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New York Giants Reader Mailbag: Making Sense of Daniel Jones's Situation

Answering your New York Giants-related questions.

This week we received a really good one from Charlie H. about Daniel Jones, so let's dive right in...


(From Charlie H.) Reporters seem to be saying that unless Jones has a magnificent season and clearly shows he is a franchise quarterback, the Giants will have to move away from him in 2023.

But suppose he shows improvement and has a very good season, and the Giants get in the neighborhood of nine wins. With that kind of season, another solid draft, and a lot more cap room, the Giants should be looking to finally get back to being a solid contender.

I understand Jones does not want to commit to a long-term deal in the $40M range. Why not try to sign him for a two-year, prove it at around $20-25 million rather than spending significant draft capital on an unknown rookie?

My thought is that there has been so much confusion over the last three years about the quality of the O-line, injuries to Saquon and the receivers, and team strength in general. Why make a final decision after just one year of getting things together?

From Daniel's perspective, I don't think other teams would be willing to spend big on him either, So why leave a team that is just starting to see daylight and where he could become the franchise quarterback? Why not settle for another year or two and still have the opportunity for a big contract down the road?

Looking at the average annual salary of QBs. There seem to be three tiers:

1- True Franchise QBs ... the top 10 with salaries between $35M and $45M

2- Middle Tier QBs like Goff, Wentz, Tannehill, Ryan, and Winston are between $15M and $30M

3- Top QBs still on their rookie contracts

If the Giants paid Jones in that 2nd tier and did not renew Saquon, they would still have good cap space to continue building. What do you think?

Thanks for the letter, Charlie. Let me take each segment/question as you presented it, as I will try to shed some more clarity on things as they currently stand.

But suppose he shows improvement and has a very good season, and the Giants get in the neighborhood of nine wins. With that kind of season, another solid draft, and a lot more cap room, the Giants should be looking to finally get back to being a solid contender.

You forget a few things here. First, it takes two sides to make a contract. Let's say Jones balls out, and the Giants try to low-ball him. What's to stop Jones from pulling a Kirk Cousins and taking a one-year gamble on himself to bolster a potential payday with another team or the Giants?

Second, the Giant might have a lot of cap space right now, but they also still have a few needs to address, and I could easily see that cap space being consumed quickly to where it doesn't make sense to give Jones market value (which might be what he tries to get if he balls out). I would not give him full market value based on one year of a solid showing.

Why not try to sign him for a two-year term and prove it at around $20-25 million rather than spend significant draft capital on an unknown rookie?

Totally agree with this, and I could see a scenario where Jones gets a deal similar to what Derek Carr got in Las Vegas.

From Daniel's perspective, I don't think other teams would be willing to spend big on him either, So why leave a team that is just starting to see daylight and where he could become the franchise quarterback? Why not settle for another year or two and still have the opportunity for a big contract down the road?

Don't be so sure that other teams wouldn't be interested in him. While I do think the odds are in his favor of staying with the Giants if everything falls into place, if Jones balls out--yes, a big if at this point--who's to say there won't be another team that is a quarterback away doesn't come and try to drive up the price? Again, it's a long shot, but we can't rule anything out right now.

I think people are suggesting the Giants move away from Daniel because this regime has no ties to him. If he does not fit what this coaching staff wants, wouldn't it make sense to start from scratch with a young quarterback who can be groomed to what the staff wants? I don't think you should be afraid of bringing a rookie in, not if he fits 95% or more of what the team wants.

You mention rebuilding. If the Giants are in rebuild mode, which I think they are, you start over with a new quarterback on a rookie deal and put him behind a solidified offensive line. One of the things I've been screaming about regarding the Giants' approach over the last few years is they didn't properly prepare for the transition to a new quarterback, and it cost them valuable time.

Joe Schoen seems to understand that you need t have a solid offensive line in place and stability in the playmakers and the scheme. So who's to say a rookie coming in--if one does come in--wouldn't flourish after sitting for a while behind Tyrod Taylor? 


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