The New York Giants, entering their 100th NFL season, are featured in the first-ever edition of this new version of the hit HBO show that for a long stretch would only cover a team during training camp leading up to the regular season.

Now, we get a behind-the-scenes look following the Giants directly after the conclusion of a 6-11 season as they prepare for a pivotal 2024 campaign with quarterback Daniel Jones, who played in only six games last season due to neck and knee injuries, including a torn ACL from which he continues to recover.

Here are our takeaways after the second episode of ‘Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants,’ with a focus on the process of rebuilding the team in the third year for general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll:

‘Give me your word’

There was so much to digest in this episode and great insight into how the Giants attacked their preparation for the NFL scouting combine, but let’s start this review with what transpired in the show’s final five minutes.

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This has been teased since the initial trailer for the series, and it turns out to be phone calls on March 5 — the final day to use the franchise tag — from Schoen to Ed Berry, the agent for Saquon Barkley, and Barkley himself. The Giants’ GM, among other things, is letting Barkley’s camp know that they will not be using the tag, and he’ll reach the free agent market for the first time in his career.

What we learned from Schoen’s conversation with Berry: they clearly have a good relationship.

Consider what Schoen told Berry, which is the reason why the Giants decided not to extend Barkley a contract offer: ‘Here’s what I’m worried about, we offer him something, he gets a little pissed off because it’s not what he wants, and then some other team comes in a million over us, he feels disrespected so he goes. … I think he can still play, you gotta get the value right.’

That sentiment established the most revealing exchange of the entire series to date.

This from Berry: “That’s why I’m asking, like, in your room at night, when you’re by yourself, are you like, ‘I wouldn’t mind if this kid bounced’?”

Schoen answered with surprising candor.

“I’m torn, Ed, because I still think he can play. And I think he can help us,’ he said. ‘But I didn’t want to come in at a number, because I don’t have a great idea where the market is. I’m gonna let the league tell him what it is. … I do think he was our best offensive player.”

Schoen tells Berry he’s going to reach out to Barkley and deliver the ‘no tag’ news, and he’ll text him back after their conversation. When Barkley answers Schoen’s call, you can feel the frostiness between them.

Barkley seems appreciative of the Giants’ decision to allow him to set his own market, but when Schoen presses Barkley on his commitment to circle back with an offer to match, asking the running back if he’ll ‘give me your word,’ the response came off somewhat chilly: ‘I mean, I already told you where I want to be, so …’

Barkley’s voice trailed off, and that set the stage for what sure sounded like a farewell from Schoen, even if that was not the intention.

‘I love you, man, I appreciate everything you did for the organization, the two years I was here,’ Schoen told Barkley. ‘I’m not saying we’re not gonna get something done, but I think it’s right, if for some reason it doesn’t work out, you know the organization thinks the world of you and everything you’ve done. But, hopefully, you go out there, you see the market and you say, you know what, I want to be here, and you give us a shout back.’

To which Barkley replied: ‘All right, I appreciate y’all.”

That conversation seemingly sets the stage for what we will witness in Episode 3: free agency and Barkley’s ultimate departure to the Philadelphia Eagles.

PREVIOUSLY ON ‘HARD KNOCKS’: Team doubles down on Daniel Jones over Saquon Barkley

Salary cap surprise

The episode opens with Schoen in his office when the memo from the league pops up on his computer screen. The date is Feb. 23.

“Holy cow – $255.4 [million],” Schoen says with a breathless gasp. “Wow. Wow.”

He’s quickly on the phone with Chris Rossetti, the Giants’ director of pro scouting.

“That’s huge, so that gives us, what, $35 [million in space],” Rossetti says before Schoen interrupts him, somewhat playfully and laughs: “Just relax.”

In the moment, Schoen acknowledges that the Giants will have to adjust their conservative cap projections, and how the new number will likely change some things across the league in terms of free agency. Xavier McKinney is mentioned, and both Schoen and Rossetti seem to express having a better chance of retaining the safety, who ultimately signs with the Green Bay Packers for a deal worth $17 million per year.

“26 probably thinks he’s getting Jonathan Taylor money now,” Rossetti quips, referring to Barkley, whose story arc with this series should culminate in Episode 3.

Inside the combine interviews

To me, this was the best part of the series to date. We get rare insight into when the draft evaluation kicks into high gear and how the Schoen-led Giants take what their scouting staff provides and uses that information to guide the process.

Before the Giants get to Indianapolis for the NFL scouting combine, the area scouts present their reports for the quarterbacks and wide receivers — a ‘Cliff Notes’ primer from Scott Hamel of the LSU duo of Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers; Patrick Hanscomb of North Carolina’s Drake Maye; Brendon Prophett on Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison; Blaise Bell on USC’s Caleb Williams and Hannah Burnett on Rome Odunze.

Fast forward to the Combine interviews inside the Giants’ suite, and with Brian Daboll taking the lead, team brass tries to make the most of their time. Daboll does what Hamel suggested with Daniels by ‘putting him on the spot and getting a feel for his recall,” for example.

Won’t you be my Nabers

Since we already know how the draft played out and that Nabers was the Giants’ pick, there is more to glean from his interaction with the Giants. It’s also pretty cool to see secondary coach Jerome Henderson interact during Combine drills with cornerback Dru Phillips, their third-round pick. It’s also notable that Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen turns to Daboll to praise second-round safety Tyler Nubin: ‘He’s impressive.’

Circling back to Hamel’s report on Nabers about there being ‘a lot to the personality,’ Daboll digs right into that and seemingly comes away impressed, even acknowledging that he needs to learn how to channel his emotions and competitive fire as well.

Prior to the Nabers interview, this was an interesting passing exchange between Daboll and Schoen:

Daboll: ‘Joe, I had that LSU tape on. I watched that Nabers dude, dude’s a baller.’

Schoen: ‘Nabers or [teammate Brian] Thomas?’

Daboll: ‘Nabers. I watched him all day.’

Post-interview, Schoen admits he was surprised that, despite being as fiery as he is on the field, Nabers was much more reserved in their meeting. Assistant GM Brandon Brown again has the most revealing comments of the show, admitting that the Giants really don’t yet have a feel for Nabers and his personality. They leave the conversation with this overarching point: the Giants do not have a player like Nabers on offense and not all stars at receiver, corner and pass rusher are ‘choir boys,’ referring to a level of ego and edge that defines their greatness.

Trade talks teaser

Schoen visits with New England executive Eliot Wolf in the New England Patriots’ suite to “plant the seed” that the Giants are interested in trading up, and that if the Patriots decide to move the No. 3 pick, don’t forget about Schoen at No. 6.

LAS VEGAS –  Big 12 Conference commissioner Brett Yormark was asked a question Tuesday about what actually went down behind the scenes one year ago, when he helped convince four schools from the Pac-12 to leave that league and join the Big 12 instead.

He didn’t want to talk about it.

But documents obtained from the schools by USA TODAY Sports – and brief remarks by Yormark here Tuesday – paint a picture of a cutthroat strategy to destabilize the Pac-12 last year to the point that it fell apart to the Big 12’s benefit.

According to the documents, the University of Colorado was offered a $2.5 million signing bonus from the Big 12 Conference last year as an added enticement to get the Buffaloes to leave the Pac-12 and join the Big 12 instead, starting on Aug. 2, 2024.

But here’s what’s curious about that: The other three Pac-12 teams that followed Colorado’s path into the Big 12 a week later apparently didn’t get any signing bonus, according to their Big 12 admission agreements.

Why not?

Was Yormark hoping that by sweetening the pot for Colorado and getting the Buffs to jump first, then the others would do the same out of fear of being left behind in a crumbling Pac-12?

“I’m not going to discuss my negotiating tactics, but listen, we were thrilled that Colorado was the first mover,” Yormark told USA TODAY Sports Tuesday at the Big 12 football media days event. “Ultimately one got us four, you know, when you think about it. Whatever we did in those negotiations seemed to work out pretty well for us.”

How it factors into the realignment timeline

Colorado announced its move to the Big 12 on July 27 last year – the first of eight defections from the Pac-12 last year that all but destroyed it. A week later, Arizona, Arizona State and Utah also announced they were leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 12, but not because of Colorado’s departure by itself. It was because the Pac-12 failed to produce a new media-rights deal that was good enough to convince the remaining members to stay, including Washington and Oregon, who decided to leave for the Big Ten that same week after Colorado’s announcement.

By throwing in a $2.5 million bonus for a “first mover,” Yormark still could have been hoping that the outcome would be that “one got us four,” as he described it, even if the dominoes didn’t fall that way exactly. At the time, the Pac-12 still had 10 members and was trying to decide whether to hold together and even expand.

But like a game of musical chairs, college football realignment is stoked by fear of being left behind without a seat at the table of a stable and viable league. After Colorado said it was leaving, that left the Pac-12 with nine members, adding to the sense of uncertainty. Then the Big Ten pounced on Washington and Oregon, triggering a last rush for the exits. At that point, the Big 12 likely didn’t need to offer bonus money to land Utah, Arizona and Arizona State. There was no attractive alternative.

And now the Pac-12 is down to two schools who weren’t invited elsewhere – Oregon State and Washington State. By contrast, the Big 12 is up to 16 members after having only 10 teams two years ago.

What did the Big 12 admission agreements say?

It’s on the second page of Colorado’s 78-page agreement.

“Colorado shall also receive a membership transition bonus upon execution of this Agreement of Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000),” states Colorado’s admission agreement with the Big 12, effective July 31, 2023.

The Big 12 admission agreements for Arizona, Arizona State and Utah don’t mention any such bonus.

Yormark didn’t spell out exactly why but he might have said enough.

“First mover.” “One got us four.”

Colorado declined comment.

“We’re not going to get into specifics with respect to negotiations between CU and the conference,” spokesman Steve Hurlbert said.

The four new members of the Big 12 officially join the league Aug. 2.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

Saying the New York Yankees’ spiral had “gone on long enough,’’ general manager Brian Cashman accompanied his struggling club to St. Petersburg, Florida.

“Because of how we’ve been playing, I’ve decided to join us,’’ Cashman told reporters Tuesday, including the Associated Press, before the Yankees’ 16th loss in their last 21 games.

Yankees starter Carlos Rodon gave up four first inning runs, and the fourth-place Tampa Bay Rays won 5-3 at Tropicana Field, where Yankees’ owner Hal Steinbrenner was also in attendance.

Cashman had already planned to be in Tampa ahead of next week’s First Year Player Draft, with Yankees personnel gathered at the club’s minor league and spring training headquarters.

Acknowledging the team’s MLB worst record since June 15, when they owned the game’s best mark at 50-22, Cashman told reporters “it’s been a struggle, obviously.

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“Thankfully, we got out of the gates really strong, so hopefully that cushion will allow us to work through this sooner than later, because it’s gone on long enough.’’

Brian Cashman’s MLB trade deadline outlook

After posting the league’s best ERA without Gerrit Cole, on the injured list through June 18, the Yankees’ starting pitching hit a wall and their lineup has suffered since Giancarlo Stanton went on the IL.

Sidelined since June 23, Stanton (strained left hamstring) could ramp up baseball activity just after the All-Star break, with a possible return around the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

Until then, Cashman will be seeking upgrades for his second-place club, three games behind the AL East-leading Orioles – with a three-game series looming at Baltimore this weekend, before the break.

“We’re going to be open minded to a lot of different things,’’ Cashman told reporters about possible deals, without directly addressing needs.

“I’m not going to point out anything specific, but we definitely have areas to improve upon and we’ll do our best,’’ Cashman said. “We’ve just got to figure our way through this ourselves and hopefully we can add some pieces at some point.’’

Adding a swing-and-miss element to the bullpen is one avenue to pursue, and the Yankees should continue to explore corner infield options and possibly a starting pitcher.

“I need to be better,’’ said Rodon, who lasted just four innings against the Rays.

The veteran lefty is now 0-5 in his last five starts, with a 10.57 ERA – that’s 27 earned runs in 23 innings, with 36 hits allowed.

Aaron Boone: It starts with me

Rodon suggested to reporters, including the YES Network, that he needs to deploy his whole arsenal.

According to MLB Statcast, Rodon threw 46 fastballs, 26 changeups, 13 sliders and 10 curveballs in his 95-pitch outing Tuesday, with the cutter missing from his repertoire.

Rodon gave up hits to the first four batters he faced Tuesday, including Isaac Paredes’ three-run homer on a 96-mph 1-0 fastball – the eighth homer yielded by Rodon in his last five starts.

After Rays’ right-handed starter Ryan Pepiot exited in the sixth, Ben Rice’s fifth homer since Thursday – a two-run shot off lefty reliever Colin Poche – cut Tampa Bay’s lead to 4-3 in the seventh.

From there, relievers Jason Adam and Pete Fairbanks sent the Yanks (55-38) to their sixth loss in their last seven games.

Sidelined the past two games with right groin tightness, Gleyber Torres (1-for-4) returned with an RBI single.

Aaron Judge (1-for-3, walk) was in a 2-for-21 slide before a third inning single, and Juan Soto (0-for-4, walk) flied to the center field warning track as the tying run to end the game.  

The Rays are 45-46 and the Yanks lead the AL wild card standings, but Aaron Boone’s club is just 13-17 against AL East teams.

“It starts with me,’’ Boone told reporters after the game, including the YES Network. “I filter into the coaches and it’s about us trying to get these guys prepared the best we can, setting a tone with how we present ourselves.’’

The 2024 WNBA draft class came into the league making history, drawing a record 2.45 million viewers to the draft in April, and the rookies haven’t stopped rewriting the history books as the halfway point of the regular season approaches.

The Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark, the first overall pick, became the first rookie in league history to record a triple-double over the weekend. And the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese, the No. 7 overall pick, set a record for consecutive double-doubles. Clark and Reese were named to the 2024 All-Star team, earning their first selection in their first year in the league.

Clark and Reese top USA TODAY Sports’ WNBA rookie power rankings:

1. Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

Stats through 22 games: 16.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 7.4 app, 39.3% FG

Breakdown: Caitlin Clark is used to breaking records at the collegiate level, and now she’s doing it in the pros. She recorded 19 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds in the Fever’s 83-78 win over the New York Liberty on Saturday to mark the WNBA’s first rookie triple-double. In addition to becoming the first Fever player in franchise history to score a triple-double, Clark also became the fastest player in the league to record 350 points and 150 assists. She leads all rookies in scoring and assists.

2. Angel Reese, Chicago Sky

Stats through 20 games: 14.1 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 1.5 spg, 41.8% FG

Breakdown: The 6-foot-3 forward scored 17 points and 14 rebounds in the Sky’s 84-71 loss against the Seattle Storm on Sunday to mark her 13th consecutive double-double, passing Candace Parker (12) for the most in WNBA history. Do we need to say more? Reese has recorded a double-double in 14 of her first 20 games and leads the league in offensive rebounds (97) and total rebounds (237).

‘I just go out there and do my job. My job is to rebound, so I’m going to go out there and do my job and rebound. I know that’s what my teammates need me to do, and I’ve committed to that,’ Reese said after dropping a career-high 27 points in the  Sky’s 88-84 win over the Storm on July 5.

3. Rickea Jackson, Los Angeles Sparks

Stats through 21 games: 10.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.5 apg, 45.3% FG

Breakdown: The Sparks may have dropped nine of their past 10 games, but Rickea Jackson has been a bright spot in Los Angeles. She dropped a career-high 22 points in the Sparks’ 84-78 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday and has reached double figures in 12 of her first 21 games. She is third in rookie scoring per game, trailing only Clark (16.1) and Reese (14.1).

4. Kamilla Cardoso, Chicago Sky

Stats through 14 games: 8.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.1 bpg, 44.3% FG

Breakdown: Kamilla Cardoso may have missed the first six games of the season with a shoulder injury, but the two-time NCAA champion is returning to form. She only scored six points in the Sky’s 84-71 loss against the Seattle Storm on Sunday, but she was a force on the defensive side of the ball, recording a career-high four blocks, eight rebounds (all in the first quarter) and one steal. Cardoso is second in rookie blocks per game (1.1), trailing Cameron Brink (2.3), and second among rookies in rebounds per game (7.8).

5. Aaliyah Edwards, Washington Mystics

Stats through 19 games: 8.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.1 apg, 48.4% FG

Breakdown: Aaliyah Edwards had 10 points in the Mystics’ 74-67 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday and she’s the fourth leading rookie scorer per game (8.6), behind Clark, Reese and Jackson. Edwards is third in the league among rookies in total rebounds per game (6.0) and blocks per game (0.9). Edwards was also named to Canada’s women’s basketball team for the 2024 Paris Olympics, marking her second Olympic appearance. Despite Edwards’ steady improvement, she was ranked No. 5 due to the fact that the Mystics are tied with the Dallas Wings for the worst record in the league at 5-17.

Not ranked: Los Angeles Sparks’ Cameron Brink is out of contention for Rookie of the Year after she suffered a torn ACL in the Sparks’ 79-70 loss to the Connecticut Sun on June 18, effectively ending her season.

NXT believes in Joe Hendry.

The viral TNA star returned to WWE on Tuesday during NXT and he’s competing in action.

Since NXT Heatwave on Sunday, shots of Hendry’s epic music video have appeared on screen. The main event of Tuesday’s show was scheduled to be Trick Williams and Je’Von Evans vs. NXT Champion Ethan Page and Shawn Spears. However, Evans was attacked during a backstage segment, leaving Williams without a partner. After Williams did an interview, a shot of Hendry appeared on a screen.

When it was time for the main event, Williams made his entrance, and afterward, Hendry’s music went off inside the WWE Performance Center and the crowd went wild during his emphatic entrance. Several fans held up signs in support of Hendry as he made his way to the ring and waved their hands from side-to-side.

Hendry and Williams formed a dynamic duo. The two put on a showcase and Hendry hit his Hendry Slam on Spears and got the pin to get the major victory for the TNA star.

Hendry first showed up in WWE on June 18 as part of a battle royal to determine the No. 1 contender for the NXT Championship, thanks to a new partnership between WWE and TNA. He was eliminated early in the match, but in his frustrations afterward, vowed to be back. Now, Hendry could be a major player for NXT, and perhaps could one day make some noise on the main roster.

LAS VEGAS – Vice President Kamala Harris made a visit Tuesday to the U.S. men’s basketball team’s final practice before an exhibition game against Canada.

She watched the conclusion of practice and spent time speaking to the team and posed for photos with players on the court while talking to players and coaches, including a brief one-on-one conversation with Steph Curry. Harris was in Las Vegas for a campaign event.

“She told the guys how much she admired them and how they really embodied excellence and the fact that we are going over there to try to win a gold medal for our country. She said that it’s a demonstration of our patriotic feeling of being part of something special for our country. And I think the guys really listened to every word.”

The visit reminded everyone of the purpose of traveling to Paris for the Olympics in two weeks.

“Pretty special moment for the entire group,” U.S. assistant coach Erik Spoelstra said. “She just mentioned that we represent our country and everybody is going to be watching and rooting for us. It’s a big responsibility.”

Kerr, who coaches the Golden State Warriors, pointed out twice that Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, is a Los Angeles Lakers fan.

“I’ve met her many times given that she’s from Oakland and we’ve been fortunate enough to visit the White House when she was there, but also on a few trips to California,” Kerr said. “I’ve met her several times and she’s a Warriors fan. She loves our team. She loves basketball. Yeah, the first gentleman is a Lakers fan, unfortunately, but we will live with that.”

Team USA will play Canada on Wednesday, the first of five exhibition games before the 12-member squad heads to Paris for the Summer Olympics. It is the gold medal favorite.

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt