Tag: Joe Schoen

Where the Giants stand entering the 2024 NFL draft

With no more roster moves likely before the 2024 NFL draft, this is where the New York Giants stand and what they need.

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has a long list of needs heading into the 2024 NFL draft and only six selections to address them with.

Looking at the Giants’ depth chart, their most glaring needs are, in order, defensive back, outside wide receiver, and offensive line.

They might also be looking for tight end help if Darren Waller decides to retire.

The defensive backfield is in flux after losing star safety Xavier McKinney to the Green Bay Packers in free agency last month and choosing to wait out veteran free agent cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, who remains unsigned.

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The Giants currently have last year’s top pick, Deonte Banks, and Nick McCloud as their starting corners with Cor’Dale Flott in the slot. Jason Pinnock and recently signed Jalen Mills are penciled in at safety.

That’s not a very steady group from the outside looking in even if they do have a bit of depth with players such as Dane Belton, Darnay Holmes, and Tre Hawkins III.

Unfortunately, none of the secondary prospects in this year’s class are worthy of the No. 6 pick, which the Giants happen to hold. They might have to find some help on Days 2 and 3.

The Giants have a crowded wide receiver room, but as we know, quantity is no substitute for quality. Sure, they have Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt, Wan’Dale Robinson, Isaiah Hodgins, and Isaiah McKenzie but none of those can be considered a “No. 1.”

Here’s where they’re lucky. Unless Schoen makes a move up to grab a quarterback, or back to acquire more draft capital, he should be able to land one of this year’s top three prospects.

One or more of the three — Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State, LSU’s Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze of Washington — should be available at No. 6 for Schoen to snap up.

Schoen spent some of his available salary cap space on the offensive line, signing several interior linemen: Jon Runyan Jr., Jermaine Eluemunor, Aaron Stinnie, and Austin Schlottmann.

Eluemunor can also play right tackle and will be seen as insurance should Evan Neal falter again.

Again, keep an eye on the tight end situation but Schoen has addressed the depth there by signing veterans Chris Manhertz and Jack Stoll in free agency.

The defensive line could use some competition as well, but keep in mind, that Schoen recently inked veteran Jordan Phillips in free agency to bolster the rotation.

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Ex-NFL GM Rick Spielman believes Giants will stick with Daniel Jones

Former NFL GM Rick Spielman believes the New York Giants will pass on a QB in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL draft and stick with Daniel Jones.

Will the New York Giants select a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft?

That’s a question no one can answer with any level of certainty at the moment but it hasn’t stopped most analysts from mocking a Daniel Jones replacement to Big Blue in their pre-draft projections.

However, former NFL general manager Rick Spielman sees fault in that line of thinking. Despite the noise, he doesn’t believe the Giants will go quarterback in Round 1 because the current regime has already hitched their wagon to Jones.

“At number six, you’re going to get a significant player,” Spielman said. “Assuming Daniel Jones is healthy they have to go with him. If he struggles, maybe Drew Lock comes in. . . but they won’t address the quarterback need in the first round this year.

“You still have to give Daniel Jones a chance, and maybe he can emulate what he did the first year he was under (Brian) Daboll and the success that he had to get that kind of contract. So to me, it makes no sense that people are talking about them looking at number six and a quarterback right now because there’s a significant player that’s going to be there that will help them win this year.”

The flaw in Spielman’s stance is that Giants co-owner John Mara has already given general manager Joe Schoen a stamp of approval if he decides to draft a quarterback. It’s something that Mara has even acknowledged publicly.

Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean Schoen will draft a quarterback. He’s certainly under no pressure to do so, as he outlined during his pre-draft press conference earlier this week.

“I think with Drew’s experience. . .  with Daniel’s experience and what Tommy (DeVito) did last year,” Schoen said, “I think we could go into the season with the three that we have and I’d be comfortable with that.”

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Giants haven’t talked contract extension for Darius Slayton

New York Giants GM Joe Schoen says the team has not discussed a contract extension for WR Darius Slayton, who is currently skipping workouts.

The New York Giants selected wide receiver Darius Slayton in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft. He entered the league with a lot of hype around his potential.

Slayton performed well enough under his rookie contract to earn a two-year extension worth $12.2 million, of which he will earn $6.2 million in 2024.

But Slayton isn’t in attendance for voluntary workouts, instead choosing not to report while he seeks another payday. That, of course, has led to questions about Slayton being present for other workouts and what his status for the season might look like.

Giants general manager Joe Schoen was asked about Slayton’s absence during his pre-draft press conference on Thursday and whether or not it changes how he views the roster.

“That doesn’t change anything,” Shoen said. “These are voluntary workouts. There’s been players since I’ve been here that haven’t been here, and I understand that. I love Darius.

“Michael Perrett is his agent. He’s a very good friend of mine. I understand where he’s coming from, and that’s his prerogative to not be here. They are voluntary workouts, so that’s understood.”

Slayton was the Giants’ most productive receiver in 2023. He recorded 50 receptions for 770 yards and four touchdowns. He led the receiving corps. with those numbers and was responsible for the longest pass play of the season.

That Slayton thinks he deserves more money isn’t all that crazy when you consider the numbers he put up with three different quarterbacks and a league-worst offensive line.

Still, the Giants have not (yet?) entertained the idea of extending his contract.

“We haven’t had conversations about any type of extension,” Schoen said.

Slayton has $350,000 available in workout bonuses this spring but may be willing to miss out on those in hopes of obtaining more money.

Let’s also remember something very important that Schoen said: These workouts are voluntary.

There are no consequences for missing these workouts, other than the implications on the field from missing time with teammates. Should he hold out from mandatory workouts, things will look different.

Schoen also continues to be mum on the Darren Waller situation. The Giants seem content to let him take his time deciding if he’s going to retire and have not said anything about giving him a deadline.

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Giants haven’t given Darren Waller a deadline for his retirement decision

The New York Giants are giving TE Darren Waller some “space” and haven’t requested that a retirement decision be made by a certain date.

The 2024 NFL draft is less than a week away and the New York Giants still don’t know what they’re going to have at the tight end position.

Veteran Darren Waller, who is skipping the team’s voluntary offseason workout program, has not yet decided his future and appears no closer to doing so. Despite that, the Giants have put no pressure on him to reach a conclusion.

“We’re giving Darren his space. We’ve had conversations with Drew Rosenhaus, his agent. He’s kept us in the loop on Darren. We’re giving him his space. Hopefully, he’s going to make a de in the short term, but we’re giving him time and space to make a decision on what he wants to do,” general manager Joe Schoen told reporters on Thursday.

“We haven’t given him a deadline.”

Waller recently revealed that he’s unsure if he can commit 100 percent to the game of football, which would seem to indicate that one foot is already out the door.

“I have to make a decision at some point,” Waller told The Athletic in early April. “You have to be 100 percent bought in, for the grind. And I have to make sure I am bringing that to the table, or it’s a disservice to the guys I am suiting up with.

“I also want to give the team time, where whichever way I go, they can prepare for next season. So … it’s a little bit of a difficult decision, but here we are.”

Although the Giants are being remarkably patient with Waller, who they acquired in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders last year, it would benefit them to know his plans ahead of the draft.

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Giants’ Joe Schoen expertly avoids tipping hand ahead of 2024 NFL draft

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen held a pre-draft press conference on Thursday and expertly avoided tipping his hand.

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has only been on the job three springs, but he has already mastered the art of saying a lot of words without divulging very much.

With the 2024 NFL draft just one week away, Schoen held a press conference with the Giants’ beat pool on Thursday, and while talking frankly, avoided tipping his hand regarding his plans.

“There is plenty of mystery surrounding the Giants, and most of that has to do with the quarterback position — will they or won’t they take one: early, later or — gasp! — not at all? We just don’t know for sure,” writes veteran Giants beat reporter Art Stapleton, who touched on how Schoen has kept everyone off balance.

Trade up. Trade down. Stay put. Quarterback. Wide receiver. Pull off a surprise.

It’s all on the table, and the ability to keep his options open has revealed itself as one of Schoen’s greatest strengths this time of year. He’s keeping people guessing, and sometimes that is very hard to do.

For years, the Giants were very easy to read in the NFL Draft. Secrets got out. Plans were wrecked because of that.

That’s no longer the case with Schoen running the operation.

That is a good thing for the Giants’ organization, but not so good for the minions who are seeking any light on what the team might do. The media also remains perplexed, left to speculate like in some parlor game.

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Giants’ Joe Schoen ‘surprised’ by number of inquiries for 6th pick

New York Giants GM Joe Schoen says he’s received an abundance of calls regarding the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen held his annual pre-draft session with the media on Thursday morning and had a few updates about the team’s plans.

One tidbit Schoen did reveal was the increased interest of the No. 6 overall selection in the draft from other teams.

Schoen has the pleasure/misfortune of holding that No. 6 selection, which is likely too far down in the order to select the quarterback of his choice and too far up in the order to take the cornerback or safety they need.

They are in an excellent position, however, to take one of the top wide receivers in the draft, which in most experts’ eyes would be far from a consolation prize.

Schoen sent mixed messages on that plan as well, saying the draft is a very deep one for receivers.

Schoen also admitted the team hasn’t finalized its draft board as of yet and will continue to check in with other teams right up until draft day.

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Giants’ Joe Schoen on alleged buyer’s remorse over Daniel Jones: ‘Not true’

New York Giants GM Joe Schoen says the report suggesting he has buyer’s remorse over QB Daniel Jones is simply “not true.”

In early March, Rich Eisen stirred the pot by sharing some rumors that had been whispered in his ear suggesting the New York Giants and general manager Joe Schoen had buyer’s remorse after giving quarterback Daniel Jones a long-term contract.

“The Giants are absolutely done with Daniel Jones,” Eisen said on The Rich Eisen Show. “Done. Might have to play him this year but that ain’t it. . . The words I heard at the Combine multiple times were ‘buyer’s remorse.'”

Eisen later cautioned that he could be “way off” on what he was hearing.

“I may be way off and this may be patently unfair,” he added.

On Thursday during his pre-draft press conference, Schoen agreed that Eisen was way off and that his shared rumor was patently false.

“I’m still confident in Daniel — the way he’s wired (and) what he showed in 2022,” Schoen told reporters. “There’s stuff out there all the time that’s not true and you really can’t let it bother you.

“I’ve got a good relationship with Daniel and we communicate all the time. Again, he’s here all the time. . . We’ve got a good relationship and we communicate well. If he has an issue or he hears something or (there’s) something that I need to talk to him about, we do that often.”

Asked point-blank to rebuff the Eisen “report,” Schoen spelled it out bluntly.

“That was not true,” he said.

Schoen also admitted that he’s under no pressure to select a quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft, whether in the first round or later down the line. After signing veteran Drew Lock in free agency to back up Jones, Schoen said he’d be confident going into the regular season with the quarterback room that’s already been established within the building.

“I think with Drew’s experience. . .  with Daniel’s experience and what Tommy (DeVito) did last year,” Schoen said, “I think we could go into the season with the three that we have and I’d be comfortable with that.”

Schoen’s expectations remain that Jones will return in time for training camp and start under center come Week 1.

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Giants’ Joe Schoen on poor offensive line: ‘You can’t run a play’

New York Giants GM Joe Schoen laments the “almost embarrassing” OL play that crippled QB Daniel Jones in 2023: “You can’t run a play.”

The New York Giants surrendered 85 sacks in 2023, the second-worst number in NFL history. Many of those came through the interior, where the guard-center combination allowed more sacks than the entire five-man units of 20 other teams.

All three of the team’s quarterbacks — Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito — suffered injuries as a result of the porous offensive line.

It was “almost embarrassing,” general manager Joe Schoen says in retrospect. And it made it nearly impossible to get a feel for what Jones was capable of.

“You’re facing a Micah Parsons; we played San Francisco last year on a short week and you’re facing that D-line. Those are real problems,” Schoen told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. “You got to face those guys. The ability to get after the quarterback and protect the quarterback is where it all starts. To get those premium positions, you have to be picking high or pay a premium to go get them as you’re building it.

“It was almost embarrassing the way we played on the offensive line. You can’t run a play. You really can’t get a true feel for Daniel when he’s on his back every play. There’s definitely a concerted effort to upgrade (the trenches).”

Giants fans may not want to hear it, but that’s a reality. And it’s why Schoen spent the early parts of free agency addressing the line, signing the likes of Jermaine Eluemunor, Jon Runyan Jr. and others.

It’s also why Schoen is more open to selecting a non-quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft than many assume. Needs are abundant, and no rookie quarterback is going to fix these problems, assuming he could even survive the beating if the offensive line doesn’t improve drastically.

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Giants’ Joe Schoen: People assume we’re going QB but we have other needs

New York Giants GM Joe Schoen says everyone assumes they’re going QB in the 2024 NFL draft but points out they have many other needs.

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen is aware of the rumors and speculation surrounding the team ahead of the 2024 NFL draft. His finger is on the pulse and he recognizes that most assume they’ll pull the trigger on a quarterback.

And maybe they will, but it’s far from a lock.

Speaking with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer this week, Schoen suggested that everyone’s assumptions about the quarterback position could be wrong. After all, the Giants have several other pressing needs they must address.

“We don’t wanna be up here again — we don’t want to be picking in the top 10,” Schoen said. “We have multiple needs. We are going into Year 3. People assume we’re going quarterback, but we have other needs. If the quarterbacks go 1-4, then we’re getting the second-best position player, not quarterback, at six, which is O.K., too. That player will really help us. Even last year, our quarterback coach was at the C.J. Stroud workout. We spent a lot of time with Will Levis, Anthony Richardson.”

Schoen has been transparent about meeting with prospects. Sometimes it’s more about eliminating a player from the draft board as opposed to positioning them on it. The third-year GM also admits to playing the long game and meeting with prospects who may be opponents down the line.

“We still spend time with those guys,” he said. “It’s not just for right now, but when they become free agents. Brian Burns, we spent a lot of time with him in the draft process, so you feel comfortable making a trade for a guy. Drew Lock, too. Sam Darnold, we spent a ton of time with because that was the Josh draft.”

Whatever the Giants plan on doing at the upcoming draft, Schoen doesn’t want to tip his hand. He could be playing a cat-and-mouse game or he could just be being honest.

Either way, the Giants don’t seem as desperate to draft a quarterback as the groundswell of outside noise would have you believe.

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Eagles’ Parris Campbell confident he can prove Giants wrong

Parris Campbell is confident he can prove the New York Giants wrong and believes a “fair shake” in Philly will rekindle his career.

Last offseason, when the New York Giants had a glaring need at the wide receiver position, they signed Parris Campbell, among others.

Campbell, who inked a one-year deal, was extremely underwhelming during his time in a Giants uniform.

Fast forward to this offseason and Campbell signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, joining his former Giants teammate Saquon Barkley in the City of Brotherly Love.

Barkley and Campbell will now play the Giants twice a year and will look to stick it to their former team. In fact, Campbell is confident he can do just that.

“Being able to go in and really carve out a role for myself, getting a fair shake and just kind of going from there, I’ll take my chances any day of the week,” Campbell told NFL Network. “I’m confident in the player that I am.”

Campbell will be joining a better offense in Philly than the one led by a revolving door at quarterback and many injuries along the offensive line with the Giants last season.

Talent-wise, Campbell was much closer to the caliber of receivers that are currently on the Giants’ roster and it’s going to be much harder to get his desired target share in Philly.

Perhaps a change of scenery with more structure will be exactly what Campbell needs. However, clearly, Campbell proving his worth with the Eagles is a risk Joe Schoen and company were willing to take.

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