Owen Russell
The New York Giants exceeded everyone’s expectations this season. Despite suffering a lopsided defeat in the divisional round of this year’s playoffs, courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles, the Giants outplayed even the most generous predictions. They won nine games and made the postseason. First-year head coach Brain Daboll deserves much of the credit. He revived the rushing game and created an offense, allowing quarterback Daniel Jones to shine.
Jones put together the best year of his career, silencing skeptics in the process. As Daboll and the Giants look to next season, it would be safe to assume Daniel Jones will be under center come September, right? Well…
When asked about Jones’ future with the team after New York’s loss to Philadelphia, Daboll was vague. “We have a long offseason,” he told NBC Sports.
Daboll is not kidding. For the Giants, two big names enter the offseason as free agents. Of course, there is Daniel Jones going into his fifth season in the NFL. But Jones is not the only key player New York must make a decision on. Star running back Saquon Barkley enters unrestricted free agency and expects a big payday after a bounce-back season. Assuming the Giants resign Barkley, that will leave the team less money to spend on their franchise quarterback. That being the case, is it worth exploring other options?
Quarterbacks are tricky. They remain by far the most valuable position in the NFL, and the demand is always higher than the supply. There are roughly eight elite quarterbacks in the league, and beyond that, there are perhaps 10 more who are consistent enough to not doom their team each time they touch the ball. Jones falls within the higher percentile of that back 10. This season, Jones put up career numbers in completion percentage and yards. It is also worth noting that despite earning a reputation for being “turnover prone,” Jones threw only five interceptions this season, his fewest since entering the league.
If the Giants were to move on from Jones, they would have to be convinced they can find a better option in the great beyond (free agency, trades, or the draft).
A few names stick out among the quarterbacks who look to be available this offseason. At the top of every team’s list is Lamar Jackson. The star quarterback for the Ravens is on the outs with management as contract negotiations have turned sour. When healthy, Jackson is a top-five talent and a game-changer. The problem is that Jackson has never played a full season and will command a record-breaking contract wherever he ends up. Jackson is a restricted free agent this offseason, so even if he wants out of Baltimore, the Ravens can retain him and ask for a hefty trade haul. If Jackson proves to be too pricey, the other options are less tantalizing. 45-year-old Tom Brady is coming off his worst season in recent memory, and 39-year-old Aaron Rodgers continues to flirt with retirement. Beyond them are options who would seem like a lateral move from Jones. Jimmy Garopolo, Derek Carr, and Baker Mayfield don’t offer much in the way of improvement.
The Giants could always draft a quarterback, but there are other holes that could be plugged by their first-round pick. According to CBS’ most recent mock draft, the Giants will most likely draft a wide receiver with the 25th overall pick, bolstering their depleted core. Could New York surprise everyone and draft a quarterback? Consensus says there are four quarterbacks worth taking in the first round, with three of those names expected to go in the first 10 picks. The Giants most likely won’t trade up, so they’ll miss out on Bryce Young (Alabama), C.J. Stroud (Ohio State), and Will Levis (Kentucky). That leaves Anthony Richardson, the 6’4” athletic quarterback who is still a work in progress. His physical abilities are unquestioned, but his body of work leaves some scouts scratching their heads. Richardson’s biggest mark against him is his decision-making. Daniel Jones is coming off his best year ever in that department. Does New York want to start from scratch? Even if Richardson is at the top of New York’s draft board, there are teams in front of them who also need a quarterback.
For better or for worse, New York is stuck with Daniel Jones. The options via free agency or trade are not viable for a myriad of reasons, and to draft a first-round quarterback is too risky for a team that just made the playoffs. Jones will likely command more money than he is worth, but if he can replicate this past season, Giants fans won’t complain. New York could possibly spend a late-round pick on a quarterback with high upside (Hendon Hooker from Tennessee, for example), but expect Daniel Jones to be the signal caller next season.