, and what was interesting to me was how easy the two native Midwesterners were playing off each other in the course of the conversation. Interestingly enough, they both said that no one did anything to force a bond there early on\u2014they let it happen naturally<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just started talking,\u201d Harbaugh said. \u201cAnd that was the main thing because we were going to have to be on the same page for it to even get started. And so I\u2019d just say, to me, it was a step-by-step process of not so much like, ‘Oh, you know, we have to know each other, because we’re going to be working together.’ It was more like, ‘Hi, how are you doing? What\u2019s the situation?’\u201d<\/p>\n

Schoen\u2019s staff was at the Senior Bowl for Harbaugh\u2019s first week on the job and Harbaugh didn\u2019t have a coaching staff yet, which afforded the two a ton of 1-on-1 time, through which they\u2019d start organically forging a vision. Harbaugh wanted to infuse the building with new energy, so they flipped the training, video and football administration departments.<\/p>\n

Another sign that Schoen was staying: the hire of Dawn Aponte, who Schoen worked with for five seasons in Miami, and the empowerment of Aponte in a new Lions\u2013Rams style model, that would allow for Schoen to focus more on talent evaluation and roster building. And all of this positive momentum has continued since.<\/p>\n

Now, does that mean it\u2019ll work? It does not.<\/p>\n

But at the very least, the Giants now know how this is all going to look going forward. Of course, if you\u2019ve paid attention, you probably had an idea of how it would look for a while now.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Rams<\/p>\n

Matthew Stafford\u2019s new contract is what you\u2019d expect. It\u2019s essentially a $5 million raise that gives the team another year of control and is indicative of a player at the stage of his career, in which everything is year to year. Does it absolutely mean that he plans to play in 2027? No, but it creates the runway for him to play, and in Los Angeles.<\/a><\/p>\n

Here are the particulars \u2026<\/p>\n

\u2022 Under the two-year deal he signed last year, Stafford was set to make $40 million this year ($16 million base, $24 million roster bonus). Under the terms of the new deal, he\u2019ll bank at least $45 million. He gets $40 million in base pay, and there\u2019s a $5 million roster bonus that\u2019s guaranteed and due early next year, meaning it\u2019s basically a bonus for this year that\u2019s paid next year. That $45 million number puts him past the $44 million he made in 2025.<\/p>\n

\u2022 There are $5 million in playoff incentives that can push his pay to $50 million.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Stafford gets $45 million in base pay for 2027, with another $5 million roster bonus due in early 2028\u2014none of that is guaranteed right now, but all of it will vest and become fully guaranteed in March, turning the 2028 bonus into another de facto deferred payment.<\/p>\n

\u2022 He has another $5 million in playoff incentives for 2027 as well.<\/p>\n

Add it up and it\u2019s a one-year, $55 million extension, which puts Stafford in line with what quarterbacks such as Justin Herbert, Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa got a couple summers ago. And if Stafford maxes out the deal, it\u2019ll be a two-year, $115 million contract. So while this isn\u2019t quite a \u201cnothing to see here\u201d situation, it\u2019s more an update to the deal the Rams gave Stafford last year after allowing him to explore a trade than it is any kind of big splash.<\/p>\n

It also will allow for the Rams to take their time with 2026 first-round pick Ty Simpson<\/a>. Plus, Simpson\u2019s presence will allow the team to be creative with future picks to keep building their team.<\/p>\n

That makes for a good situation.<\/p>\n

Kansas City Chiefs<\/p>\n

The Chiefs can\u2019t trust Rashee Rice. The drug test Rice failed<\/a> wasn\u2019t a drug test. It was an intelligence test. Rice knew the tests were coming. He knew what was on the line. Now he must deal with the fallout.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t, to be clear, about the marijuana he tested positive for. It\u2019s about the reputation he had coming out of college at SMU, and the 2025 hit-and-run that landed him the 30-day sentence the positive drug test triggered in the first place. It\u2019s about him allegedly punching a photographer less than two months later, and how he has slipped up again\u2014regardless of how it went down or what it was for.<\/p>\n

He knew he had to walk the straight and narrow, yet somehow, here we are again.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a shame, too, because internally, the Chiefs view Rice as capable of being a top-five or top-10 receiver. Last year, a six-game suspension and concussion symptoms that ended his season prematurely limited the budding star to eight games. In those contests, he had 53 catches for 571 yards and five touchdowns. If you project those numbers out to 17 games, it’s 113 catches for 1,213 yards and 11 touchdowns.<\/p>\n

\"Rashee<\/p>\n

Rashee Rice led all Chiefs wide receivers with 53 catches last season despite playing in just eight games. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

If he gets there, and he cleans up his act off the field, we\u2019re probably talking about the Chiefs paying Rice somewhere around $30 million per year.<\/p>\n

Instead, Kansas City\u2019s best bet<\/a> is probably to see where things go this year and, if it works out, franchise-tag him next year to get another look at whether he truly has turned the corner. And maybe look for some veteran insurance at receiver so they’re ready for the chance of a suspension (that wouldn\u2019t be about the weed, either, but violating his probation). Maybe that\u2019s Stefon Diggs. Maybe it\u2019s circling back on A.J. Brown.<\/p>\n

Regardless, it\u2019s fine for the Chiefs to hope for Rice to make it back, and obviously they do.<\/p>\n

They just can\u2019t count on Rice anymore.<\/p>\n

Accelerator Program<\/p>\n

The NFL\u2019s revamped Accelerator Program got a good response from its participants last week in Orlando. It was less formal than in the past and a little shorter, but it seemed like the guys took that as a good thing, with most really loving the chance to mix with their coaching or front-office peers, meeting people from the other side they could someday pair with.<\/p>\n

There was one speaker who seemed to make a big impact on everyone, and that was former CIA operative Jamie Winship, who told stories from working in conflict mediation in some of the most volatile places in the world, and also gave the coaches and front-office folks the baseline for what he called resilience training. As most in the room explained it, Winship brought tools to build qualities that are usually seen as innate.<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Winship, I can’t speak on what he does or where it came from, but he kept me up last night with some of the things that he challenged us with,\u201d Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich told me. \u201cAnd he really put the words to and articulated some stuff that’s always been innate to me and other coaches I’ve been around, to really give us tangible, applicable ways to build resiliency in players. And we speak on that, but a lot of times I think it’s just fairy dust.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it’s like, we want them to be this\u2014well, how do we get from A to B? And then, crickets. He gave us some real meat on the bone to the process to create a more resilient player or coach. Or for myself, even from a life perspective. It was awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ulbrich called it \u201clife-changing stuff\u201d that he plans to apply in Atlanta right away. That was a real bonus considering the sessions were more meant to build the future of the people in those rooms, to go with all the new friendships and phone numbers the group of coaches and rising execs walked away with.<\/p>\n

Detroit Lions<\/p>\n

Jack Campbell\u2019s fifth-year option situation benefitted him in the same way that Tyler Linderbaum\u2019s helped the new Raider over the past year. Their situations were similar. Linderbaum was a first-rounder out of Iowa in 2022, while Campbell was the same in 2023, and both had their option numbers calculated in a way that folded different (and more expensive) types of players in.<\/p>\n

In Linderbaum\u2019s case, because offensive linemen are grouped together for the purposes of the math, the All-Pro center was put at a tackle-generated number. With Campbell, because edge players who line up in two-point stances on base downs are classified as linebackers, his math was done with some of the game\u2019s top-of-the-line pass rushers factored in. And in both cases, their teams declined to pick up the fifth-year option, which was great for both guys.<\/p>\n

The Ravens didn\u2019t get Linderbaum re-signed. He played out the final year of his deal, the team couldn\u2019t franchise him\u2014basically for the same reason it declined the option\u2014and he hit free agency and moved the top of the market a staggering 50%, getting $27 million per year to anchor the Raiders\u2019 line.<\/p>\n

The Lions, meanwhile, were more aggressive<\/a>, making Campbell the third off-ball linebacker ever to crack the $20 million-per-year barrier, signing him to a four-year, $81 million extension after his third season in Detroit.<\/p>\n

Our All-Pro linebacker is here to stay pic.twitter.com\/ffdJDF5pE3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Detroit Lions (@Lions) May 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

I do remember, at the time of each guy having his option declined, people on social media bemoaning the quirk in the rules that allowed for it to happen.<\/p>\n

Seems to me like it worked like a charm for these guys. And excuse me if I don\u2019t feel bad for teams who\u2019ve weaponized the rules in this sort of way for more than three decades.<\/p>\n

CBA<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth explaining a little unknown nuance to the collective bargaining agreement here, one that came to light at the owners meetings. On Tuesday, the owners passed a proposal to allow for 10 league-run international games in 2027, which pushed the max, if you include the Jaguars\u2019 separate deal with Wembley, to 11.<\/p>\n

But what few people knew ahead of that\u2014I\u2019ll raise my hand here\u2014is that the CBA dictates that the NFL needs the NFLPA to sign off on going past 10 global games in a year.<\/p>\n

So why should we care? Well, the NFL wouldn\u2019t be voting to go to 10 games on their own, and 11 with the Jaguars\u2019 help, if they didn\u2019t want to get to that number\u2014and there are untapped markets in Italy, Japan and the Middle East they\u2019d like to explore. And if they\u2019re motivated to get there, then that means the players should get something of value back.<\/p>\n

As for what that something could be, I do have a thought. The players should ask for whatever offseason concessions (time off, dead periods in the calendar, practice rules, etc.) they want now so they don\u2019t have to do it in the next CBA talks.<\/p>\n

The reality: The owners have used these offseason giveaways, which they couldn\u2019t care less about (and some actually probably like because it means they can shut off the lights for another couple weeks), to get what they want economically. So if you bargain for offseason time now in order to get that 11th international game, which isn\u2019t as big of a deal to you as it is to them (the reverse of the issue of offseason\/practice time breaks), then you can focus on other things when the time to bargain comes.<\/p>\n

Anyway, just a thought.<\/p>\n

New York Giants<\/p>\n

The Jaxson Dart\u2014Abdul Carter dustup probably says more about everyone else than it does those two. On Friday, the Giants quarterback introduced President Donald Trump at a rally in New York. The next morning, the team\u2019s other 2025 first-rounder, Carter, posted on X: \u201cthought this s— was AI, what we doing man.\u201d Then, later in the day, he followed up, posting<\/a>, \u201cMe & JD6 are good! We spoke earlier as Men. Yall can keep yall narratives.\u201d<\/p>\n

So my thoughts are pretty simple. Dart has every right to support whatever political party he wants to support\u2014and do that publicly if he sees fit. Similarly, Carter has a right to voice his opposition to his teammate\u2019s position\u2014and do it publicly if he sees fit. If both go public with their feelings, then both are subject to whatever fallout comes from their comments.<\/p>\n

The larger point worth making here, as I see it, is how we all view these things.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s May. These guys are still more than two months away from putting pads on for practice, and more than three months away from playing in a real game. And people are operating on the assumption that these back-and-forth actions are creating some sort of divide in an NFL locker room that can\u2019t be fixed in that time.<\/p>\n

What happened to us? An NFL locker room is a melting pot. Different religions. Different political affiliations. Different ideology. The place where the kid from the inner city on the West Coast or East Coast builds a lifelong bond with the farmboy from Middle America. The place where those differences don\u2019t necessarily melt away, but aren\u2019t seen as insurmountable hurdles to clear as everyone works together toward a common goal.<\/p>\n

Dart was on that podium for less than a minute. Carter tweeted nine words.<\/p>\n

Everyone needs to get a grip.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Steelers<\/p>\n

My last thought on the week Aaron Rodgers reported\u2014the swing factor in his final season\u2014is one few folks are discussing. And that\u2019s the state of the Steelers\u2019 offensive line, which I think has a chance to be really good, but is also facing a number of variables<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a synopsis of the group:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Three guys, as I see it, are cemented as starters: former first-round pick Troy Fautanu, and 2024 rookies Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick. Frazier is one of the best centers in football, and new head coach Mike McCarthy is moving Fautanu and McCormick to the left side to protect Rodgers\u2019s blindside.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The right tackle spot is a question mark. Broderick Jones\u2019s neck injury created enough uncertainty for the Steelers to spend a third first-round pick in four years on a tackle, tabbing Max Iheanachor with the 21st pick. Pittsburgh also has veteran Dylan Cook, who started four games for them at left tackle last year after Jones was hurt, as a right tackle option.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Then there\u2019s the right guard question after the loss of left guard Isaac Seumalo. Third-year man Spencer Anderson and third-round picks Gennings Dunker will battle for playing time there.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of good young talent if they can put all of that together: a burgeoning cornerstone at center, who\u2019s just 24, three first-round tackles and a promising young guard, with a couple of other young guys battling at the other guard spot. All of it could wind up looking really good. And if it does, Rodgers will have a much better chance at a grand finale to his illustrious NFL career.<\/p>\n

What June 1 means<\/p>\n

A week ahead of June 1, which is “A.J. Brown Day” in New England and Philly, and a day that could bring another big trade or two, I figured this would be a good time to explain the rules on this. And the best way to do it would be to give you a fake contract with simple numbers rather than digging through the complicated Brown deal.<\/p>\n

So let\u2019s say Johnny Utah (old movie buffs will get the reference) signed a four-year, $60 million deal in free agency, with a $20 million signing bonus. The bonus, per the rules, would be spread out over the four years, counting $5 million against the cap each year. Let\u2019s say then that things went poorly in the first year, so the team was looking to cut or trade Utah.<\/p>\n

That would leave $15 million in cap charges (the three remaining $5 million bonus charges) for the team to deal with. If the team cut Utah before June 1, all of that would hit the team\u2019s cap immediately. But if the team waits until after June 1, then it would have the option of taking the current year charge ($5 million) immediately, and pushing the rest ($10 million) off to the following year.<\/p>\n

Now, the team also would have the option to cut Utah with a post-June 1 designation in March or April or May\u2014and then would have to carry the $15 million charge on its cap until June 1, at which point it then would be spread out over the two years. But you can\u2019t do the same in the case of a trade.<\/p>\n

So, per the NFL\u2019s internal system, if Brown were traded today, his cap number would jump to $43.515 million for 2026. If he\u2019s dealt next week, then the Eagles can take $16.353 million of it now (which is the past bonus proration set to hit the cap this year), and $27.162 million next year. With his Philly cap number sitting at $23.393 million, that means it\u2019s either add $20 million to this year\u2019s cap or save $7 million and push the rest off.<\/p>\n

As for where he\u2019s going, it always made sense for the Eagles to wait to \u201cagree to terms\u201d until the last minute because things can change elsewhere (and already have with the Rice situation in Kansas City). But the Chiefs, Chargers, Bills and Rams all had their shot at this already, and I think the final result will be what everyone\u2019s treating as a fait accompli, and that\u2019s Brown reuniting with Mike Vrabel in New England.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

Dec 28, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) catches a pass against the Buffalo Bills in the first quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Quick-hitters<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s wrap up the holiday weekend with a few interesting nuggets \u2026<\/p>\n

\u2022 Loved Bears QB coach J.T. Barrett\u2019s quote (to the Chicago Sun-Times) on wanting Caleb Williams to \u201cdo less\u201d in 2026. That sounds antithetical.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Good get by the Titans in landing Dave Gardi to oversee the operations side for the team. To me, this creates a setup like the old Eagles\u2019 setup, where Andrew Berry and Joe Douglas were reporting to Howie Roseman before those two got the Browns and Jets GM jobs. In this case, Gardi would be Berry and assistant GM Dave Ziegler would be Douglas.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Vikings\u2019 second round of GM interviews will run Tuesday through Thursday of this week, with Broncos assistant GM Reed Burckhardt, Bills assistant GM Terrance Gray, Rams assistant GM John McKay and Seahawks assistant GM Nolan Teasley joining interim GM Rob Brzezinski as finalists. Gray spent 11 years (2006 to 16) working for the Vikings in college scouting, overlapping for eight seasons there with Burckhardt, who spent 13 years in pro scouting (2009 to 2021) with Minnesota. Both, obviously, know Brzezinski well.<\/p>\n

\u2022 It\u2019s interesting to see the MLS’ Chicago Fire breaking ground on McDonald\u2019s Park in the city at a time when the Bears say there isn\u2019t a viable site in its coty limits. My thought? I think these suburban stadiums have more to do with owners\u2019 aspirations as real-estate developers\u2014and developments around stadiums allow for them to bring in money that they don\u2019t have to share with players\u2014than they do a city\u2019s willingness to work with teams.<\/p>\n

\u2022 I really don\u2019t understand how Georgia players, and now alumni\u2014in case you missed Eagles pass rusher Nolan Smith\u2019s incident)\u2014keep getting busted for the same thing over and over again. Not sure how it\u2019s that hard to slow down a little, and that\u2019s coming from a guy who has a lead foot.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Re: Joe Burrow\u2019s comments \u2026 I\u2019ve always thought Burrow has a great feel for whatever his locker room needs to hear. And I\u2019d take what he said as putting a little urgency on a group that he thinks is good enough to chase a championship. Remember, after making consecutive AFC title games in Burrow\u2019s second and third years, the Bengals have missed the playoffs five consecutive years.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Two games of contractual chicken to watch as to who goes first and sets the floor for the other guy: Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson at running back, and Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon at cornerback.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Jacoby Brissett situation in Arizona is interesting in that Brissett missing reps in a new offense now, as OTAs keep rolling, could open the door for Gardner Minshew II to swoop in and steal the job. Yes, Arizona told Brissett that he\u2019s the starter. But that\u2019s not a lifetime appointment, and Minshew showing something could have an impact on Arizona\u2019s thinking.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Klint Kubiak said last week that the Raiders are working to challenge running back Ashton Jeanty within the offense, which is good news\u2014mostly because having a great back can really help in the development of a young quarterback. Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott in Dallas a decade ago would be a good example, as well as former Rams Todd Gurley and Jared Goff around the same time, is another.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Hope everyone who\u2019s served\u2014or is serving\u2014had a peaceful and pleasant Memorial Day weekend. I know the day can be a tough one for troops both past and present, and I hope they all can find peace in the memories of those now gone.<\/p>\n

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