GM says quarterback has advanced to stationary throwing, should be ready for training camp
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Everybody wants to know how the New York Giants will proceed at quarterback entering the 2024 season. The questions are many. Are they serious about forging ahead with Daniel Jones? Will Jones be healthy enough to start the season? Would they trade up for a quarterback? Will they sign a veteran as a backup or as competition for Jones?
Giants’ general manager Joe Schoen answered a plethora of Jones/quarterback questions during his media session on Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. Let’s go through the quarterback-related takeaways.
Yes, he believes
Of course, you would not expect Scheon to throw his quarterback under the bus and say something like, oh, we’re stuck with him for another year because I stupidly gave him a bunch of money, but Schoen was adamant on Tuesday that he still has faith in the quarterback.
“I have faith in Daniel. I have faith in Daniel as our starting quarterback,” Schoen said.
Five years of mixed results have soured many in the fan base on the idea that Jones can ever justify having been the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Two years of working with him, though, and Schoen still at least says he believes he can build a Super Bowl-winning team around Jones.
“Yeah. That’s the ultimate goal for everybody is to win a Super Bowl. So we want to win a Super Bowl,” Schoen said. “It’s not one position. You’ve got to build a good team, you’ve got to have surrounding parts. There’s a lot of good quarterbacks that haven’t won Super Bowls, so you’ve got to have a good team.
“So it’s not just the quarterback position. You’ve got to continue to build the team around the quarterback, and it’s an important position. I think you have to build the pieces around him.”
Jones is throwing again
Schoen said that Jones’ recovery from his ACL surgery has progressed to the point where the quarterback is doing stationary throwing drills, something he began about two weeks ago.
“He is on track. He’s doing everything he can to get back. We’re optimistic about where he is,” Schoen said. “And there’s some talk in the spring that he may be able to go through, whether it’s seven-on-seven or individual throwing routes on air and he’ll be able to do some of that stuff. We probably won’t expose (him) to team activities, but every patient responds differently to surgery. So, knock on wood, we haven’t had any setbacks. He hasn’t had any setbacks. And if he continues on that pace, he should be ready for the start of training camp.”
Drafting a quarterback
Much of the pre-draft speculation to this point has centered on whether or not the Giants would select a quarterback at No. 6 in the draft or even move up, likely signaling the long-term end of Jones’ days at the team’s franchise quarterback.
Schoen, as you might expect, left the option open on Tuesday while also not committing to it.
“Where we are at six, we’re gonna look at everything, we’re gonna look at everything, we’re gonna look at all positions,” Schoen said. “And again, you hope you’re not up there again. You don’t wanna be picking in the top 10 or the top, but it’s a good draft. It’s a solid draft across the board and we’re going to have an opportunity to get a player, good player and we’re going to evaluate all the positions and take the best player we can.”
Schoen said that Jones “understands that we’re going to need to add a quarterback.”
There are three quarterbacks generally considered the top group in this draft class — Caleb Williams of USC, Drake Maye of North Carolina and Jayden Daniels of LSU. Schoen was asked about the possibility of moving up from No. 6 to No. 3, where some believe the New England Patriots might be amenable to moving down, without knowing which of those quarterbacks would be available to the Giants in that spot.
“I think at that position, and I said it last year, it’s a different stratosphere. You gotta get around these kids and you gotta get to know ‘em. And until you’re able to do that, it’s hard to make those type of moves,” Schoen said.
“So again, this is the start, there’s a lot of these prospects for the first time we’re gonna get around ‘em and we’re looking forward to it. But, free agency will set the table for some of the decisions we make in the draft.”
Schoen said moving up would be “hard to do until you’re on the clock.”
“I think you have to be comfortable with the film. You have to be comfortable with who the player is, what the setup’s going to be for that player to have success before you do something like that.”
Schoen said this is “a good quarterback draft.”
“It’s not just at the top. There’s some guys that are mid-levels that I think will be good number twos. There’s some guys that can be number threes in the draft. I think it’s a solid draft all over.”
Tyrod not out of the picture
Schoen admitted that Tyrod Taylor, who provided the Giants with a veteran backup the last two seasons, could fill that role again.
“Tyrod’s in the mix there, too. We’re gonna talk to Tyrod’s representatives this week,” Schoen said. “And Tyrod’s into a true pro. He’s been really good for not only Daniel, but Tommy DeVito and his progress throughout the year. He’s a true pro. So, we’ll address the position. Again, it can be through free agency and it doesn’t preclude us from doing it in the draft as well.”
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