The Giants have a crucial offseason ahead of them after a surprise trip to the NFL Playoffs. What they eventually do with two players will ultimately shape how the rest of their offseason goes. But when it comes down to quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley, New York’s signal-caller is the priority for general manager Joe Schoen.
It’s not hard to see why. Jones’ deal — whether it’s a multi-year pact or the franchise tag — will be for much more money than Barkley’s eventual contract. Plus, there have been reports out there plainly stating the Giants are prioritizing Jones over Barkley.
WFAN’s Craig Carton is wondering why Big Blue is thinking about this at all, though. Especially when there are other proven quarterbacks available. You know, like Derek Carr — the guy who just had a free-agent visit with the Jets. Here were some of his thoughts on the topic (via WFAN):
What I don’t understand while the New York Jets rightfully so are hot and heavy on Derek Carr, if not Aaron Rodgers, the New York Giants don’t have a legitimate, proven franchise quarterback. He had a good year, he didn’t have a great year, he had a good year, a good year that gives you promise that he might get better if you give him a better line, more weapons, etcetera, etcetera.
But if I’m gonna commit…in the neighborhood of $190 million, I’d rather spend that money on Derek Carr. That’s a no-brainer to me.
After he laughed off Jones’ reported demands recently, you knew a take like this was coming.
I would disagree with it a little bit, though. Nobody was expecting anything noteworthy from Daniel Jones this past season. Some of his statistics don’t jump off the page, but that’s understandable when you see the wide receiver room he was working with. He still set more than one franchise quarterback record thanks to his play.
And sure, things fell flat against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round, but his performance against the Minnesota Vikings during Wild Card Weekend opened plenty of eyes. Is that worth the reported $45 million salary his representation is seeking in negotiations with the Giants? Probably not. But then again, what’s going on between his camp and New York is how negotiations work.
Carr has proven to be a solid quarterback during his NFL career. However, the Giants might’ve unlocked Jones’ growth and potential (thanks to Brian Daboll). It would be silly to sign someone else after finally seeing it come to fruition after four years in the league. Even if they can’t agree on a multi-year deal and have to settle for a franchise tag. Heck, especially if that’s the case.
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
