Giants' Veteran Receiver Additions Are a Plan, Not a Panic Over Malik Nabers
Giants' Veteran Receiver Additions Are a Plan, Not a Panic Over Malik Nabers
New York's flurry of offseason wideout signings has raised questions about Malik Nabers' ACL recovery, but the moves — paired with a run-heavy plan built around Cam Skattebo — give John Harbaugh's offense options no matter when Nabers returns.Stephen Lebitsch|
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New York GiantsNew York Giants receiver Malik Nabers' recovery from a torn ACL has become the Giants' most pressing question as training camp approaches.
In response, the Giants went out and signed a slew of veteran receivers–Calvin Austin, Darnell Mooney, Odell Beckham Jr., Juju Smith-Schuster, and Braxton Berrios–and they drafted Malachi Fields.
While the additions give the Giants a variety of options in how they ultimately shape their receiving corps, the moves also can be viewed as a slight panic about Nabers.
That isn’t necessarily the case, and it’s a point that Eric Edholm of NFL.com made in arguing why the Big Blue faithful should not overreact to the moves.
“Look, I can't assure you Nabers is going to be fine,” Edholm wrote. “New York's certainly a better team with a healthy Nabers, no doubt.
"But I think the G-Men can at least survive if he's not 100 percent to start the season, even if general manager Joe Schoen still believes Nabers will be available for Week 1."
He’s right. Better that the Giants have options in case Nabers isn’t ready to go than to find themselves having to make do with limited personnel, especially considering the shift in the offense, which has second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart learning a slew of new things as part of the offense designed by offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
The Giants' Ground Game Plan Could Ease the Pressure on the Offense
John Harbaugh made it a point to say he wants his new Giants offense to be very explosive in 2026, but based on some of their offseason moves, that vision could start in the trenches with a super-physical rushing game.
The Giants expect the return of running back Cam Skattebo, who was quickly impressing in his rookie season with his violent style of ball carrying, which helped New York average just over 4 yards per carry.
With Skattebo on track to return to full action by the season opener, the franchise has had its eyes set on building an even tougher presence on the ground, and they've added more fuel with the addition of one of Harbaugh's favorite weapons, veteran fullback Patrick Ricard, from Baltimore in free agency.
A power-running game offers the Giants a chance to build a balanced offense, which, if they can pull it off, will make them less predictable to defend.
That’s precisely the approach that has been a staple of Harbaugh's Ravens squads, who have set the tone early with a ground-and-pound attack that wears down opposing defenses and opens up the passing game.
Baltimore did it well with their former duo of Ricard and Pro Bowl running back Derrick Henry, whose sheer size was built for the scheme.
Nabers' skill set, which includes explosiveness, precision route running, and the ability to separate, will always be seen as valuable and irreplaceable.
But if the Giants need to be without him for any period of time, they can at least take solace in the fact that general manager Joe Schoen has given Harbaugh options.
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STEPHEN LEBITSCH“Stephen Lebitsch is a graduate of Fordham University, Class of 2021, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications (with a minor in Sports Journalism) and spent three years as a staff writer for The Fordham Ram. With his education and immense passion for the space, he is looking to transfer his knowledge and talents into a career in the sports media industry. Along with his work for the FanNation network and Giants Country, Stephen’s stops include Minute Media and Talking Points Sports.
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Child sex offender drops outrageous claim after California bill to ban him from office fails
Registered sex offender celebrates failure of California bill to bar him from office- US News
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Child sex offender drops outrageous claim after California bill to ban him from office fails
By Zain Khan Published July 1, 2026, 11:54 a.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The California Post on GoogleA registered child sex offender in California who sparked outrage earlier this year with his failed bid for Fresno City Council is celebrating after state lawmakers killed a bill that would have barred him — and others like him — from running for public office.
Rene Campos, who failed to collect the 20 signatures needed to qualify for the Fresno City Council ballot in March, hailed the demise of the legislation as a victory for constitutional rights.
“The First Amendment does not belong to the comfortable,” Campos told Fox26 News. “Today, the Senate Committee did what Fresno refused to do. It stopped and remembered the Constitution.”
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Campos’ comments came after Assembly Bill 2753, which sought to prohibit registered sex offenders from seeking local or state elected office in California, failed Tuesday to advance out of the Senate Elections Committee for a vote to become the law of the land.
The high-profile legislation was introduced by Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria after Campos’ controversial campaign drew statewide and national attention, with critics demanding California close what they called a loophole that allowed registered sex offenders to seek elected office.
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Under the proposal, all registered sex offenders would have been barred from running for office, regardless of which tier of California’s sex offender registry they fell under.
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The measure ultimately stalled after Soria and members of the Senate Elections Committee, chaired by Sen. Scott Wiener, failed to reach a compromise.
Committee members argued the bill was too broad because California’s three-tier sex offender registry includes offenders convicted of lower-level crimes.
Senators proposed limiting the ban to Tier 3 offenders, who must remain on the registry for life, but Soria rejected the amendments, arguing they undermined the purpose of the legislation.
California’s registry places offenders into three categories based on the severity and frequency of their crimes.
Tier 1 offenders must register for at least 10 years, Tier 2 offenders for at least 20 years, while Tier 3 offenders remain on the registry for life with no opportunity for removal.
“If you look at the crimes of people in Tier 1 and Tier 2, we need to draw the line somewhere, and I believe that if you’re a registered sex offender, you have no business running for local or state office without a compromise,” Soria told Fox News.
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Campos became the face of the debate after announcing his candidacy for Fresno City Council despite pleading no contest in 2018 to a misdemeanor charge of possessing child sexual abuse material, which requires him to register as a sex offender.
His campaign triggered fierce backlash from fellow candidates and residents, who argued a registered sex offender should be disqualified from holding public office.
One rival questioned how Campos could effectively represent constituents when registered sex offenders face restrictions around schools, while another said anyone on the registry should be automatically barred from serving.
Campos also drew criticism after holding a campaign press conference just steps from an elementary school, prompting school officials to file a police report.
His campaign ultimately collapsed after he failed to gather the 20 nomination signatures required to appear on the ballot.
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Despite that defeat, Campos argued the failed legislation exposed broader political motives.
“This was never just about one bill or one campaign. Fresno moved with remarkable speed when it wanted to gut an old Parks bill and turn it into a political weapon, yet the same urgency is missing on homelessness, housing, public safety, and the people begging City Hall for help,” Campos told Fox26 News.
“My CPRA investigations continue to show a deeper pattern around power, transparency, and whether Fresno officials used their positions to serve the public or protect themselves. So the real question is not why this bill failed. The real question is why Fresno was so willing to push it in the first place.”
Although AB 2753 is dead for now, Soria vowed to continue pursuing legislation to prevent registered sex offenders from running for public office.
“The fight continues. We don’t give up just because we lose once,” she said.
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