Why New York Giants Must Start Over at Quarterback
The New York Giants gave quarterback Daniel Jones a $160 million contract last offseason after leading the team to the playoffs. Jones and the Giants went 6-11 the following season after suffering multiple injuries to key players, including Jones, who only played six games this season thanks to his second neck injury in three years and a torn ACL that now has people wondering if the athleticism he showed as a runner that was such a key part of his game might be compromised moving forward.
Injuries aside, Jones's inability to achieve consistency has many at Giants nation clamoring for a new quarterback, the belief being that head coach Brian Daboll, who is already on the hot seat as he enters Year 3, will not only get a reprieve since he'd be tasked to develop a new quarterback, but he'd also solidify his ground in that the quarterback would be one he was personally involved in selecting rather than one he inherited
Bob Glauber, a retired columnist from Newsday and current Pro Football Hall of Fame voter, believes this is how the Giants should proceed with the position.
"I think the answer is, in this case, yes, Glauber told the Locked On Giants podcast. "Brian Daboll already did it with Josh Allen in Buffalo, and he kind of helped build him from the ground up.
"We've already seen an example of him being able to do that. I think he got the most out of Daniel Jones at the perfect time for Jones, and he cashed in, right? But is that the best for this franchise moving forward?"
Glauber says the Giants need to take a good long look in the mirror rather than keep riding a ship that, while offering a spark of hope in 2022, hasn't been successful since Jones was drafted sixth overall in 2019.
Daniel Jones
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
"I think the Giants will take a very honest look at trying to get a quarterback, particularly in the draft, that they can say, 'you know what, this is Brian Daboll's guy. We're going to go with this.' And then he gets the benefit of some more time," Glauber said. "It's pretty good that he gets to year three. We haven't seen that from a Giants coach since Tom Coughlin left. So that's a promising start.
"And (team co-owner) John Mara--I know he does not want this coaching turnover. He knows it's not the formula for success in the NFL. So you've got to have stability at the head coaching position and general manager. And you've also got to get it right with the quarterback. I'm just not sold that Daniel Jones is that guy that Brian Daboll can win a championship with."
Glauber agreed that circumstances beyond Jones's control haven't exactly worked in his favor, but when he did have favorable circumstances--which, by the way, aren't assured every snap, every game, or every season--the magic wasn't consistent.
And because things won't always be perfect, there has to be a point where one draws a line in the sand and realizes that they are spinning their wheels in waiting for something to happen that just might never come to fruition, which in this case, is Jones overcoming the circumstances piling up against him.
"I think you can make a case that he hasn't had the benefit of good offensive line play for most of his career," Glauber said. "And when he did, he kind of made the most of it. Brian Daboll took advantage of Daniel Jones's skill set, the running, and the passing, as well as anyone had done, except for the early part of that first year with Daniel Jones. And that was just lightning in a bottle that didn't last."
"So, yes, you can argue that because he didn't have a big-time receiver, because his offensive line play was inconsistent, because (running back Saquon) Barkley had been banged up for several years, he struggled. It's all tied in. I get it. But I'm talking about sometimes it's like so much has to go right for Daniel Jones to be at his best, and it's not always going to go right."
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