Giants co-owner John Mara made it clear what he wants to see from Daniel Jones in his third year with the franchise: more winning.
“We need to see more wins, but I do have a lot of confidence in Daniel,” Mara said last month.
With that in mind, Boomer Esiason thinks the former sixth overall pick his entering a crucial year with New York, one that could even be his last if there isn’t notable progress made on the field.
“I hope he’s back [next year], because if he’s back, he’s playing well,” Boomer said on the Zach Gelb Show. “If he doesn’t have a great year this year, I think Dave Gettleman and Daniel Jones could be looking elsewhere, depending how it all plays out.”
If a potential shakeup could be looming after the Giants added multiple pieces around Jones this offseason, what kind of leap would it take from Jones to convince Mara and the franchise that he has potential to be their quarterback of the future? His 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last year wasn’t particularly inspiring, but the team has continued to double down on its confidence in Jones heading into year three.
But what kind of statistical output would be enough to justify that confidence remains to be seen.
“Is he gonna be a 4,500 yard passer with 40 touchdown passes, or is he gonna be a 3,250 yard passer with 24 touchdown passes and they’re gonna go 9-8 and not make the playoffs?” Boomer said. “I don’t know the fanbase is gonna deal with that here.”
Giants fans are starved for success after four straight losing seasons, and the Giants will have to balance that demand with a more measured approach to their rebuild, but a promising quarterback is a crucial part to building the franchise back into a winner, and this could be the season that decides whether Jones will be part of that future long-term or not.
“I do believe that year three is the year they do have to see substantial growth,” Boomer said. “I thought there were moments last year where Daniel took a step back, but maybe year two in Jason Garrett’s offense, better players around him, Saquon Barkley coming back, a somewhat rebuilt offensive line, though I don’t know how good it can be, but he can help them if he’s better.”
Boomer wants to see what Jones can do in his third full season, but he is confident that 2021 will be a year of improvement for New York.
“I am thinking they’re gonna be OK,” Boomer said. “They’re gonna be a pretty competitive team.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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