BETTER SHOP AROUND
Jones still the man at QB, but Schoen, Giants on lookout at Senior Bowl
MOBILE, Ala. — The Giants can stand by Daniel Jones while planning for the future at the same time. Joe Schoen said Tuesday at the Senior Bowl that the plan is for Jones, 26, to remain the team’s starting quarterback entering 2024.
But the Giants’ third-year GM said he intends to “take a good player at No. 6” overall in the draft, and quarterback is one of the positions under consideration.
“Where we are, we’re in a good spot at six,” Schoen said Tuesday morning in downtown Mobile. “We’re gonna look at every position. We have needs across the board, offensively and defensively.
“Daniel’s in the building every day working hard,” the GM added. “The expectation is for him to be the starter when he’s healthy going into camp. We’re gonna be thorough with our process at every position during the draft, regardless of whether it’s quarterback, running back, safety, corner. Whatever it is, we’re gonna be thorough at every position and take a good player at six.”
This still doesn’t mean Schoen is going to take a quarterback at the top of the first round.
It’s entirely possible that the Bears, Commanders and Patriots all will take a QB at picks No. 1, 2 and 3, respectively, with USC’s Caleb WIlliams, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye the cream of the crop.
Schoen’s sentiment does indicate, however, that the Giants have their eyes open to the possibility of planning for a life after Jones.
Obviously, they have to get to that future first, which means patching up their roster immediately to help Jones and Brian Daboll win more games in 2024.
That’s one of many reasons why drafting a No. 1 wide receiver like Washington’s Rome Odunze or LSU’s Malik Nabers would make sense in the first round.
But hypothetically, Schoen still then could trade into the back of the first round or use his early second-round pick on a quarterback who could sit and develop for a year behind
Jones.
Would there be patience for the Alex Smith-to-Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers-to-Jordan Love type slow-play? Maybe not. Definitely not if the Giants stink again out of the gate next fall.
But that’s why it is important to keep more than just the top three quarterbacks in mind, like Tennessee’s Joe Milton III, who looked the part at Tuesday’s afternoon Senior Bowl practice.
The Giants need a plan at quarterback past 2024, and it’s likely they will use this year’s draft to try to solve it.
IS KAFKA IN PLAY IN SEATTLE?
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, the hottest name on the head coaching circuit this year, is now staying in Detroit. That keeps Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka’s candidacy alive to fill Seattle’s vacancy. Ravens DC Mike McDonald, Panthers DC Ejiro Evero, Raiders DC Patrick Graham and Cowboys DC Dan Quinn are also in play for the Seahawks, while McDonald and Quinn have their hats in the ring for Washington’s head job, as well.
Kafka is serving as a head coach at the East-West Shrine Bowl in Texas this week. If he gets the Seattle job, that would turn over all three of the Giants’ coordinator positions from last season. Quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney, who is serving as a Senior Bowl offensive coordinator, would likely be in line for a promotion if Kafka left — though Daboll could take over play-calling.
If Kafka doesn’t get a head coaching job, Daboll said earlier this month that his “expectation” was that Kafka would be back on staff in 2024. He said the same thing about Wink Martindale, too, though. So time will tell.
DC COMING SOON, MAYBE
Schoen said “hopefully by the end of the week we’ll have some resolution at the defensive coordinator position.” He said Daboll is “working through” the candidates now. But the Giants took Bills linebackers coach Bobby Babich off the board on Tuesday; he got promoted in Buffalo to be Sean McDermott’s defensive coordinator instead.
Ravens secondary coach Dennard Wilson remains an option, although the competition increased Tuesday when the Packers requested an interview on top of his conversations with the Giants, Rams and Titans.
The Giants, Dolphins and Jaguars reportedly were blocked by Carolina from interviewing Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, so that is something to monitor. And Chiefs linebackers coach Brendan Daly has interviewed, but if he were the Giants’ pick, they wouldn’t be able to resolve that until after the Super Bowl, which is Feb. 11.
Schoen did say he thinks the Giants have the defensive personnel to stay in a 3-4 scheme or pivot to a 4-3, no matter who they hire.
“We’ve drafted that way, where we’re not pigeon-holed into one certain scheme,” he said.
“I think where the personnel is on defense right now, whether it’s 4-3 or 3-4, I think we can go out and play.”
NOTHING ON SAQUON – YET
Schoen said he and Saquon Barkley agreed that he would speak with the running back’s agent at the NFL combine in Indianapolis in late February.
“I talked with him after the season, and we had a good conversation,” Schoen said.
“He was getting ready to go to Africa for a Super Bowl commercial. The plan is to circle up with his representatives when we get to the combine.”
It doesn’t seem logical for Schoen to use the franchise tag a second straight year to tie $12.1 million in cap dollars to Barkley this season, though, with the Giants projected at only $21.8 million in cap space as of Tuesday, per overthecap.com. There is a good chance it’s going to be a multi-year deal, if not with the Giants, then somewhere else.