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New York Giants Mailbag: The Contract Edition

Let's check in with the readers to see what's on their minds.
Patricia Traina|
New York Giants Mailbag: The Contract Edition
New York Giants Mailbag: The Contract Edition

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If you'd like to submit a question for the mailbag, please send it to nygiantsmaven@gmail.com. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity and conciseness. While we try to answer all questions received, we reserve to consolidate if several people ask the same question.

(From Joe G.) NFL Network said the Giants' draft class was the worst in the NFL East. My first inclination was one of disdain, but thinking about it, they are probably correct. Thibs was very good, not great. Neal was not very good, injuries may have played a part. Robinson was almost always injured. The IOLinemen got hurt. Beavers and the rest almost all got hurt. That is the story of the draft class; injuries made almost all of them miss time. I do expect better things to be coming this and in future years. Do you agree with the NFL network?

I do not agree, Joe. Who draws a definitive conclusion on a draft class after just one season? And as you noted, the draft class dealt with injuries. How in the world can anyone grade the potential of a player if he's not on the field? Are injuries the player's fault? 

I remember the NFL Network being bullish on the class after the draft. So how about we see what the group does in Year 2 with (hopefully) full health and a better understanding of the systems before we write off this class as a bust?

(From Gordon B.) What do you think of this potential proposal to sign Daniel Jones? -$30 million per year for three years--all guaranteed -$12 million per year in bonuses that D.J. can earn to include the following: $2 million to make the playoffs, $2 million for each playoff game won, $3 million to make the Super Bowl $5 million to win the Super Bowl.

Gordon. I keep telling you that Jones isn't signing for anything less than $32 million per year (the franchise tag amount), and if his agents allow him to sign for less than $32 million APY, they should be fired on the spot. I also don't see the Giants offering him a fully guaranteed deal--and the way you have your proposal structured with all those NLTBE incentives, they couldn't fully guarantee this deal.

(From Bruce F.) Doesn’t it make sense to franchise tag Barkley & give D.J. a long contract?

Yes, Bruce. That's what the Giants are trying to do from what I understand. The tag would then serve as a placeholder until they could reach a multiyear deal with Barkley.

(from Jon S.) Recently, in The Athletic (2/24), there was an article about the S2 Cognition test and the correlation between success on the test and success as an NFL quarterback. The test measures how quickly and accurately athletes process information. Do we have any data on Daniel Jones’ test score?

Jon, as a rule, intelligence test scores aren't revealed by teams--I don't even know if the Giants used the S2 when Jones was drafted to be honest. I found online that Jones scored a 37 on the Wonderlic back in 2019, the third-best score out of the 14 quarterback prospects in that year's draft.

Nimar, Daniel Jones can ask for $100 million per year. That doesn't mean he's going to get it, right?

They would have to wait until the "legal tampering" period begins on March 13.

Rob, the more I think about it, the more I think the Giants will go cornerback in the first round. But to answer your question, if you're looking for a dark horse, I would probably say defensive lineman. 

This team needs defensive line depth badly, and I could see a new addition getting a healthy amount of snaps each week, along with Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams.

Matthew, again we don't know what exactly the market is for Jones. There is a lot of misinformation out there, and as I said in another response, Jones can ask for whatever he wants; that doesn't mean he will get it. 

The Raiders and Texans have a lot of cap space, and I believe both need quarterbacks. I'm sure other teams will be clearing out cap space in the coming days as well, but those are two teams that I suppose could make a run for Jones, though if a team wants to make a deal badly enough, it will shove money around to make it happen.

Thanks for the kind words. I think the Giants might look to free agency for ILB help. They will get Beavers back from a torn ACL, but who knows how he will look? And they went through four different guys last year to stop the bleeding, with minimal success. 

So to me, I think it makes sense to go get a veteran here. I don't think it will be a Tremaine Edmunds (likely too pricey), but maybe someone from the second wave for free agency would be the way to go.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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