There actually hasn’t been a lot doubt as as to if Daniel Jones goes to start the season because the New York Giants beginning quarterback. Nonetheless, if there have been any lingering questions, Brian Daboll threw some chilly water on them.
In an interview with NFL Community’s Tom Pelissero, Daboll reaffirmed that Jones was “the man.”
“We’re excited to have Drew (Lock), and he is aware of what his position goes to be,” Daboll mentioned. “He’s going to get lots of reps this spring, he must be taught our system, however once more, excited to get Daniel again. When he will get again he’ll be the man.”
With how the offseason has performed out for the Giants, this isn’t precisely information. It’s already been reported that when the workforce met with Russell Wilson, they made it identified that he wasn’t going to be handed the beginning job. Lock has additionally mentioned since becoming a member of the workforce that it’s clearly been conveyed to him that Jones is the starter.
Previous to Jones’ ACL damage final season, he was having a tough go of it, as was the Giants’ offense as an entire. Though Jones was finishing 67.5 % of his throws, he was averaging simply 5.7 yards per go try and threw solely two touchdowns to 6 interceptions.
It was simply final offseason that the Giants and Jones agreed to a brand new four-year deal price $160 million, together with $82 million paid out over the primary two seasons.
This was on the heels of a 2022 season the place Jones accomplished 67 % of his passes, throwing for 3,642 yards with 17 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. He additionally rushed for 805 yards and 7 scores.
With Pelissero, Daboll added that they don’t but know if Jones will likely be accessible for Week 1, and due to that, emphasised the significance of Lock choosing up the offense rapidly.
Though the beginning job belongs to Jones as soon as he’s wholesome, the Giants want him to carry out higher upon his return than what he did final season.
Nonetheless, simply because he’s starting the season because the starter doesn’t imply he’s going to complete the 12 months in that capability – -especially with Daboll in a little bit of a prove-it 12 months. He has to win video games now.
To a level, there may be some uncertainty round Jones and what to anticipate when he’s again on the sphere. It’s for that reason that the Giants very properly could possibly be within the quarterback market within the draft. The query is: to what diploma?
As I wrote about lately, I don’t anticipate the Giants to commerce as much as the No. 4 choose to take one of many prime quarterbacks. After all, if Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy — each of whom have visited the Giants as a part of the pre-draft course of — had been to fall to No. 6, that’s a totally totally different story and would take away the knowledge of the beginning quarterback job belonging to Jones.
With that mentioned, the secure wager is that the highest 4 quarterbacks will likely be off the board by the point the Giants are on the clock, and New York will be capable to deal with their want at receiver.
Maybe then they use a Day 2 or early Day 3 choose on the quarterback place, with Tulane’s Michael Pratt and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler being two developmental choices.
Whereas Jones’ new contract didn’t go into power all that way back, the Giants are capable of get out of it after this season. Doing so would require them to tackle a dead-cap hit of $22.2 million for the 2025 season, however it could additionally create $19.3 million in cap area.
That is simply another excuse why quarterback isn’t out of the query for the Giants on this 12 months’s draft, even with the continued agency dedication to Jones.
