American Football

Giants news, 1/25: Honors for Daboll, Barkley, Lawrence, Thibodeaux, more headlines

January 25, 2023

New York Giants headlines for Wednesday

Giants’ free agents: Which defensive players should they bring back?

New York Giants GM Joe Schoen was clear on Monday that retaining as many of the team’s in-house free agents as possible was an offseason priority. Schoen also said the Giants have to determine how to “divvy up” their financial pie and set “priority positions.”

Let’s look at the Giants’ unrestricted free agents and discuss which ones should be brought back as the Giants try to close their acknowledged “talent gap” on the Philadelphia Eagles and some of the other top teams in the NFL.

Among the players the Giants have to make decisions on are DT Justin Ellis, Edge Jihad Ward, DT Nick Williams, S Tony Jefferson, LB/S Landon Collins, LB Jarrad Davis, CB Fabian Moreau, LB Jaylon Smith, Edge Oshane Ximines, and S Julian Love,

Other Giant observations

What are Giants GM Joe Schoen’s top priorities as team enters pivotal offseason? | The Athletic

Schoen will gather his staff on Thursday to commence meetings that will chart the course for the offseason. Schoen made it clear his top priority is re-signing as many of the team’s 21 unrestricted free agents as possible.

Beyond Jones and Barkley, that group includes wide receiver Darius Slayton, center Jon Feliciano, left guard Nick Gates and safety Julian Love. Schoen emphasized that every roster decision needs to fit into the overall salary cap picture. So as much as Schoen wants to keep this team together, he knows that will be impossible.

Davis Webb might be looking to start his coaching career

Giants’ backup QB Davis Webb, who was offered Buffalo’s QB coach job last off-season, has expressed interest in starting the transition from player to coach. After securing his first NFL start this season, Webb will consider making the jump to coaching for the right opportunity.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 24, 2023

Boomer Esiason Tee Higgins could become available for Giants | WFAN.com

“There is an opportunity for somebody to go and trade for a guy like Tee Higgins,” Boomer said. “When you start scouring, the free agency lot for wide receivers this year is not all that impressive in terms of quality, high-end, No. 1 wide receivers. That’s where teams like the Giants have to be really smart in evaluating these players and where they’re at in their career. Tee is a young kid…he’s fast, he can take the top off the defense, and he’s a really good dude. I think he would match what the Giants need.”

Giants prepared if Mike Kafka, Wink Martindale leave | New York Post

If Martindale was to be hired, the Giants could turn to an in-house candidate in hopes of running the same blitz-heavy scheme. Outside linebackers coach Drew Wilkins would be a top candidate to coordinate for his mentor Martindale unless he wants to create his own identity, and defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson is overdue an opportunity after 16 years as an assistant.

The Giants are less likely to turn in-house if Kafka is hired, though Daboll’s other two finalists in last year’s search could be available: Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton could be replaced by a new head coach, and Browns wide receivers coach Chad O’Shea just interviewed for the Jets coordinator vacancy.

One ‘secret superstar’ for all 32 NFL teams after the 2022 season | PFF

NEW YORK GIANTS – WR ISAIAH HODGINS

The Giants struggled to find competent wide receiver play for most of the year, but it appears they have found a diamond in the rough. Hodgins finished the season as the team’s third-highest-graded offensive player (76.1), behind only Andrew Thomas and Saquon Barkley. In the final five games of the regular season, Hodgins totaled 250 yards and four touchdowns. He also had a monster game against the Vikings in the wild-card round, catching eight passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Hodgins doesn’t completely solve their WR need, but he is a nice piece to have moving forward.

Giants’ Daniel Jones cost himself some money with Divisional Playoff stinker vs. Eagles | nj.com

NFL analyst Ross Tucker thinks Jones’ upcoming contract would be bigger had he performed better in Saturday’s 38-7 divisional playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Eagles game was the difference between going all in on a really nice contract for Daniel Jones versus ‘let’s just franchise tag him and see how it goes.’ He was not good. I mean, the interception of (James) Bradberry was horrific. He almost threw several others. It did not look like he knew where to go with the football. He took multiple sacks he shouldn’t. He missed some throws that he just couldn’t miss. I mean, Dan, he one time ran out of bounds for a loss of five yards. So think about that. We all know that if you’re outside of the pocket, you can throw the ball away. And you don’t lose any yards you’re allowed to do that. He ran out of bounds for a loss of five yards. If I was an offensive lineman on the Giants, I would be like, ‘What are you doing?’ It’s year four. He’s played a lot of football. Flick it out of bounds. You know you’re allowed to do that. He played really poorly and I think played poorly enough that that’ll give the Giants enough pause that they’d rather franchise tag him than give him a big deal with multiple years of guarantees.”

Brian Daboll named NFC Coach of the Year in annual 101 Awards | Giants.com

Pair of Giants named to PFWA 2022 All-NFC team | SNY.tv

Kayvon Thibodeaux named to PFWA All-Rookie Team | Giants.com

Edge Quincy Roche moving on to Pittsburgh

Around the league

Jaguars GM Trent Baalke ‘would love’ to bring back TE Evan Engram | NFL.com

“Obviously, we would love to have Evan back,” he said. “Evan and I visited yesterday, and he went around the building and visited with everybody. I think it’s mutual. Now we got to make it happen. That’s something that we’re going to work on with Evan, and all the other free agents that we have. We have a list of them that we got to mow down one at a time.”

Eli Apple takes multiple jabs at Stefon Diggs and the Bills | ProFootballTalk

Aaron Rodgers: Trade chatter “all conjecture” until I decide what I want to do | ProFootballTalk

Bill O’Brien returns to New England Patriots as OC | ESPN.com