American Football

Giants news, 2/28: Joe Schoen speaks, Saquon Barkley, Daniel Jones, more headlines

February 28, 2024

New York Giants news for Wednesday

NFL free agency: ‘Value for Saquon really hasn’t changed’ — Joe Schoen

In recent weeks there has been a lot of chatter that the New York Giants might let running back Saquon Barkley test free agency, allowing the market to set his value. That may happen, but Giants’ GM Joe Schoen on Tuesday clearly seemed to want Barkley back with the team next season and that “I wouldn’t say the franchise tag’s off the table.”

“I wouldn’t say his value has changed, especially to the organization, right? He’s a captain, he’s a leader, he’s a hard worker. I think the world of Saquon and I still think he can play,” Schoen said. “So my value for Saquon really hasn’t changed. Unfortunately throughout the process, starting back in November of 2022, we weren’t able to come to an agreement in terms of where we were, thought the deal made sense…I think we’ve all grown myself, the organization time through the last 12, 13, 14 months and Saquon may be in a different place now than he was then in terms of understanding the market, the business side of it. And I’m looking forward to having those conversations with him.””

Schoen said that “running back market value” rather than anything team-specific would determine what he would be willing to offer Barkley during his discussions with Ed Berry when the two meet this week in Indianapolis.

Other Giant observations

Joe Schoen: We have to consider Daniel Jones’ injury history as we plan for 2024 | Pro Football Talk

During an appearance on PFT Live Tuesday, Giants General Manager Joe Schoen said that the team has to keep that in mind when deciding about how to build out the quarterback room around Jones, who has no more guaranteed money on his pact beyond 2024.

“The reality is he’s coming off three injuries in two years,” Schoen said. “That’s facts. It’s something we’ve gotta consider. We’re gonna address it through free agency and if there’s an opportunity in the draft — we’re gonna look at every position, not only quarterback because we do have needs across the roster.”

Schoen: Need pieces around quarterback

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Big Blue View (@big_blue_view)

Truth of Giants’ coaching feud ‘somewhere in the middle’: Joe Schoen | New York Post

“We still competed to the end. The Rams made the playoffs, we were in that game until the end, we beat the Eagles, we took ’em to the end when we played there,” Schoen said during a fan question-and-answer session during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. “The perception outside and the reality inside sometimes there’s a gap there and some of those articles come from sources that have an agenda. Maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle.

“We like the staff (head coach Brian Daboll) brought in, lots of good coaches, good teammates that we’re going to get along … we’re onto 2024.”

Ranking Every NFL Offensive Play-Caller Entering 2024 Offseason | The 33rd Team

16. Brian Daboll/Mike Kafka, New York Giants

Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka probably deserve to be higher on this list, I know. Daboll got Josh Allen rolling in Buffalo and got the most out of Daniel Jones in 2022. The way Daboll and Kafka crafted the New York Giants offense around Jones’ strengths — quarterback run game and quick passing — were phenomenal. At their best, Daboll and Kafka are probably top-10. I just want to see it again after how disastrous last season was.

Boomer: Daniel Jones will be Giants starter next season | WFAN.com

“I think he’s gonna be highly motivated, I think he’s gonna have a chip on his shoulder, just like he did two years ago,” Boomer said. “He’s heard all the criticism that has come from people like me. He’s got everything to play for.”

Takeaways: GM Joe Schoen talks draft & free agency | Giants.com

Schoen addressed listening in on the coaches’ headset for four games during the season. “So, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time. We were at Washington, and…where they put us it’s not a great spot to watch the game. So, I went and did it and it was amazing. Just the communication of the coaches from an evaluation standpoint when I talk to (President and Chief Executive Officer) John Mara after the game or my personnel staff, I can say ‘yeah, player X screwed that up’ or ‘yeah, we called this but this happened’ or ‘the safety was over and he was supposed to be that way’ or whatever it may be. You just have an intimate knowledge of what went on and why during the game.… I’m superstitious, so we won. We beat Washington, and then we won the next week, and then we won the next week and then we lost against New Orleans, and I was out of there. Being superstitious, that’s why I was in their multiple games.”

Joe Schoen takes questions from fans at the Combine

Joe Schoen answers fan questions live at the NFL Combine

Full Q&A: https://t.co/vpmz3OKs1M pic.twitter.com/BXsvhuNKHw

— New York Giants (@Giants) February 27, 2024

Highest-graded offensive tackles from the 2023 NFL season: Detroit Lions’ Penei Sewell takes the top spot | PFF

18. Andrew Thomas, New York Giants: 76.1. Oftentimes the lone bright spot on a massively underwhelming Giants offensive line, the ceiling remains sky high for the fourth-year pro despite losing seven games to a hamstring injury early in the year. Thomas’ grading took a step backward in 2023, especially in the run-blocking department (81.0 in 2022 to 64.1 in 2023), but he continued to show he can be a potential franchise cornerstone at left tackle, earning his third straight 80.0-plus pass-blocking grade.

1 Free Agent Each NFL Team Should Sign This Offseason | The 33rd Team

No team in the NFL had worse luck when it came to the offensive line in 2023 than the New York Giants. They were decimated by injuries, and second-year OT Evan Neal didn’t improve as they’d hoped.

Guard remains a big issue, and it’s why Robert Hunt would be a fantastic fit. He’s only 28 and has been one of the better guards in the league during the past few years. Hunt also has had injury problems, but the Giants have to get more talented on their offensive line this offseason.

Tommy Devito and Saquon Barkley talk golfing, football and cutlets | SBNation.com

Mock Draft

NFL Draft 2024: Will Giants pick QB to replace Daniel Jones? Latest 7-round mock projection | nj.com

Another beat writer—Daryl Slater of NJ.com—has the Giants selecting the LSU QB at No. 6.

Round 1 (sixth overall): QB Jayden Daniels, LSU. Schoen would love to see things play out this way. In this simulation, quarterbacks go first and second — Caleb Williams to the Bears, Drake Maye to the Commanders. Then the Patriots pass on Daniels in favor of wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. That would be huge for the Giants, since the Cardinals and Chargers aren’t going to take a quarterback. In this projection, receiver Malik Nabers heads to Arizona and offensive tackle Joe Alt goes to the Chargers. And then Schoen lands Daniels as Daniel Jones’ replacement, while passing on receiver Rome Odunze, who goes eight to Atlanta.

The rest of the picks are as follows: Round 2: Edge rusher Adisa Issac, Penn State and OG Christian Haynes, Connecticut; Round 3: WR Jalen McMillan, Washington; Round 4: RB Bucky Irving, Oregon; Round 5: CB Caelen Carson, Wake Forest; and Round 6: WR De’Corian Clark, Texas-San Antonio

2024 NFL Mock Draft: Marvin Harrison Jr., Not Caleb Williams, Goes No. 1 to the Chicago Bears | Pro Football Network

6. New York Giants: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington. The New York Giants will look to reload on the offensive line this spring, so the fan base may consider the selection of a wide receiver here idiotic. But an NFL team wasn’t built on Day 1 of the draft alone.

Do you know what else wasn’t built in a day? Rome. However, Rome Odunze is a custom-built Day 1 NFL receiver who immediately weaponizes a stale Giants offense.

2024 NFL Mock Draft: Patriots trade back, take J.J. McCarthy | CBSSports.com

6. New York Giants: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington. College football’s receiving yards leader (1,640) lands with the G-Men, a team starved for receiver production. The last time the Giants had a player total 1,000 receiving yards was Odell Beckham Jr.’s final year in the Big Apple with 1,052 yards back in 2018. Standing at 6-3 and weighing 215 pounds, Odunze can be an immediate help to whoever New York has under center in 2024.

The Ringer’s 2024 NFL Mock Draft | The Ringer

6. New York Giants: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU. The last time the Giants took a wide receiver this high, it was LSU’s Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014. This time it should be Nabers, who has even more straight-line speed than Beckham did in his prime. The Giants have offensive line woes to worry about too, and the team could easily go in that direction with this pick. But they are desperate for receiving help. Wide receiver Darius Slayton has led the Giants in receiving in three of the past five years even though he’s never gained more than 770 yards in a season. This team needs a playmaker, especially with Saquon Barkley likely leaving in free agency.

Bucky Brooks 2024 NFL mock draft 2.0: Washington takes Jayden Daniels over Drake Maye | NFL.com

6. New York Giants: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU. The Giants must surround Daniel Jones with more playmakers in order for the well-compensated quarterback to thrive in a make-or-break year.