Have the New York Giants given Daniel Jones fair evaluation process?
GM Joe Schoen says he took the Giants' job wanting to compete today while building for tomorrow.
As decisions on several impending free agents loom, the Giants' 2022 roster remains under their new regime's evaluation. With six games left in the regular season, can Schoen say his process has been fair by his quarterback?
Making him the heir apparent to Eli Manning in 2019, Daniel Jones' first three seasons in New York left much to desire. Now getting the job done under a competent coaching staff, Jones' previous lack of success may have just been a product of his environment.
The aftermath of former GM Dave Gettleman's horrific tenure left Schoen financially limited and hesitant to commit to the team's future cap space in his first offseason.
A 12-25 record as a starter, along with pedestrian stats, made it difficult for Schoen to put his faith in the quarterback that he did not draft. He declined Jones' $22.38 million fifth-year option, sending the message that this was the year for Jones to prove his worth.
That price may have been a steal, given how this year has gone.
The Giants are off to a 7-4 start. First-year coach Brian Daboll has put the players given to him in the position to play to their strengths, an unfamiliar concept to the staff of years past.
Jones has dealt with poor offensive lines and underwhelming receiving options in his early years, and this season is no different. The offensive line has allowed 33 sacks this year, tied for sixth most in the league. Darius Slayton's 476 yards lead a receiving core that ranks in the bottom five of the NFL.
New York looked to add to its receiver room at the trade deadline, but Schoen opted to hold onto his draft picks. The lone move the Giants made before the deadline was sending wide receiver Kadarius Toney to the Chiefs.
Even with the subpar supporting cast, Jones has been solid.
His passing yards (2,165) and touchdown (10) totals do not stuff the stat sheet, but among the league’s quarterbacks he is 11th in EPA, 12th in QBR, and fourth in interception percentage.
Turnover issues are a thing of the past. Jones has seen his totals drop in each year of his career. He has only thrown four interceptions and has just two fumbles lost this season.
Although still being looked under Schoen's microscope, Jones has done enough to warrant a deal that would pay better than the fifth-year option would have.
The Giants can use the franchise tag on him, costing an estimated $31.5 million. If they let Jones hit the open market, it is not crazy to think he could fetch nearly $30 million per year.
A short-term extension of at least $25 million annually could make sense for the quarterback and the organization. This would give the Giants a quarterback who can win now while Schoen continues to fill out the roster for the coming years.
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