Tag: Daniel Jones

Giants’ roster build far from complete after NFL draft

The 2024 NFL draft is over and the New York Giants walked away with an eclectic group of players taken with their six selections.

This draft class was loaded with quarterbacks, offensive and defensive linemen, and wide receivers. Other than their first pick — LSU wideout Malik Nabers — they largely ignored the ‘tenderloin’ of the draft, choosing odds and ends to cover roster needs.

In the first round, it was rumored they had the hots for North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye and were trying to swing a trade with New England to move up from No. 6 to No. 3 to grab him.

Nothing doing. The Patriots didn’t budge and took Maye for themselves. The Giants ended up staying put and taking Nabers at No. 6. If they had any designs on the second-tier quarterbacks late in Round 1 or early in Round 2, those were dashed early on as J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix, Jr, and Bo Nix were both gone in the first 12 picks.

If anything, general manager Joe Schoen said after Round 1 — without getting into specifics — there was more interest in him moving back than there was in moving up.  He’s content with the quarterback situation as it is…for now.

“I said it in January after the season. Our expectation was Daniel would be our starter and we brought Drew Lock to be his backup and Tommy is a backup, so that’s where we are and that’s how we’ll move forward this season. Daniel is still under contract for three more years,” Schoen said. “As it sits today, that’s where we are.”

It seems like a curious choice for an NFL team that has been dominated in the trenches for so long to not take at least one lineman; one ‘big’ in the draft.

After Nabers, Schoen took a safety (Tyler Nubin), a cornerback (Dru Phillips), a tight end (Theo Johnson), a running back (Tyrone Tracy Jr.), and a linebacker (Darius Muasau).

They are all here to either fill holes or to fit into the new special teams strategies.

The Giants needed to replace Xavier McKinney and Adoree’ Jackson and could be looking for one for Darren Waller. Check, check, check.

The backfield also needed another pair of hands with Saquon Barkley gone and a returner with the new kickoff rules coming into place. Check.

Muasau is just a player they liked. He’s sure to find a home on a team that values their type of players.

The goal was to get good football players in the door after filling many of their immediate needs in free agency.

“I like some of the pieces we have. I like some of the upgrades,” Schoen said. “Again, you can throw Brian Burns in the draft, as well, that pick 39, to bring on a 25-year-old, two-time Pro Bowler as a pass rusher as part of this draft class. I like some of the moves that we made in the off-season.

“We still have work to do and I just think it’s year three and we are just going to continue to build the roster and the team. I think where we are with some of the contract status, like I talked about last night; that you can keep a core group together over a two- to three-year window, and you have another off-season and another draft, and then you look up and there’s some really good pieces on the table.”

Ultimately, Schoen says, more moves are to be expected between now and the start of the regular season.

“We always have room to grow and always have room to improve. I say it all the time, we don’t play until September, so there’s still time between now and September where we can acquire players, the final cutdown, whatever it may be,” he said.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

New York Giants ownership reluctant to trade up for quarterback

With 24 hours remaining until Day 1 of the 2024 NFL draft, rumors continue circulating about the New York Giants and what they intend to do with the No. 6 overall pick.

More and more reports have surfaced suggesting they’d like to trade up for a quarterback — specifically, North Carolina’s Drake Maye. However, that may not be the case.

Diana Russini of The Athletic reports that team ownership is reluctant to sign off on trading up for a quarterback after giving Daniel Jones a four-year, $160 million deal last offseason.

This general manager, Joe Schoen, did not draft Daniel Jones, but he did give him that contract last year. There was a time where I was digging on trying to find out if they were willing to trade up. There have been some mocks out there that had the Giants moving up to go get a quarterback. It was explained to me that that was just a really tough sell to ownership after giving Daniel Jones that contract last year that we’re going to now give up assets to replace a quarterback that we’re paying $40 million. I think there’s a really small chance that they do that. I think there’s a better chance that they trade out for more picks.

Publicly, Giants co-owner John Mara has given the green light for general manager Joe Schoen to take a quarterback but he maintains that Jones will be the starter in 2024.

“I still have a lot of confidence in Daniel,” Mara told NFL Network in March. “I think the Daniel that we saw in 2022 is the real deal. Last year he was hurt, a lot of his offensive linemen were hurt, and things just did not go our way. But I still have all the confidence in the world in him. Hopefully, he will be able to go by training camp, and yes, I think we all expect him to be the starter in 2024.”

“If they fall in love with a quarterback and believe that it’s worth pick No. 6 or moving up, I certainly would support that,” Mara told ESPN.

In about 38-40 hours, the speculation will be put to rest and we’ll know where the Giants are going in Round 1.



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Logan Ryan urges New York Giants to get Daniel Jones a top receiver

Add former New York Giants safety Logan Ryan to the growing list of names urging the team to avoid trading up for quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the 2024 NFL draft.

During a recent ESPN appearance, Ryan not only warned the Giants against drafting McCarthy but also suggested they find quarterback Daniel Jones a capable and productive No. 1 wide receiver.

“New Yorkers, if you’re listening, do not trade up to No. 4 and get J.J. McCarthy. Don’t do it,” Ryan said. “I just don’t think that the fourth best quarterback in this draft, whoever you have (or believe) that is, I don’t think they’re better than what Daniel Jones was coming out of college.”

Ryan also praised Jones for having all the traits necessary to be successful in the NFL but acknowledged that injury issues are a concern.

In Ryan’s mind, if the Giants do eventually replace Jones down the line, it’s best to land a top wide receiver now so it makes for an easier transition later.

“Daniel is tall, Daniel has an arm, Daniel is athletic. We know that,” Ryan said. “The problem with Daniel Jones has been his ability to stay healthy. If you don’t like that, take one of the best pass catchers available — (Malik) Nabers out of LSU or (Rome) Odunze out of Washington. Give that future quarterback, when you do get him, a top receiver. They need that.

“They have holes all over their roster. They need a great receiver. It’s a great receiver draft — get him at six.”

That seems to be the growing sentiment as Thursday’s draft approaches with even general manager Joe Schoen suggesting he’d be comfortable passing over quarterbacks altogether.



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Giants trade up for QB J.J. McCarthy in latest Chad Reuter mock draft

With under a week remaining until the 2024 NFL draft, it’s unclear what the New York Giants intend to do with the No. 6 overall pick.

General manager Joe Schoen has kept his cards close to the vest and has expertly avoided tipping his hand. Any and all projections are little more than a wild guess and they range widely.

In the latest mock draft from NFL Network’s Chad Reuter, he throws a wild scenario at the wall and predicts the Giants will trade up to No. 4 and select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy after the top three QB prospects went off the board 1-2-3.

The Daniel Jones Era could be coming to a close in New York. Remember, he wasn’t this administration’s pick, and the Giants signed Drew Lock in March to the sort of deal a team often gives a veteran before selecting a first-round quarterback. McCarthy wasn’t required to throw the ball 40 times per game at Michigan thanks to the team’s effective ground game, but he showed himself capable of threading passes into tight windows, moving effectively within the pocket and running for big gains when given the chance. The Giants trade a second-round pick this year and next (while possibly receiving a 2024 Day 3 selection in return) to jump up two slots, out-offering other potential suitors looking to leap into the Cardinals’ spot.

There are a few faults in Reuter’s thought process here. First and foremost, the cost to move up two spots for a quarterback is unrealistically low, which is something Schoen alluded to during his pre-draft press conference earlier this week.

Schoen noted that if teams know you’re trading up for a quarterback — especially if there is competition — there’s an added tax on the trade. A pick swap and two second-round picks are unlikely to get it done.

The other problem in Reuter’s is that Jones wasn’t this regime’s pick. And while that’s technically true — Dave Gettleman selected Jones — it was Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll who opted, without ownership influence, to sign Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract.

If McCarthy falls to the Giants at No. 6, maybe they take him. But it’s hard to imagine Schoen gives up draft assets for QB4.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Ex-NFL GM Rick Spielman believes Giants will stick with Daniel Jones

Will the New York Giants select a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft?

That’s a question no one can answer with any level of certainty at the moment but it hasn’t stopped most analysts from mocking a Daniel Jones replacement to Big Blue in their pre-draft projections.

However, former NFL general manager Rick Spielman sees fault in that line of thinking. Despite the noise, he doesn’t believe the Giants will go quarterback in Round 1 because the current regime has already hitched their wagon to Jones.

“At number six, you’re going to get a significant player,” Spielman said. “Assuming Daniel Jones is healthy they have to go with him. If he struggles, maybe Drew Lock comes in. . . but they won’t address the quarterback need in the first round this year.

“You still have to give Daniel Jones a chance, and maybe he can emulate what he did the first year he was under (Brian) Daboll and the success that he had to get that kind of contract. So to me, it makes no sense that people are talking about them looking at number six and a quarterback right now because there’s a significant player that’s going to be there that will help them win this year.”

The flaw in Spielman’s stance is that Giants co-owner John Mara has already given general manager Joe Schoen a stamp of approval if he decides to draft a quarterback. It’s something that Mara has even acknowledged publicly.

Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean Schoen will draft a quarterback. He’s certainly under no pressure to do so, as he outlined during his pre-draft press conference earlier this week.

“I think with Drew’s experience. . .  with Daniel’s experience and what Tommy (DeVito) did last year,” Schoen said, “I think we could go into the season with the three that we have and I’d be comfortable with that.”



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Joe Schoen on alleged buyer’s remorse over Daniel Jones: ‘Not true’

In early March, Rich Eisen stirred the pot by sharing some rumors that had been whispered in his ear suggesting the New York Giants and general manager Joe Schoen had buyer’s remorse after giving quarterback Daniel Jones a long-term contract.

“The Giants are absolutely done with Daniel Jones,” Eisen said on The Rich Eisen Show. “Done. Might have to play him this year but that ain’t it. . . The words I heard at the Combine multiple times were ‘buyer’s remorse.’”

Eisen later cautioned that he could be “way off” on what he was hearing.

“I may be way off and this may be patently unfair,” he added.

On Thursday during his pre-draft press conference, Schoen agreed that Eisen was way off and that his shared rumor was patently false.

“I’m still confident in Daniel — the way he’s wired (and) what he showed in 2022,” Schoen told reporters. “There’s stuff out there all the time that’s not true and you really can’t let it bother you.

“I’ve got a good relationship with Daniel and we communicate all the time. Again, he’s here all the time. . . We’ve got a good relationship and we communicate well. If he has an issue or he hears something or (there’s) something that I need to talk to him about, we do that often.”

Asked point-blank to rebuff the Eisen “report,” Schoen spelled it out bluntly.

“That was not true,” he said.

Schoen also admitted that he’s under no pressure to select a quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft, whether in the first round or later down the line. After signing veteran Drew Lock in free agency to back up Jones, Schoen said he’d be confident going into the regular season with the quarterback room that’s already been established within the building.

“I think with Drew’s experience. . .  with Daniel’s experience and what Tommy (DeVito) did last year,” Schoen said, “I think we could go into the season with the three that we have and I’d be comfortable with that.”

Schoen’s expectations remain that Jones will return in time for training camp and start under center come Week 1.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Giants’ Mike Kafka wants to improve the ‘explosive passing game’

It’s no secret the New York Giants need to get more dynamic and explosive in the passing game. Last season, they were 31st in passing yards and averaged just 6.5 yards per passing attempt.

Granted, the Giants suffered several injuries at the quarterback position, including a season-ending knee injury to starter Daniel Jones halfway through the year.

Backup Tyrod Taylor started five games and also got injured, leading to the team turning to rookie Tommy DeVito to start six games.

That revolving door, along with another season of ravaging injuries to the offensive line, made for a challenging season for offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.

The Giants should have all of the injured players back — including Jones — this summer and general manager Joe Schoen has filled in holes along the line and backfilled the loss of star running back Saquon Barkley with veteran Devin Singletary, and is planning more additions.

Kafka knows he has to make do with what he has and recently stated what he expects in 2024.

“I’d like to see us take a step forward in our explosive pass game,” Mike Kafka said during a recent episode of ‘On the Drive with Shaun O’Hara‘ on Giants.com. “I’m really excited about the guys we have. I’m excited about the schemes that we’ve been talking about all offseason and implementing those things.”

The Giants hold the sixth overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft. They will either take a quarterback or a wide receiver. Most pundits believe they will end up with one of the three stud receivers in this year’s class: Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers of LSU, or Washington’s Rome Odunze.

Regardless of the weaponry added on offense, the passing game will hinge on how well the offensive line blocks. They allowed 85 sacks in 2024, the second-most in a single season since sacks became an official stat in 1982.

Kafka believes a full season of Andrew Thomas at left tackle and John Michael Schmitz at center combined with free agent additions Jon Runyan Jr. and Jermaine Eluemunor under new position coach Carmen Bricillo will improve the overall play.

“I think our O-line will take a step forward as well and continue to grow,” Kafka said, “but all 11 guys are going to have to do that.”

Kafka is still unsure about who will call the plays — either him or head coach Brian Daboll — and the overall strategy of the offense heading into the summer.

“It’s been cool,” Kafka said. “As the offseason goes on and the season (goes on), I think things will start to roll more. Right now, it’s really fluid and Dabs has done a really nice job of keeping me included.”

The Giants, of course, will need Jones to fully recover from the torn ACL he suffered last year that cost him the second half of the season. Jones is expected to be ready by tailing camp in July.

“Within the scope of his rehab, his ability to get mental reps, that’s going to be super important,” Kafka said. “Obviously you’re not going to be able to do the physical stuff, but the mental reps are going to be super important. I think Daniel will do an awesome job of building in those mental reps, taking it, understanding, and then still being able to communicate, be on the field and communicate with players and make sure that they kind of see it through his lens and they’re both seeing it the same way.”

If Jones suffers any type of a setback, Schoen signed Drew Lock in free agency to steer the ship until Jones — or a possible rookie quarterback — gets up to speed.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Giants’ interest in quarterbacks not a smokescreen

The New York Giants have spent a significant amount of time scouting, working out, and meeting with many of the quarterback prospects ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

Some argue that it’s a mere smokescreen with general manager Joe Schoen wanting to temp other teams to move up, allowing a top wide receiver to fall into their laps at No. 6 overall.

However, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan says that’s not the case at all.

“They’re traveling around the country, they’re looking at these guys, they’re working them all out,” Raanan said on the Breaking Big Blue podcast. “Pretty much all the top quarterbacks have visited the Giants, worked out for them privately — so they’ve seen them throw — they met them all at the combine.

“And people who think this is a smokescreen, you’re not wasting this much time and this many resources for a smokescreen.”

The Giants have traveled coast to coast to watch the prospects throw and have held numerous meetings with the likes of Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy, and Michael Penix Jr. — some in person, some virtual.

“Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll are not flying from the owner’s meetings in Orlando to LSU to see Jayden Daniels the next day, to Washington all the way across the country the next day as a smokescreen,” Raanan said. “They’re just not. Sorry.”

Although the Giants remain committed to Daniel Jones as their starter, there are growing concerns over his injury history. He is currently recovering from a torn ACL but it’s his neck that has given the Giants pause.

Even if the Giants draft a quarterback at No. 6 overall, Raanan expects them to sit the rookie behind Jones for a year or until DJ misses some time.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Giants are ‘still progressing’ as Joe Schoen enters third season as GM

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen is entering his third season at the helm of one the NFL’s most prestigious franchises and perhaps his most pivotal one.

His tenure began in 2021 with a successful 9-8 season that saw the Giants qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2016. His second season, however, did not go as well.

The Giants suffered several major injuries and the team took a nosedive under a more challenging schedule. They finished 6-11 and Schoen is drafting in the top ten again in this year’s NFL draft.

“I think we’re still progressing,” Schoen told reporters at the NFL owners meeting in Orlando on Monday. “I just looked at this the other day, the 2021 roster when I got here. I went back and looked at that. We’re always evaluating ourselves.”

 “The first offseason, what could you do to really improve the roster? We didn’t have any money (available under the salary cap), so it was (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor), (center) Jon Feliciano, and (guard Mark) Glowinski. As I started going through the decisions we made and where we are salary cap-wise and trying to make sure we’re in good health from a salary cap standpoint building a young foundation.”

 But the NFL, even though it is designed to help struggling tams get better quickly, is still not an exact science. Schoen is learning that as he continues to tweak his roster.

“It takes time, as much as you want instant gratification, and nobody wants that more than me,” Schoen said. “I think you have to believe in the principles and in terms of how to build the team, and we’re going on our third draft. It takes time.

“When I look back at the 2021 roster and where we are now, I just think we’re heading in the right direction, and we’ll continue to head in the right direction in terms of bringing in our type of players and what we’re looking for schematically, what Dabs (coach Brian Daboll) is looking at for his offense, and we’ll keep making progress.”

The Giants have used free agency to bolster their sagging offensive line and hold the sixth overall selection in the upcoming draft. There is much debate on what, or who, they should use that pick on. Many fans want a new quarterback.

Schoen still has a good chunk of his salary cap space dedicated to the quarterback room. Daniel Jones is only in his second season of a four-year, $150 million deal and Schoen inked Drew Lock to a one-year, $5 million flyer earlier this month.

Jones is still recovering from a torn ACL that ended his season after eight games last year. He is progressing and is expected to be under center when the season begins.

“I got an update on Friday,” Schoen said. “He is running on land now. So, he’s off the Ultra-G (anti-gravity treadmill), and he is throwing. Yeah, knock on wood, no setbacks, but he is in there attacking it every day and doing a good job.”

“Every patient is different, and you can’t really predict if swelling is going to occur or if there’s a setback. He’s on the right track right now. Again, we just have to – it’s day-by-day and week-by-week. You just don’t know how he’s going to react as we ramp it up and he starts to do more. Hopefully, there’s no setbacks.”

If there are, Lock will be there to step in. Or maybe, Schoen will surprise everyone with a newer, younger alternative next month at the draft in Detroit.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

New York Giants ‘contemplating moving on’ from Daniel Jones: Report

Are the New York Giants contemplating moving on from quarterback Daniel Jones? Anything is possible as the 2024 NFL draft nears.

The Giants hold the sixth overall selection in this year’s draft and could be in prime position to nab one of the top signal-callers if things fall their way.

General manager Joe Schoen has made it clear through his words and actions this offseason that the future of the quarterback position is very much fluid.

The Giants have been pounding the pavement scouting this year’s draft class, as well as exploring signing a veteran option such as Russell Wilson.

Schoen decided to ink Drew Lock to compete with/back up Jones after passing on Wilson and getting priced out on Tyrod Taylor.

The real solution will likely come in the draft, where Schoen and his team are concentrating their efforts.

From ESPN’s Jordan Raanan:

The Giants met with the consensus top six quarterbacks at the NFL scouting combine, according to sources. That includes likely No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.

Schoen and director of player personnel Tim McDonnell were even at USC’s Pro Day on Wednesday to watch Williams throw. The Giants also already had UNC’s Drake Maye and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy in for visits and are expected to have private workouts with most of the top quarterbacks in the coming weeks.

Schoen also admitted he may not take a quarterback with his first-round pick. The Giants have a total of six selections in the draft.

“It’s a good quarterback draft. It’s not just at the top,” Schoen said at the NFL Combine last month in Indianapolis.

The concern is not only with Jones’ inconsistent play on the field, his injury history is also troublesome. And, per Raanan, the latter issue has the Giants thinking about moving on from the Duke product.

Multiple sources have told ESPN that Jones’ injury history is what has the team contemplating moving on. The evaluation of the player hasn’t changed all that much in the four games that Jones played from start to finish since signing that lucrative deal.

Jones is entering his sixth season and has only played 16 or more games in a season once, which came in 2022, the only season he did not suffer an injury and the only winning season the Giants have had since they selected him sixth overall in 2019.

Jones was limited to six games last season after suffering a neck injury and then a torn ACL. The Giants turned to Taylor and Tommy DeVito to handle the quarterbacking duties in the second half of the season.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Exit mobile version