New York Giants Training Camp Position Preview: Quarterbacks
We're taking an in-depth look at the New York Giants position groups before the start of training camp--the battles, the players, the questions, and more.
Here is our look at the quarterbacks.
Rostered Players
Daniel Jones, Tyrod Taylor, Tommy DeVito
Position Overview
Almost a year after deciding not to pick up Daniel Jones's option year, the New York Giants saw enough from their 2019 first-round pick to make an investment in him for the immediate future.
That investment--four years and $160 million--comes with an out after two years if Jones cannot take the next step in his development. But while the contract structure would seem to indicate there is still some doubt as to whether Jones can be the long-term answer under center for the Giants, his coaches, and teammates, at least outwardly, don't seem to have any concerns or reservations.
"Any time you can kind of get in the second year of the program, there's familiarity with the verbiage, familiarity with the communication. The conversations happen a lot faster," said offensive coordinator Mike Kafka earlier this year.
"Now we're working to streamline it, working to be more efficient with it, efficient with the situations that we're asking him to be in, making those decisions."
Biggest Question Mark
Is Daniel Jones ascending, or was last year a fluke?
One might be hard-pressed to suggest last year was a fluke, given that Jones had an inconsistent offensive line and pedestrian receivers at his disposal. Then again, there is the argument that without Saquon Barkley, Jones probably doesn't accomplish half of what he did.
The truth is that Jones finally landed in a system better tailored to his strengths, so much so that he could overcome the obstacles he had to deal with. It also helped that head coach Brian Daboll took the shackles off Jones by encouraging him in practices to attempt throws that the previous coaching staff had drilled into his head to avoid.
That said, Jones still isn't a top-10 quarterback, at least not yet. Per Pro Football Focus, Jones finished fifth in terms of accuracy (64.6%) but third overall in the "uncatchable and inaccurate" category (15.2%).
He must show he can work as effectively under center as possible from the shotgun. And with better talent around him, it remains to be seen if he can break open the deep passing game that was missing from the Giants offense.
But at the end of the day, Jones finally appears to be on the right track. He'll be in the same system for a second straight year--again, a system tailored to his strengths and minimized his weaknesses.
Overall the expectations are that Jones will be better, but with that said, the Giants are proceeding cautiously with him for the short-term given how his contract was structured to allow for the team to exit the deal after two years if the carriage reverts to a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight.
OTHER POSITION GROUPS
Running Backs | Tight Ends | Wide Receivers | Offensive Line
Key Training Camp Battle to Watch
Tommy DeVito vs. the Waiver Wire
The Giants are set as far as QB1 and QB2 are concerned. But with the team having shown that they like to have a developmental quarterback waiting in the wings, will that be New Jersey native Tommy DeVito, or will it be another guy?
This is significant because backup Tyrod Taylor will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. Unless there are plans to extend him, the Giants won't have a backup for Jones, who knows the system as well as Taylor and, to an extent, DeVito.
"Yeah, he came to our camp, the local day," Daboll said in May when asked about DeVito. "He spun the ball pretty good--was productive. Was good in the meetings that we had with him. I know he's a local legend around here, but he has a long way to go, a lot to learn, and a good young man to work with."
That's why it wouldn't be surprising if the Giants make a quick decision regarding DeVito ad whether he is someone they can continue to develop or must go in another direction.
Position Unit Grade: B+
The Giants proved they can win games with Jones at the helm as opposed to despite him--they are 22-33-1 (including postseason) in games he's played and 2-10 in games he's missed. In Taylor, the Giants have a solid backup who can come in and keep things rolling (provided he's not taking unnecessary risks that lead to injuries, such as what the case was last year when he had to step in for Jones for a spell).
Jones is knocking on the door of being a top-10 quarterback this season, which he should be able to achieve if everything falls into place. But as we all know, everything rarely goes according to plan, and it will be interesting to see how well Jones adjusts on the fly if he's missing a key playmaker or something goes off-script.
Early 53-man Roster Projections
Starter: Daniel Jones
Backup: Tyrod Taylor
Practice Squad: Tommy DeVito
Barring injury, there's nothing to see here unless DeVito doesn't measure up, which would force the Giants to go in another direction for QB3.
- Get the latest breaking news and analysis on the New York Giants
- Follow and like us on Facebook
- Submit your questions for our mailbag
- Check out the Giants Country YouTube Channel.
- Subscribe and like the LockedOn Giants YouTube Channel
- Sign up for our FREE message board forums
- Connect with us via text alerts! Free 14 Day Trial!
