Mike Lombardi sees a storm on the horizon for the Giants.
The former NFL general manager has serious concerns about Big Blue’s culture given how the offseason has unfolded. The combination of quarterback Daniel Jones’ payday and ongoing contract situations with running back Saquon Barkley and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence have created a dangerous dynamic, Lombardi said on his “GM Shuffle” podcast.
“I think the bigger issue here is this is more about Pat Riley’s ‘The Disease of Me,’” he said. “This is the challenge that Brian Daboll has, and he should have known it the minute he walked off the field in Philadelphia when he got his ass kicked by the Eagles.”
There are many layers to the “Disease,” which the former Knicks coach says is a phenomenon that hits successful teams, particularly ones that experience sudden or unexpected success. Lombardi posits Barkley and Lawrence (and maybe other players) are now feeling under-appreciated after Jones cashed in following last season’s playoff run and they did not.
“Everybody in that locker room knows the reason they won wasn’t because of Daniel Jones,” Lombardi said. “He had something to do with it, but he didn’t carry the team. The players know this. You can’t con the players. They know this. And so there it is. … This is what happens.”
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A counter-argument: Of course the Giants paid the quarterback. They had no choice, really. Barkley and his camp clearly botched his situation and now have to play on the franchise tag. Lawrence’s big money extension is coming any day now. And things may not be all that bad.
Lombardi is not buying that, though. He sees a real issue. And one Daboll had better fix as soon as possible.
“They didn’t win enough and they’re not good enough as a team to be able to kind of go through this,” Lombardi said. “They didn’t win a championship. They won nine frickin’ games and beat a sh–ty Minnesota team and got their ass kicked. They’re not good enough to have the ‘Disease of Me.’”
James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.
