Can Giants Get the Best Version of Daniel Jones?

We begin looking at some of the most pressing questions across the Giants' 2022 training camp roster, starting with the quarterbacks.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Jun 10, 2022 1:38 PM EDT

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New York Giants

The New York Giants and quarterback Daniel Jones need each other.

Think about it for a minute. If Jones, whom the team plucked with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, doesn't pan out, the Giants will have to start from scratch at the position, possibly even needing to trade away a king's ransom to land their next franchise quarterback.

But such is where things are with Jones, the former Duke signal-caller, who has had every possible obstacle thrown his way, including some brought about by his own doing.

The Giants' failures to Jones are well documented by now--the lack of a solid offensive line, instability in the coaching, micromanagement of the quarterback's play, and the constant drilling into his head to be careful with the ball in his hands.

There has also been Jones's recklessness as a runner, no doubt a result of him feeling a need to make plays with the ball in his hand when those around him failed to do so.

That "recklessness" has led to Jones missing games every season he's been in Giants blue, including the season-high six he missed last year due to a sprained neck.

Yet there stands Jones, with his Eli Manning-like resolve in which nothing bothers him (at least outwardly), determined to be the leader for this Giants team and to show he can be a winning quarterback.

But can he? The new Giants leadership brass of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll--both of whom were not here when Jones was drafted--have echoed Giants co-owner John Mara's belief that he can.

But they also know they have to give Jones much more help than he's received.

That's what they have done so far. Schoen upgraded the offensive line with a mixture of graybeards and youth.

RELATED: Daniel Jones Offers Update on Progress in Giants' New Offense

Daboll and Kafka have incorporated a modernized offense with a very heavy Buffalo flavor designed to give Jones advantages he might not have had in recent times. Those advantages include more pre-snap motion and shorter, quicker throws with a few deep balls sprinkled in.

"I like it," Jones said of the offense. "I think it, you know, gives us the ability to put a lot of different guys in different spots that kind of cater to their skillsets and allow them to do what they're best at. I think it's pretty versatile that way, and there are tons of different concepts. There are a lot of moving parts trying to keep the defense on their heels."

To help Jones transition from last year's system into this year's with as few bumps as possible, the team brought in Davis Webb, who played in it when he and Daboll were in Buffalo.

"It's been extremely helpful to have him," Jones said, agreeing that Webb's presence has helped him expedite his learning of the offense. "He's a super-smart guy who has a lot of experience in this offense. So to have him in the room to answer questions, to give suggestions, and help me think through things has been awesome."

Jones, cleared for contact, has looked at home in the new offense so far. But perhaps the mental aspect is the most significant obstacle the Giants and Jones need to overcome if the quarterback, whose option year was declined, is to have a long-term future in Giants blue.

Jones, for as tough as he has been, had regressed from being something of a gunslinger in his rookie season when he threw for a career-high 3,027 yards and 24 touchdowns to an overly cautious player, a sentiment former teammate Golden Tate shares.

"I think he has all the tools to be successful for a long time," Tate recently said on NFL Total Access. "He's tough as nails. He can make every throw. He can run. He's very, very smart, as we know.

"I just think they need to let him loose. I feel like when I was there, we got caught up in trying to tell him what decisions to make instead of letting him play ball."

That's precisely what Daboll and company have been looking to do. They have encouraged the quarterback to throw caution to the wind in practice and attempt throws that he might have been encouraged to avoid in the past so that they can all learn what Jones is truly capable of doing.

So far, the returns have been encouraging.

"Yeah, made progress. That's what we've asked him to do," Daboll said. "He's really studied. You know, it's different. He's opened up a good amount here."

Kafka agreed.

"The amount of installs we're giving these guys, the plays, the load that we're going to give our players as far as install-wise, he's absorbing it, and he's able to spit it back out, get guys fixed and cleaned up on the field," he said.

"Those are things I'm looking at out of the gate."

While things are looking up, it's also important to remember that there is only so much the coaches can do to simulate a pass rush, which will be the real test Jones must pass.

The hope is that the foundation, which had to be rebuilt from scratch much like the rest o the team, is sturdy enough so that Jones finally delivers on his draft pedigree.

And if he can't, it will probably be another long season for Giants fans.