Tag: Daniel Jones

Former first round QB added to list of post-Watson bridge options

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero floated a non-Kirk Cousins option out for the Browns in free agency…

The Cleveland Browns are looking to move on from the failed Deshaun Watson experience, and they could turn to former first round pick Daniel Jones.

Do not discount the possibility that the Browns are highly interested in either Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward. However, if the Browns do not view either option as a player who is ready to take over the starting job from Day 1, then a veteran option is also still firmly on the table.

During a media byte on Radio Row at the Super Bowl, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero added another name to the list of veteran quarterbacks to watch. While Kirk Cousins, who is almost certainly going to be released by the Atlanta Falcons, is the popular name given his connection with head coach Kevin Stefanski, Pelissero floated out the former No. 6 overall pick Jones as another option:

Perhaps the Browns could be banking on a bit of time away from the New York Giants and with NFL Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota may have straightened some issues out for Jones just as it did for Sam Darnold.

Given the age and play of Cousins a year ago, there is a pathway to seeing the argument for the younger, bigger-armed, and more mobile Jones in the short term as the team looks to move past the horrendous Watson era.

With NFL free agency about a month away, it’s going to get interesting in Berea.

Ex-Giants coach says team failed Daniel Jones

One former New York Giants assistant coach says staff turnovers and relentless personnel failures led to the downfall of QB Daniel Jones.

New York Giants co-owner John Mara once admitted that the organization wasted the final years of Eli Manning’s legendary career. He blamed that on impatience, coaching turnover, and personnel failures.

That trend continued with Manning’s successor, Daniel Jones, as Mara again admitted the team had done everything wrong and messed Jones up.

Despite an extended leash, that experiment ended this past season with an unceremonious mid-season release.

In hindsight, one former Giants assistant coach, Anthony Blevins, agrees with Mara. At least as it relates to Jones.

“Well, I’ll say this. Daniel came in and replaced Eli the legend. So that’s hard within itself, and how he handled that. But I think one of the biggest mistakes was not continuing the growth process with Pat Shurmur that first year,” Blevins told Sports Illustrated.

“Because you just took a guy that was a rookie and you made him a rookie again and you went with a guy in Joe Judge that wasn’t an offensive guy, wasn’t an offensive head coach. You needed somebody that could truly develop the quarterback. And I don’t think, you know, that was the case.”

Jones had his best season under Shurmur as a rookie but the coach was fired following the 2019 campaign. From there, the Giants went to Judge and then Brian Daboll as the entire regime was completely turned over for the second time since 2016.

Throughout the multiple resets, one thing remained consistent: An underperforming and, at times, league-worst offensive line. In 2023, the Giants allowed 85 sacks, good for the second-most all-time.

Not only was Jones getting hit, he suffered several serious injuries.

“I think that’s the biggest thing. And when I say that, the biggest thing is go get him some weapons and go protect him. Find guys that can protect the quarterback. Because when you, when you get hit too early, the quarterback quits,” Blevins said.

“Look, he quits looking at coverage. He quits looking at things that are down the field. He starts looking at the rush so his eyes are down and he doesn’t see open receivers because he’s like, ‘Don’t hit me, I don’t have a ball. Don’t hit me.’ So I think that those are the keys. Find weapons to help him and find the offensive line that can protect him.”

Jones won’t be under center for the Giants in 2025 but someone will. Whether that’s a veteran or a rookie, the Giants must buck the trend and fix their protection issues or risk repeating failed quarterback history for the third straight time.

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NFL Insider doesn’t see the Vikings being able to afford key free agent

One of those decisions has been discussed is Sam Darnold and as the days go on we are hearing more points to think about with it. 

The Minnesota Vikings have a healthy amount of salary cap space for the 2025 window. That doesn’t mean they want to go on a spending spree, but rather, it means they will have to make some tougher decisions.

One of those decisions, Sam Darnold, has been discussed to the point of exhaustion, and as the days go by, we hear more points to consider. Dan Graziano of ESPN recently spoke on network radio and pointed out that their salary cap space and spending rates may create an issue.

“My anticipation on Darnold is that he will probably have a free agent market that prices himself out of what Minnesota wants to do… I’ll be surprised if he’s back on the Vikings.” 
The Vikings may have expected to be unable to bring back Darnold after a near MVP-worthy season. The team signed Daniel Jones after the New York Giants cut him, but he is also a free agent, albeit a more affordable one.
The Vikings have J.J. McCarthy and are all in on him going into the 2025 season, and bringing back Darnold may compromise that message.

Daniel Jones, Sterling Shepard among ex-Giants cheering on Saquon Barkley

Former New York Giants QB Daniel Jones and WR Sterling Shepard were in a booth on Sunday cheering for Saquon Barkley and the Eagles.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley went off for more than 230 yards from scrimmage on Sunday, including two touchdown runs of 62 yards or more.

The historical performance helped propel the Eagles to a 28-22 victory over the Los Angeles Rams and an NFC Championship showdown with the Washington Commanders.

It was a nightmarish image for New York Giants co-owner John Mara and the team’s fans, but a moment of celebration for several former Giants.

Quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Sterling Shepard joined Barkley’s family in their booth and cheered on their good friend and long-time rivals.

The Giants didn’t attempt to re-sign Shepard during the offseason, so he ended up alongside quarterback Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay. Like Barkley, he got a taste of the playoffs this year.

So did Jones, who was released mid-season and later signed by the Minnesota Vikings. While he didn’t take a snap for the team, he was on the roster for meaningful football.

But Jones and Shepard weren’t the only former Giants rooting for Barkley — wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. did the same, albeit from his couch.

Earlier in the playoffs, rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers was on hand rooting for his former LSU teammate, Jayden Daniels, and the Washington Commanders.

Those in East Rutherford must be envious of Barkley, Jones, Shepard, Nabers, and Beckham Jr.’s happiness and joy. They’re all having a blast rooting on the Eagles and Commanders while the Giants just want to bury their heads and pretend none of this is real.

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What should the Vikings do with Daniel Jones for the 2025 season?

Daniel Jones is set to hit free agency. Should the Minnesota Vikings look to bring him back for the 2025 season?

Sam Darnold rejuvenated his career by leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 record in 2024. Daniel Jones could follow a similar path and do the same with his career.

The Vikings signed Jones to their practice squad in November. He was then signed to the active roster before their Wild Card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.

There was a belief that activating him for the game would help the Vikings gain a compensatory pick in the 2026 NFL draft. But Jones was one of five inactives for the Vikings, meaning he wouldn’t count toward the compensatory formula in 2026.

This could mean it was never the Vikings’ plan for Jones to hit free agency and help the formula. With Sam Darnold likely leaving and joining a quarterback-needy team in free agency, Jones could be a cheaper veteran backup for J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings’ 2024 first-round draft pick.

Since Kevin O’Connell arrived in 2022, the Vikings have actively tried to upgrade the entire quarterback room. They moved on from Kellen Mond and Sean Mannion as backups after the 2022 preseason for Nick Mullens, an upgrade who can step in and operate the offense. In 2024, they cut Jalen Hall and signed Brett Rypien as their QB3.

During his season-ending press conference on Thursday, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said that having several talented players at quarterback is no different than other rooms. Keeping Jones, the sixth-overall pick in the 2019 draft, would be the kind of low-risk, high-reward player Kwesi has seeked out during his tenure.

Draft pick compensation gained for Jones leaving may be intriguing for a team that doesn’t have much draft capital in the immediate future. But draft picks carry risk. The Vikings know Jones’ floor as a quarterback. If they believe that floor is higher than another potential backup quarterback’s floor, they could decide that insurance is worth more than a Day 2 or 3 draft pick.

The Vikings are excited about McCarthy, but he is coming off a torn meniscus. While the expectation is that he will be healthy and ready for Week 1 of the 2025 season, he may not be ready for OTAs or mini-camp. That would further elevate Jones’ value.

Jones is one of 25 Vikings that are set to hit free agency. Although he wouldn’t be expected to be the team’s starting quarterback for the 2025 season, Jones should be a high priority for the Vikings to re-sign this offseason.

The Vikings elevate a former starting quarterback to the active roster

The Vikings have made a change to their quarterback room ahead of Monday’s game against the Rams.

There is a shake-up in the Minnesota Vikings quarterback room ahead of Monday’s wild card game against the Los Angeles Rams.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Daniel Jones has been signed to the Vikings’ active roster. The Vikings waived QB Brett Rypien in a corresponding move to open up the roster spot. Jones will likely serve as the emergency third quarterback on the Vikings’ gameday roster behind Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens.

This is a move that has been expected for weeks. Jones was signed to the Vikings’ practice squad shortly after being released by the Giants on Nov. 22. There was speculation that signing Jones would help the Vikings get a compensatory pick in 2026.

Jones had to be signed to the active roster to be part of the compensatory pick formula. If he leaves via free agency this spring, he will count towards any potential compensatory pick the Vikings would get in 2026.

It was a low-risk move for both the Vikings and Jones. As a former top-10 pick, he helps strengthen the quarterback room. And because Darnold and Mullens have had success under Kevin O’Connell, there wouldn’t be pressure to thrust Jones into the starting lineup if he wasn’t ready.

For Jones, joining the Vikings allowed him to sit back and be coached by one of the league’s best coaches. He could have signed with a QB-needy team, played and failed, and hurt future opportunities around the league.

Instead, he followed what Darnold did in 2023. After a disastrous start to his career, Darnold signed with the 49ers, who have a strong offensive coaching staff. He sat on the bench behind Brock Purdy and learned how to be a professional quarterback. Whether he stays in Minnesota or elsewhere, Darnold’s career trajectory has changed going into 2025.

Jones has taken the first step in altering his quarterback journey. Meanwhile, the Vikings can help their future draft capital while also strengthening their QB room and future draft capital.

Giants’ Drew Lock ‘excited’ for another opportunity in Week 18

New York Giants QB Drew Lock is in good spirits and “excited” about another opportunity after a breakout performance in Week 17.

The New York Giants will start Drew Lock at quarterback this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles to close out the Giants’ 2024 regular season schedule.

That leads us to question whether this week is an audition to stay with the Giants or catch the eye of his next team — and he will have a next team if he hits free agency in March.

Lock had a monster game last week for the Giants against the Indianapolis Colts, which opened some eyes as Lock accounted for five total touchdowns in the Giants’ explosive 45-33 victory.

On Wednesday. Lock was looking forward to closing out the season with his prospects on an uptick.

“Good, healthy. Spirits high after last week,” Lock told reporters. “I’m feeling good. I’m excited to go out and get the opportunity to play another one.”

Lock, a 2018 second-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos who spent the pst few years as a backup in Seattle, was signed to a one-year, look-see deal this past offseason as insurance to the oft-injured Daniel Jones, who was coming off ACL surgery.

Jones didn’t get hurt again, but the Giants ran out of patience with him and turned to Lock and Tommy DeVito at quarterback after Jones went 2-8 to start the season.

It wasn’t until last week they finally got in the win column with Lock under center, connecting with the team’s young pieces around him. He looked comfortable with wideouts Malik Nabers and Wan’Dale Robinson and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr.

The question now is, can he do it two weeks in a row?

“Execution. It starts with this week of practice,” Lock said when asked how he’ll approach the task ahead. “Really focused practice last week, great work. Trying to duplicate that this week. Energy, intensity, focus. It’s hard to duplicate games, but give ourselves the best position to go out and score points. One way or another, it’s got to start this week in practice.”

Lock has to know that his marketability for the upcoming offseason will spike if he can deliver another noteworthy performance.

“I would say you want to put together great games every single time you play. You need to put together 17 of them just to stay relevant and keep playing football,” he said. “Try to extend your career as long as you can. The only way you can do that is by putting good things on tape. Every chance you get, go out there and make it the best representation of yourself. That’s the plan every week.”

The Giants are currently in the fourth overall spot in the 2025 NFL draft and a win would send them further down the draft order, perhaps well out of the range where the top quarterbacks are.

Maybe that’s a good thing. Who knows? Maybe they go in a different direction at quarterback next season and Lock could be part of that plan again.

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Does a Kirk Cousins reunion make sense for the Vikings?

All of this is happening in Minnesota while Kirk Cousins is seeing his time in Atlanta come to a close, so is a reunion in order?

The Minnesota Vikings have had quite the history at the quarterback position. In recent years, they had the stability of Kirk Cousins; they moved on from him, drafted J.J. McCarthy, and signed Sam Darnold. Now they have the veteran in Darnold playing like an MVP while McCarthy is sidelined by injury.

All of this is happening in Minnesota while Kirk Cousins is seeing his time in Atlanta come to a close. Does that mean a reunion is in order?

The Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington in the top ten of this April’s draft. He was seen as the long-term replacement for Cousins, but that was fast-tracked last week when he was named the starter over Cousins. Now, Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that the team is expected to release him, which raises the question of whether a reunion between him and the Vikings makes sense.

If the team were to lose Daniel Jones to free agency and move on from Sam Darnold, having someone like Cousins in on a veteran minium behind McCarthy would be ideal. There is no one better to teach the system to the former Michigan Wolverine than Cousins. He also still has strong ties to the community and team overall.

It may not be a popular decision, but it is right if the dominos fall the way we laud out.

Panthers QB Bryce Young is asked about his awesome new nickname

Panthers QB Bryce Young may now have the best nickname in the NFL. But what does the “Carolina Reaper” himself think of his new moniker?

Many may have believed that the career of Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was dead and buried just two weeks into the 2024 season. But it is a now-resurrected Young, rather, who has risen to claim a few souls himself.

The recent emergence of the 2023 No. 1 overall pick has spawned a pretty awesome nickname—the “Carolina Reaper.” And that’s because each of the Panthers’ three wins with Young starting under center this year have resulted in some deadly consequences for their victims.

Young’s slicing began in Week 9, when Carolina edged out the New Orleans Saints for a 23-22 victory. The Saints, less than 24 hours following the defeat, would dismiss head coach Dennis Allen.

It continued the very next week, as the Panthers topped the New York Giants in their battle out of Munich, Germany. That would prove to be the last start for sixth-year quarterback and former first-round pick Daniel Jones, who was released by the Giants 15 days later.

Then, it was their latest opponents who were sent to an early death this past Sunday—as Young and his three-touchdown performance helped officially kill the Arizona Cardinals’ playoff hopes.

So, what does Bryce think of the nickname?

Vashti Hurt of Carolina Blitz asked him exactly that on Tuesday . . .

Well, whether he thinks it’s evil or not, the “Carolina Reaper” moniker may be here to stay . . . and slay.

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Daniel Jones sent Giants offensive linemen a classy holiday gift

Ex-New York Giants QB Daniel Jones sent expensive bottles of tequila to his former offensive linemen for the holidays.

Once a Giant, Always a Giant. It’s a mantra that is real and enduring for all who have worn the legendary blue.

The latest example is that of former New York quarterback Daniel Jones showing his former offensive line teammates with some holiday cheer.

ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports that Jones sent each of his former linemates a limited edition bottle of Clase Azul.

Daniel Jones with a class move. He may not be the Giants QB anymore but … he sent all the offensive linemen who were on the roster with him a limited edition bottle of Clase Azul.

Jones was benched and released by the Giants last month. He’s on the Vikings practice squad.

Jones started the first 10 games of this season before getting benched after a 2-8 showing. He was subsequently released and was inked to the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad a few days later.

Jones was the Giants’ first-round selection in the 2019 NFL draft (sixth overall) and his career began with a bang, throwing 24 touchdowns in 12 starts as a rookie.

But his career would take a downward turn after that. Injuries, coaching and regime changes, and a rotating cast of mediocre players around him doomed his Giants’ career.

His quarterback record over the five and a half seasons was a disappointing 22-44-1.

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