It would’ve been nice to see the Giants make a patented “win-now” move ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. Standing pat doesn’t mean it still can’t happen, though.
We know general manager Joe Schoen, head coach Brian Daboll, and the new regime are on a mission to change New York’s culture. A welcome change for everyone has been watching the Giants finding ways to win instead of finding ways to lose.
Despite laying an egg in Week 8 on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, everyone would sign up for a 6-2 squad heading into the Giants’ bye week. Schoen was realistic and matter-of-fact when discussing why he didn’t make a big move to supplement the Giants’ roster, and it’s easy to see why.
Schoen has had to clean up plenty since taking over for Dave Gettleman. That process is ongoing, and he didn’t want to mortgage New York’s future because they’ve outperformed expectations so far in 2022. One of the things on Schoen’s to-do list during the bye week, though? That’d be handling some financial stuff, including contract situations. That includes possible extensions for two of New York’s most prominent offensive weapons: quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.
Here’s what he had to say about potentially making some progress on that front (quote via Giantswire):
We’ll have those meetings this week. We’ll talk about it if we want to (do something). We had to get through the trade deadline today and those conversations. We’ll kind of circle up with some strategy meetings as we move forward on contract extensions and if we may or may not do anybody. If I did, this would be the week. I would want to entertain it during the bye week, and then I probably won’t do anything after that. I don’t want anything to be a distraction to the players or organization. So, if we do something, it would be probably before Monday with any of our guys.
Both Jones and Barkley are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents this spring. Their current levels of production are putting New York in a bit of a sticky situation if the organization wants to retain both beyond 2022. It’s certainly a good problem to have. With nine games left in the regular season, that impending scenario is probably why Schoen wants to start talking about it now — even if it’s just to get everyone on the same page before the offseason.
It’s not just those two the Giants potentially want to build around, though:
… and supplement some in free agency. You get started building it the right way, bringing in our type of guys. Yeah, I'm excited about the future."
— GiantsWFAN (@giantswfan) November 2, 2022
Can New York actually retain all of these players? It’s probably unlikely, but this is the kind of mindset any fan wants their favorite team’s general manager to have. While the Giants’ roster needs some work, it’s not like this squad has no talent. Schoen has recognized that and wants to build Big Blue’s next competitive team around those guys.
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
