Off to a 1-0 start after upsetting the Titans, the Giants have begun Brian Daboll‘s tenure better than Pat Shurmur‘s or Joe Judge‘s started. Daniel Jones finished 17-for-21, with much of his yardage (188) coming on a 65-yard TD toss to Sterling Shepard. But the fourth-year quarterback likely still has plenty of work to do to earn the trust of the Giants’ new decision-makers.
Upon taking over in New York, Daboll and GM Joe Schoen harbored “major concerns” about Jones’ viability as a long-term option, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes.
Although the new Giants brass being “far from sold” on Jones is not too surprising, given the team’s decision to pass on its starting quarterback’s $22.4MM fifth-year option in May. Jones, who is now with his fourth NFL play-caller (though, he made it only one game with interim play-caller Freddie Kitchens last season), is on track for free agency in 2023. The oft-criticized passer could revitalize his career with a strong season under Daboll, but the fifth-year option era’s short history works against Jones being a long-term Giant.
In the option era (since 2014, when 2011 draftees’ options could be exercised or declined), no team has declined a QB’s fifth-year option and then circled back via an extension or re-signing. Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder, E.J. Manuel, Teddy Bridgewater and Mitch Trubisky saw their options declined. None of this passer lot played beyond four seasons with his original NFL team. The 49ers passed on Gabbert’s option after acquiring him via trade in 2014; Brandon Weeden, Paxton Lynch and Josh Rosen were off their first-round contracts before their option decisions arrived. Bridgewater was on his way to earning a Vikings extension, but his severe 2016 knee injury intervened. Jones did suffer a neck injury that required offseason surgery, but after back-to-back down years, the Duke product has never been tracking toward a Giants extension.
The Giants should be expected to give Jones a long look, despite this regime not drafting him. Ownership backed Jones as its starter in March, and John Mara said earlier this offseason the Giants had “done everything possible to screw up” Jones’ development. But Daboll is high on backup Tyrod Taylor, per La Canfora, who adds that some around the league believe the first-year HC would not hesitate to bench Jones for Taylor if it helps this year’s team. It is too early for such talk, and a Jones benching would effectively signal the Giants are back in the quarterback market for 2023. They would join several other teams, including some that have two first-round picks, in that mix.
“and a Jones benching would effectively signal the Giants are back in the quarterback market for 2023.”
I don’t understand this line…They ARE in the 2023 QB market regardless.
They won a whopping 15 games in the four cheap years of his career. How much better do they have to bet on Daboll and Schoen being to think they can make Jones and the surrounding roster so much better–while paying Jones more–that they can actually contend? Hard to see anyone betting on Jones to be more than a bridge QB. Can’t see a new regime with a blank slate casting their lots with him.
While Mara was absolutely correct, I agree with you. It’s not Jones’ fault that he hasn’t had success, but you have to wonder how much of his mistakes are fixable at this point. In all likelihood, the answer is not many-at least not without a change of scenery, which even then would be a challenge.
The Jason Garrett fiasco probably ended whatever chance Jones had to build off the little upside he started to show in the second half of Shula’s tenure.
And how much upside are we talking about, especially relative to probability? I don’t see a realistic path to stardom if everything breaks right, and everything breaking right is a longshot after the four years we’ve seen. It’s not a great bet or a great payout, and it’s no longer a cheap bet to place.
Oh I agree. I’m not optimistic that the majority of Jones’ bad habits are correctable at this point. I do distinctively remember Jones improving in the later part of the season prior to Garrett’s hire, which was atrocious. I’m not saying that he would have ended up good, but whatever chance he had to develop organically probably ended there.
Jones’ best bet, barring a miraculous surge under Daboll this year, is likely a release and signing as a placeholder/backup with a new team that he can turn into a starting contract with another team, ala Mayfield. Whether that can happen will remain to be seen, but it’s probably the extent of Jones’ options.
Agreed. I think he ends up as a high end backup somewhere, which isn’t a huge insult or anything. It’s not his fault he was drafted #6 overall.
Trubisky will get traded to the giants once Pickett is ready. At the deadline this year or the off-season. He knows daboll’s offense and will be a cheaper improvement option
I don’t think either team would do that. Pittsburgh would probably still want an experienced starter in the room with Pickett, and if the Giants are acquiring Trubisky, it’s to back up/bridge next year’s rookie, not to be their actual plan.
It’s why they kept Rudolph this year, trubisky’s contract is back loaded and they could easily get a cheaper veteran to backup next year
I’m pretty sure the only reason they kept Rudolph is that no one else would take the contract they gave him.
It seems like I am in the minority on this opinion but I think that Jones is not a bad quarterback. I’m not saying I think he’s a perennial pro bowl caliber QB but he’s definitely not as bad as his dismal supporting cast has made him look since he entered the league. I’d love to see him right the ship this year and prove that most young quarterbacks will struggle in a situation as bad and unpredictable as the Giants have been during his career thus far.
That can be true and it can also be true that he’s not a QB you want to hitch your wagon to.
He might not be ‘bad’, but the fact remains that he has grown/improved very little since entering the league. Last week was a shining example of that with his awful interception in the red zone. Two huge knocks on him during his rookie season were not protecting the ball and staring down his WRs. He fumbled once last week but that interception was rookie Daniel Jones all over again. Stared the WR down the whole way, then chucked an awful and easy interception. It’s year four; he should be better than that by now.
He is better than a lot of newbie’s and some old ones…
The newbies are cheaper and generally have more upside, the old ones he’s better than aren’t particularly good.
All of these responses are correct at the same time. The only question remaining is, of course, if whatever team Jones ends up with can allow him to develop positively, in whatever role he ends up in.
Being an impartial opinion on this subject, I don’t think you’d have 75% of the QBs in this league flourish with what the NYG have given this kid to work with. A running game that has had a back that’s about dependable as a wet paper bag (Barkley), a receiver room that cannot stay healthy and can barely do anything when they are (great FA agent signing in Golliday) and a defense that has been in the bottom half of the league in his tenure. I don’t watch enough of the Giants to know all of his little nuisances on the field, but I can’t imagine any rookie coming into that kind of situation with a revolving door for a HC and having any kind of success. I really hope he makes a good showing this year, even if it is an audition for a different team.
Daniel Jones is in tier 3 of 5. He’s better than a backup or a transient, but only just barely. That being said, the Giants could be in the Cowboy’s predicament – starting a nothing burger where they might win 4 times if they are lucky. Not much of a choice – unless you want to fully dive into the rebuild mode.
“Jones… is on track for free agency in 2023.”
You skipped the part where they can franchise tag him.
Can you imagine them guaranteeing $30 million for Daniel Jones next season?
Listen up! I thinks that some of this guys in the NFL media and possibly around DJ are intentionally being unfair and unreasonable for a secret political Illuminati thing not personally towards DJ NYG Qb … but he is being unfairly dragged into it …as a weapon against some lady that likes him or something they are trying to secretly get. These fake haters needs to stop the act! It’s fake or a hate out of some jealous individuals about how some women kept attaching half nude pictures and just trying to showing themselves online towards him and other guys were not getting that type of unwanted attention like DJ on instagrams and etc. so it’s hate I thinks from a secret entity that is causing negative energy across the media about D.J. Unnecessary! There are some QBs that has done worse with interceptions and guys not catching the ball and they are being spotted as top notch…this hard working, fan loving , passionate for his team to win and for this sport ,handsome young guy is being sabotaged… i calls it like I see it! It’s so Unfair! He did not provoke this secret sabotage campaign…some people around him are intentionally secretly setting him up… he is very talented and witty! He’s a Gemini, Come on! Stop making him out to look like a loser at this game when I know and you knows he tries hard and he is talented… He throws like a Mahomes and a Tom Brady and moves like a runner back when needed…he can play both positions too…
You OK, man?
Well said.