American Football

Big Blue View mailbag: Daniel Jones (as usual), and a whole lot more

May 18, 2024

The mail’s here!

Anthony Viola asks: My question:

The DJ discussion is as polarizing as they come.

So here’s my question, you are the GM of the Giants, in your opinion what do you do with DJ after the 2022 season, contract wise (hindsight is not allowed, lol)? Term and cap hit.

IMO, the Giants did the correct thing, given the circumstances, but I want your take on the situation.

Ed says: Anthony, I have been clear since the moment the contract was signed how I feel about this, and nothing — good or bad — has changed my opinion. Or, will change it.

The Giants absolutely 100% did the right thing. Given the circumstances, coming off their only playoff win in a decade with a quarterback ownership fully supported, GM Joe Schoen did the only thing he could do.

He couldn’t send Jones packing and blow the whole thing up, which was probably his plan when he took the job. He signed the quarterback to the best, shortest deal he could make.

The $40 million average annual value of the contract took some people by surprise. It’s more than I would have offered initially, and still shocks some people. In the end, though, if that’s what it was going to take to get a deal done I would have given it to him.

The $40 million was just a bit more than Kirk Cousins was averaging per year at the time, and Jones and the Giants had just beaten Cousins and the Vikings.

For me, the key is that Schoen accomplished the thing that I also would have set out to accomplish. He got Jones to sign a deal that gave the Giants an out after two years. The Giants didn’t put the franchise in Jones’ hands for the next 5-6 years. They gave him a two-year “prove it” window. An expensive one, but still a “prove it” window.

By the end of the 2024 season, that could look smart.

Derick Gross asks: I just went back and re-watched your recent conversation with Matt Waldman about the top wide receivers in the draft, and Matt mentioned how Rome Odunze has “peak-form Allen Robinson” talent. Obviously, we passed on Odunze for Malik Nabers, but then signed 2024 Allen Robinson. How close does the 2024 version get us to “peak-form”? Do you suspect part of the calculation for taking Nabers was we could complete the “basketball team” of skill sets with a quality big-bodied, contested catch veteran?

Ed says: Derick, “peak-form Allen Robinson” has not existed since 2020, when he caught 102 passes for the Chicago Bears. He has caught only 105 in the last three seasons combined.

The contract the Giants signed Robinson to, a one-year, Veteran Salary Benefit deal with a $1.310 million base salary, carries just $25,000 in guaranteed money. That is less than several of the undrafted free agents the Giants signed received in guarantees. So, Robinson is a flier and is clearly a guy fighting for a roster spot.

I think the Nabers’ calculation is simple — the Giants thought he was the better player. I did not attach enough significance to this in the pre-draft process because I was an Odunze fan, but Brian Daboll cares about separation and play-making at the wide receiver position, regardless of what size or shape it comes in. I don’t think the “basketball team” theory is a concern for him. He just wants guys who can get open and catch the ball.

John Foti asks: With all the talk about how the Giants are worried about Jones getting injured I was wondering how this might affect the offense. They have quite a few “designed” runs in the offense for Jones. Is this wise for a player whose health is a concern? It appeared to me, in the very first game of the 2023 season that teams had adjusted to these “designed” runs and were not fooled by them and this added to Jones getting clobbered. I thought he was more effective running the ball when he was improvising. Do you want Daniel Jones running the ball with an injury guarantee hanging over his head?

Ed says: John, if Jones is playing quarterback and I’m the Giants I want him using all of his skills and playing quarterback to the best of his ability. If that means designed runs are part of the deal, then they are part of the deal. If Jones doesn’t have the speed to run them quite as well as he did before the injury, that’s an issue.

If the Giants are going to worry from the start about the injury guarantee, they shouldn’t play Jones at all. If he’s healthy and they think he’s the best option, he should play until it doesn’t make sense any longer.

If they are fighting for a playoff spot and Jones is playing well, you can’t bench him just because of the injury guarantee. That’s not fair to the other guys on the roster who are fighting their guts out trying to win games and reach the playoffs.

If the season gets away from the Giants and Schoen and Daboll know they have reached a point where they believe moving on from Jones in 2025 is the right course of action, then you bench Jones to avoid the injury guarantee.

Something Daboll has said in the past about guys returning from injuries is that if they are playing, THEY ARE PLAYING. He isn’t babying guys. He is expecting them to be able to do what is required for them to succeed in their jobs.

Brian Hsu asks: I thought the Giants did a pretty good job in this year’s draft of addressing areas of need without overreaching on value – on paper at least. Now of course comes the hard part of the draft picks actually filling the need on the field, which we know is not an easy feat for a rookie in the NFL. In your opinion, which of the Giants’ 2024 draft picks will need to step in right away in order to give the team the best chance to compete? And which ones have the luxury of developing over time before being thrown to the wolves? (And for the sake of argument, let’s assume Adoree’ Jackson isn’t getting re-signed, Darren Waller is retiring and no major pick ups occur before Week 1).

Ed says: Brian, former GM Jerry Reese used to hammer home the idea that teams expected their Day 1 and Day 2 picks to play. I think that is on target (yes, amazingly, this is Ed saying he agrees with Jerry Reese about something).

The Giants will expect first-round pick Malik Nabers to be their best wide receiver from the start. That’s what they drafted him to be. They will expect second-round pick Tyler Nubin and third-round pick Dru Phillips to play major roles. In Nubin’s case, he should be a Week 1 starting safety. Phillips is being expected to be the slot cornerback.

The Day 3 draft picks, as always, will have lesser expectations. Fourth-round pick Theo Johnson and fifth-round pick Tyrone Tracy Jr. could earn rotational roles, but neither is being expected to start or carry a full role immediately.

Jeff Durand asks: Ed, with Kayvon Thibodeaux “eyeing the sack record”. I was wondering — do you know if Andre Patterson works with the edge rushers as well or is he only with the DL and DE. The effect he has had on big Dex is clear as day and I know he could do wonders with both the talented Burns and Kayvon as well. Is that something he already does or do the coaches not crossover to other groups like that.

Ed says: Jeff, I have addressed this before and my answer apparently created some sort of social media firestorm. That was not my intent.

To my knowledge, Thibodeaux has not worked directly with defensive line coach Andre Patterson. He is an edge defender. Patterson coached the interior defensive linemen, the guys who play every down with a hand on the ground.

Now, could Thibodeaux benefit from some pass rush work with Patterson? I think so. Is there, or could there be, some crossover? I think so. I don’t know if former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale didn’t want Patterson working with Thibodeaux, and perhaps stepping on the toes of outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins, a Martindale protege. Maybe Shane Bowen will encourage it.

I don’t want to make more of it than it is. Patterson does not coach the position Thibodeaux plays, so there should not be an “expectation” that they work together individually.

Edwin Gommers asks: Mailbox question for Ed “Mara”, the lesser known brother of John Mara and I’m going to try to set the parameters so that you don’t have an easy out

The question boils down to who do you have more faith in to be able to their job(s). Assume the Giants have another extremely pedestrian season like last. Offense not clicking, defense ranking at the bottom again (poor run D, pass D getting roasted because of no solid CB2) and you’re allowed to make (wholesale) changes. Who’s leaving and who’s staying?

Are you keeping Schoen and fire Daboll?
Keeping Daboll, fire Schoen, promote Brown
Fire both Daboll/Schoen, promote Brown
Fire all of them and start over completely

Without reverting to “let’s wait and see….” what option are you leaning towards at this point if you had to make a choice?

Ed says: Edwin, I wonder if you thought I would actually bite and answer this question. It would, honestly, have been easy to just let this one slide by. But, I’ll put on my big boy pants (hey, a Dave Gettleman saying) and answer the question.

The reality is that you left me an option — keep both guys. It is actually the option I would like to see happen, provided the season plays out in a way where that is a reasonable choice. As I sit here today, not knowing what will happen in 2024 and being able to judge the reasons if it doesn’t go well, it is impossible to know.

In the end, it comes back to whether or not this regime eventually gets quarterback right. This feels like a transitional year where a major decision on who the quarterback of the future is will have to be made next offseason. As of now, I would like to see Schoen and Daboll get the opportunity to make that decision.

Now, if the Giants win three games there is a chance I would feel differently, and a chance Daboll would be hard-pressed to keep his job. For me, Daboll is on a shorter leash than Schoen. But, that’s today.

I keep coming back to a couple of things. I think Schoen, given time, will do a good job. If he gets quarterback right, a really good job. Players love Daboll. I’m not writing him off after one bad season.

So, if you are asking me today I don’t want to do anything … except get the quarterback situation right. We’ve seen rapid fire regime change after regime change after regime change. I think these are smart, talented people and my desire right now would be to let it ride and see if they can get it right.

If 2024 is a dumpster fire, of course I would have to re-evaluate.

By the way, I’m chuckling at this one because I am well aware that despite your best efforts I gave you the “let’s wait and see” answer without using the words “let’s wait and see.”

Wayne Mirsky asks: I respect your opinion greatly, so my question to you is do you think that Joe Schoen has fixed the offensive line to be a good line. I am not saying better than last year’s because that is a no-brainer.

Is there enough talent both as starters and backups to form a good one? Backups are vital these days as injuries mount so often.

I have been watching football for over 60 years, (Charlie Conerly, Kyle Rote, Arnie Weinmeister, Andy Robustelli days) and I know that you do not need five All-Pros on your offensive line. You need each lineman to know exactly what the other guys are doing at all times which makes a cohesive and quality offensive line.

Ed says: Wayne, I thought I answered a similar question to this last week. I don’t have a whole to say that I probably haven’t said already, but let’s discuss it, anyway.

First, in the end I’m OK with not selecting any offensive linemen in the draft. We can argue about passing on guard Christian Mahogany in Round 6. But, really, how much Internet bandwidth do we want to waste arguing about a sixth-round pick? Personally, I don’t want to waste any.

The Giants still have two young players they want to give opportunities in Joshua Ezeudu and Marcus McKethan. They added five veteran free agents. Tyre Phillips and Justin Pugh are depth options who are waiting in the wings.

Has Schoen ‘fixed the offensive line to be a good line’? I don’t know. I think he added two good starters in Jon Runyan Jr. and Jermaine Eluemunor. He added some experienced depth options. Andrew Thomas should be healthy, and if he’s not Eluemunor is a better left tackle option than anyone the Giants had a year ago.

The Giants have a new offensive line coach in Carmen Bricillo. In that role with the Las Vegas Raiders, he worked well with a line that was not filled with superstars. Aside from Thomas, that is what he will work with in New York.

I think there is a chance, maybe a good chance, that this version of the offensive line will be a noticeable upgrade. Of course, I am well aware that we have entered other seasons thinking the same thing.

Kölnerbigblue asks: Ed, when will we be to done with players having an extra year of eligibility due to COVID? Is there a chance we will be done with it come 2030?

Ed says: Well, Kölner, I would think so. According to NCAA documentation, the last enrollment year for student athletes applying for COVID-19 waivers was 2022-23. So, it is still possible to have some COVID impact for a bit. But, 2030? Nah!

Andy Hunt asks: My question this week is regarding drug/PED testing: we all hear when a player has tested positive and gets banned for a period but is there any info made readily available regarding the rest of the testing that goes on, e.g. player X received test Y on date Z and tested negative for banned substances? Occasionally you do see a player post on social about having to do a test but I wondered if there was something more empirical available?

Ed says: Andy, can your employer share your drug test results with the world? I am not an expert on HIPAA, but I did find this:

HIPAA impacts workplace drug testing by imposing strict confidentiality requirements on the handling of drug test results. This law mandates that employers protect the privacy of an employee’s health information, including drug test results. Under HIPAA, employers must obtain explicit employee consent before sharing drug test outcomes with any third parties, ensuring that these results are treated with the same confidentiality as other medical records. This legal obligation compels employers to establish secure and private processes for conducting drug tests and managing their results, thereby safeguarding employee privacy and upholding compliance with federal regulations.

I’m not sure why fans would want, or think they have a right, to this kind of information.

Robert Biggerstaff asks: Ed I looked at your 32 team review with Chris and Anthony (great work). I would say that as team rosters are structured now the Giants are clearly outclassed only by Philly, Dallas, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. But that means six probable losses. A split of the remaining 11 games leaves only a likely record of 5-12 or 6-11. Therefore, the measure of a successful year and ‘progress’ for Schoen should only start at 7-10. They were competitive in and could have won three games last year, e.g. Jets game. Shouldn’t any numbers under 7-10 start the new GM/coach search?

Ed says: Robert, in my view there is no ‘magic number.’ There is no ‘if the Giants win this many games, Schoen and Daboll get fired.’ Or, if they win ‘X’ number of games, Daboll gets fired and Schoen stays.’ Or, ‘this is the benchmark they have to hit to stay.’

We do game-by-game predictions when the schedule comes out, but those are nonsense. We do them because people want to read them since they are doing their own game-by-game predictions, not because they mean anything. They don’t.

Let the games be played. Let the season unfold. Maybe the Giants go 4-13. Maybe they go 10-7. Nobody knows. How the season progresses, and the reasons for whatever happens, will tell us what the next steps should be.