The 2024 NFL offseason is a major one for the New York Giants. It got off to a rough start with defensive coordinator Wink Martindale resigning from his position in an ugly divorce from the franchise. While it is hard to sift through what was fact and fabrication, one thing is for sure; head coach Brian Daboll came out of it not looking great.
There have been rumblings about how he handles his staff not being great and reports that offensive coordinator Mike Kafka would like to move on as well. Daboll, it sounds like, has some work to do in that regard.
On top of the coaching staff issues, the Giants have some real obstacles to overcome with their roster. Figuring out the offensive line is a must, as their performance made consistent production hard to come by in 2023.
Giants’ quarterbacks were sacked a staggering 85 times in the 2023 season and hit countless more. Even when star left tackle Andrew Thomas was healthy enough to play, this was an underwhelming group overall.
NFL News & Rumors: Brian Daboll, Joe Schoen, Daniel Jones, 2024 NFL Draft, New York Giants Updates
The other position they need to figure things out is at quarterback. The Giants signed Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million deal before the deadline for franchise tags last offseason, which they used on running back Saquon Barkley. Jones responded with the worst season of his career.
He played in only six games because of a neck injury and then he tore his ACL. When he was on the field, his production was abysmal, as Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito both outperformed him. With the No. 6 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, many fans are hoping that selection is used on a quarterback, giving the franchise some hope heading into the future.
Alas, fans shouldn’t get their hopes up about that. Reports from the Senior Bowl last week indicate that the Giants are leaning toward passing up a quarterback in the early part of the draft. More than likely a veteran will be brought in alongside Jones. That jives with what Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report shared, as New York is not ready to throw the towel in on him.
“The Giants are not ready to shut the door on him. There’s a lot still to be played out in terms of the Daniel Jones-Giants situation,” Schultz said. “What I’ve been told is that not only does the staff and Brian Daboll believe in Daniel Jones, but (Mike) Kafka and the players do as well.
“When you combine both of those things together . . . there’s a really good shot that Daniel Jones next season is the starting quarterback and that he does return to the type of success he had in 2022.”
NFL News & Rumors: Brian Daboll, Joe Schoen, Daniel Jones, 2024 NFL Draft, New York Giants Updates
Part of the reason the Giants won’t shut the door on Jones is because they can’t. His dead cap is astronomical in 2024, north of $69 million. But, the team does have an out after 2024, as he has zero guaranteed dollars on his contract and a more palatable dead cap hit.
The organization is willing to give Jones the benefit of the doubt, believing he could have accomplished at least as much as Taylor and DeVito did with similar circumstances. However, that is something that frustrates most of the fan base, as Jones heads into Year 6 with a career-losing record and averaging under one touchdown pass per game in the last four seasons.
If the opportunity presents itself for the Giants to land one of the top prospects in this year’s draft class, they have to strongly consider pulling the trigger. It would be hard to imagine Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen putting their jobs on the line with Jones as the surefire starter at quarterback.
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