Giants’ John Mara explains why Saquon Barkley wasn’t traded at 2023 deadline

New York Giants co-owner John Mara explains why the team opted against trading RB Saquon Barkley at the 2023 deadline.

The New York Giants failed to deal running back Saquon Barkley at the 2023 trade deadline despite sporting a 2-6 record at the time. That decision came back to haunt them when Barkley inked a long-term deal with the Philadelphia Eagles at the onset of free agency.

The Giants ultimately lost Barkley and got nothing in return.

Although they recognized the possibility of being caught flat-footed, Giants co-owner John Mara says they were still attempting to compete at the time so they gambled on keeping Barkley.

“I hate trading guys right at the trade deadline because it almost signals that you’re giving up on the season,” Mara said this week at the Annual League Meeting, via the New York Daily News. “And Saquon, I was still hoping to be able to sign him at some point. It’s unfortunate we weren’t able to do it.”

Although Mara says they weren’t giving up on the season, that didn’t stop general manager Joe Schoen from trading defensive lineman Leonard Williams to the Seattle Seahawks.

In the eyes of Schoen, Barkley was more valuable offensively than Williams was defensively.

“(Barkley) was one of our better offensive players, and we weren’t giving up,” Schoen said. “We still wanted him to go out there and perform for us . . . When (Daniel Jones) was coming back from the neck injury, we wanted to make sure they could go out there and operate. I think Saquon was a big part of that at that time.”

Mara wanted Schoen to find a way to make it work but ultimately, Barkley departed. The Giants never even made him a contract offer.

“That was kind of an ongoing discussion through the year that it could come to this, and they knew my feelings that I was hoping it didn’t come to this,” Mara said. “But at the end of the day, I know sometimes every once in a while I read, ‘Oh, he’s meddling, he’s meddling.’ No. We’ve run our organization the same way for many, many years.”

That also means, contrary to popular belief, that the four-year contract given to Jones was the decision of Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.

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Saquon Barkley: Eagles were not ‘first interest’ entering free agency

Former New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley said the Eagles were not his first interest entering free agency but ultimately, money talks.

When star running back Saquon Barkley left the New York Giants for the division rival Philadelphia Eagles, it was the worst nightmare for Giants fans.

In fact, Giants owner John Mara echoed those feelings when he said the news made him ‘sick.’

Despite expressing a desire to be a Giant for life several times over the past few years, the team and Barkley were never able to come to a deal.

However, Barkley shared on the New Heights podcast that Philadelphia was not his first interest entering free agency. Instead, it was the Houston Texans — the favorite to land Barkley ahead of free agency.

“Probably the team that had my first interest was Houston,” Barkley told the Kelce Brothers. “I got to communicate with C.J. (Stroud) and a couple of those boys, but this was before when you could actually put offers on the table and talk to teams.”

Days before the legal tampering period, there were reports that Barkley was going to take the best offer he received, a sentiment he echoed on the podcast.

“I had a good bit of teams that really was like all about me coming there and with the price point being up there,” Barkley said. “I’m happy with what I was able to get and shout out to my agent and my team that worked their (expletive) off for me. . . I wanted to get what I deserved that I thought was fair for me to take care of me and my family. That’s the goal you want to get to, that second contract.”

Barkley secured his bag and is now ready to take on his former team twice per season.

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LSU’s Malik Nabers wows at pro day with Giants in attendance

With the New York Giants looking on, wide receiver Malik Nabers put on a dazzling show at LSU’s pro day.

Less than a week after the New York Giants were blown away by Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy at his pro day, LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers showed them what can bring to their sagging offense.

Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll were among the many in attendance.

Nabers displayed speed, dexterity, and overall athletic dominance in his performance at the Tigers’ pro day down in Baton Rouge.

The Giants also got a solid look at quarterback Jayden Daniels and another wideout, Brian Thomas Jr., as they continue to do their due diligence before next month’s draft.

On Tuesday night, Nabers went to dinner with the Giants’ contingent and found himself somewhat impressed by them.

Nabers made no bones about who he thinks the top wideout in this draft class is.

“I’m a dog. You can’t guard me. Anywhere I’m at, (the) defense can’t stop me, no matter if they double me,” he said on NFL Network. “I had enthusiasm because I hear a lot of shade, so it was basically saying stop playing with me I’m really like this.”

Nabers’ performance just might have jettisoned him into the top 5 in Round 1 of the draft. The Giants hold the sixth pick and they are going to be in prime position to grab one of the draft’s top players no matter who gets taken in front of them.

Chicago, Washington, and New England hold the first three picks and are expected to take a quarterback.

The Bears are rumored to favor USC’s Caleb Williams with the top selection. That leaves Daniels, UNC’s Drake Maye, and McCarthy for the Commanders and Patriots to choose from, barring a trade.

Arizona holds the fourth pick and the L.A. Chargers the fifth. They are both open for business but the fact is, one of the four quarterbacks is going to be available there as well as all three top wideouts — Nabers, Washington’s Rome Odunze, and Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State.

Let’s not forget Notre Dame’s Joe Alt, a massive franchise left tackle that teams are going to find difficult to pass up.

Nabers’ big day pushed him up the order now, which means another stud is going to slide down. Schoen will be ready.

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With Darren Waller considering retirement, Giants focusing on Plan B at TE

With the future of TE Darren Waller uncertain, the Giants are focusing on an alternative plan just in case.

The New York Giants thought they had their tight end situation solved when they traded for former Pro Bowler Darren Waller last March.

The 2023 season was not Waller’s best by far. The 31 year-old was once again felled by the injury bug, missing the better part of five games with a hamstring issue.

This season is opening with Waller still undecided on whether he will retire from football or give it one more go. As the NFL draft looms, the Giants remain in the dark.

“I talked to his agent,” general manager Joe Schoen said this week. “Darren is going to take time and make his decision. He’s still undecided. I’m not going to get into the details. I’ve talked to him. He is undecided.”

But the Giants have not exactly been sitting on their hands. They recently signed two veterans in free agency (Jack Stoll and Chris Manhertz) and appear to be preparing financially for a season without Waller.

The Giants have not met with any tight end prospects in the upcoming NFL draft as far as we know. Their tight ends room heading into camp without Waller would be Daniel Bellinger, Stoll, Manhertz, Tyree Jackson, and possibly Lawrence Cager.

Schoen did not rule out adding a tight end between now and the beginning of the season.

“We’re excited about those guys,” Schoen said of Stoll and Manhertz. “We still have the draft. We don’t play until September. You just have to be patient.”

 “There’s ways to acquire players throughout the process,” he continued. “We did it with Jason Pinnock. We got him at the final cutdown. There’s different times of the year when you can acquire players, and we’re going to give Darren his time and I’m going to keep mine and Darren’s conversations between us. But we’re looking forward to the players that are going to be there in April, and we’ll keep building.”

In the meanwhile, Waller will be given as much time as he needs to make his decision, but you know the old saying about retirement: If you’re entertaining it, you’re likely going to do it.

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Giants are ‘still progressing’ as Joe Schoen enters third season as GM

Entering Year 3 as GM, Joe Schoen says the New York Giants are “still progressing.”

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen is entering his third season at the helm of one the NFL’s most prestigious franchises and perhaps his most pivotal one.

His tenure began in 2021 with a successful 9-8 season that saw the Giants qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2016. His second season, however, did not go as well.

The Giants suffered several major injuries and the team took a nosedive under a more challenging schedule. They finished 6-11 and Schoen is drafting in the top ten again in this year’s NFL draft.

“I think we’re still progressing,” Schoen told reporters at the NFL owners meeting in Orlando on Monday. “I just looked at this the other day, the 2021 roster when I got here. I went back and looked at that. We’re always evaluating ourselves.”

 “The first offseason, what could you do to really improve the roster? We didn’t have any money (available under the salary cap), so it was (quarterback) Tyrod (Taylor), (center) Jon Feliciano, and (guard Mark) Glowinski. As I started going through the decisions we made and where we are salary cap-wise and trying to make sure we’re in good health from a salary cap standpoint building a young foundation.”

 But the NFL, even though it is designed to help struggling tams get better quickly, is still not an exact science. Schoen is learning that as he continues to tweak his roster.

“It takes time, as much as you want instant gratification, and nobody wants that more than me,” Schoen said. “I think you have to believe in the principles and in terms of how to build the team, and we’re going on our third draft. It takes time.

“When I look back at the 2021 roster and where we are now, I just think we’re heading in the right direction, and we’ll continue to head in the right direction in terms of bringing in our type of players and what we’re looking for schematically, what Dabs (coach Brian Daboll) is looking at for his offense, and we’ll keep making progress.”

The Giants have used free agency to bolster their sagging offensive line and hold the sixth overall selection in the upcoming draft. There is much debate on what, or who, they should use that pick on. Many fans want a new quarterback.

Schoen still has a good chunk of his salary cap space dedicated to the quarterback room. Daniel Jones is only in his second season of a four-year, $150 million deal and Schoen inked Drew Lock to a one-year, $5 million flyer earlier this month.

Jones is still recovering from a torn ACL that ended his season after eight games last year. He is progressing and is expected to be under center when the season begins.

“I got an update on Friday,” Schoen said. “He is running on land now. So, he’s off the Ultra-G (anti-gravity treadmill), and he is throwing. Yeah, knock on wood, no setbacks, but he is in there attacking it every day and doing a good job.”

“Every patient is different, and you can’t really predict if swelling is going to occur or if there’s a setback. He’s on the right track right now. Again, we just have to – it’s day-by-day and week-by-week. You just don’t know how he’s going to react as we ramp it up and he starts to do more. Hopefully, there’s no setbacks.”

If there are, Lock will be there to step in. Or maybe, Schoen will surprise everyone with a newer, younger alternative next month at the draft in Detroit.

Joe Schoen: Darren Waller still undecided on retirement

New York Giants TE Darren Waller has yet to make a decision.

Last offseason, the New York Giants made their biggest splash when they acquired tight end Darren Waller.

Prior to this years’ free agency period, it was the reported that Waller was considering retirement. Giants’ general manager Joe Schoen gave an update on the situation at the league meetings on Monday:

Waller, 31, would be entering his tenth year in the league and has had trouble staying healthy over the past few seasons.

Waller was underwhelming in Year 1 with the Giants. However, to be fair, the offense had a ton of injuries on the offensive line and quarterback Daniel Jones. Waller also spent time on the shelf due to injury.

With Saquon Barkley now gone, the Giants certainly need weapons on the offense, even if they select a wide receiver with their first round pick.

Waller recently said he will decide soon. As the Giants continue to wait, they are clearly respecting his time to make the decision. Just as they did with Leonard Williams, the Giants continue to have the players’ best interest in mind.

If the tight end retires, it would open up over $6 million in cap space.

With the Giants in the middle of a rebuild, it will be interesting to see if the status of the time contributes to Waller’s decision.

John Mara expected to address media at NFL annual league meeting

New York Giants CEO John Mara is expected to address the media this week.

The NFL will hold its annual meeting this week down in Orlando and New York Giants CEO John Mara is expected to formally field questions from the media for the first time in nearly a year.

Mara, once accused of being too “hands-on” and influential over the team’s direction, has basically stepped back since hiring Joe Schoen as general manager back in 2022.

NJ.com’s Darryl Slater recently wrote a piece about what subjects Mara might be probed about. They appear to range from his patience level with the current management team and coaching staff to the draft to his perception of how close the team is to contending after a 6-11 showing last season.

“The Giants last reached (and won) the Super Bowl after the 2011 season,” writes Slater. “In 12 seasons since, they have reached the playoffs twice — a one-and-done trip in 2016 and the 1-1 divisional round trip in 2022. Mara isn’t getting any younger (and probably isn’t getting any more patient). He turns 70 in December. Since that most recent Super Bowl title, the Giants have endured records of 9-7, 7-9, 6-10, 6-10, 11-5, 3-13, 5-11, 4-12, 6-10, 4-13, 9-7-1, and 6-11.

Their fans are fed up. Is Mara?”

That is a good point to ponder. Mara’s father, Wellington, viewed the fans as “customers” and even went through the fan mail personally, addressing and answering each letter and concern.

His son appears to be just as caring but the pro sports paradigm has changed vastly since those days. There is a formula for winning in the NFL now that allows the “meek” to “inherit the earth” so to speak. No team should have more than three consecutive losing seasons if they follow the formula.

The Giants veered away from that in the latter days of Jerry Reese’s stewardship and it continued through the archaic, old-school tenure of Dave Gettleman.

With Schoen still putting his stamp on the team, Mara has little choice but to sit back and see how things unfold. The Giants have a chance to draft a new quarterback and move on from Daniel Jones, of whom Mara was a chief proponent.

We’ll find out just how much faith he has in Schoen this week. Schoen’s performance in free agency has far onshore his record in the draft. He may have to outperform this year to gain Mara’s full support again.

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Giants GM Joe Schoen not in attendance at Michigan Pro Day

Giants GM Joe Schoen did not attend Michigan’s Pro Day on Friday.

It was previously reported that New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen would be in attendance at Michigan’s Pro Day on Friday. However, at the time of the event, it appears that Schoen is not in attendance after all.

According to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll skipped the pro day and instead, according to Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com, quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator Shea Tierney and assistant general manager Brandon Brown are attending.

Some may see this as the Giants backing off from top QB prospect J.J. McCarthy, but that’s probably not the case.

The Giants recently hosted McCarthy as one of their top-30 visits, so Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have already spoken with him and witnessed what he could do at the NFL Combine.

Sending Brown and Tierney is about having more eyes on McCarthy. Tierney needs to see what he might be working with in the quarterbacks arena, and Brown is there to provide notes and another perspective on the Michigan signal-caller.

Giants fans and football analysts will turn this into more drama around a team that’s struggling to find its identity. But in all likelihood, Schoen’s absence from this pro day has no underlying meaning at all.

The more eyes a team has on a draft prospect, the easier it will be to piece together his potential future with the team.

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Giants agree to terms with WR Isaiah Hodgins

The New York Giants are re-signing wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins after opting not to tender him earlier in free agency.

The New York Giants announced on Thursday evening that they have agreed to terms with wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins.

The Giants did not tender Hodgins, who was a restricted free agent, when the new league year opened. The tender would have cost them $3 million and now they get him back at a much cheaper price.

Hodgins came over from the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad during the 2022-2023 season. He was impressive down the stretch and into the playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Hodgins appeared in eight games in his first season with Big Blue, hauling in 33 catches and four touchdowns. He regressed in 2023, like most of the Giants’ roster, catching just 21 balls for three touchdowns while playing in all 17 games.

Hodgins will rejoin familiar faces Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt in the wide receiver room. He provides a reliable set of hands Daniel Jones and adds familiar depth to the wide reviving corps.

With wide receiver very much in play in the 2024 NFL draft, Hodgins may slide further down in the depth chart following the draft. However, with a weak free agent class at wide receiver and the Giants in desperate need of bodies at the position, the move to bring Hodges back is a no-brainer.

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Giants GM Joe Schoen will scout Michigan Pro Day

New York Giants GM Joe Schoen will be on hand at the Michigan Pro Day on Friday where QB J.J. McCarthy is expected to participate.

Editor’s note: Joe Schoen ultimately did not attend Michigan’s Pro Day despite earlier reports.

The New York Giants are in the middle of a crucial offseason with the 2024 NFL draft right around the corner.

Several recent reports have linked the Giants to quarterbacks at the top of the draft, which would likely be a trade-up scenario for general manager Joe Schoen.

One of the quarterbacks the Giants have been most connected to is Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. With Michigan’s Pro Day set for Friday, Schoen will be in attendance.

In addition to the Pro Day, the Giants will also host McCarthy for a top-30 visit.

While Schoen may eye others at Michigan’s Pro Day, the links between McCarthy and the Giants will have everyone’s attention.

McCarthy has been climbing draft boards and could still be available after the top three teams pick — all of whom are expected to be quarterbacks.

However, with the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers not eyeing a quarterback, the Giants could be jumped by another team trading up to take McCarthy at pick No. 4 or No. 5.

Schoen needs to be prepared for all options entering the draft which is why he has explored both trade-up and trade-down scenarios.

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