So far, GM Joe knows right time to say ‘No!’
Joe Schoen, the Giants’ new architect, has exactly what this franchise needs right now: Discipline. Ownership could be tempted to accelerate its expectations for this rebuild after making the playoffs in Year 1.
A sudden influx of salary-cap space could bait Schoen into overpaying in free agency for immediate upgrades to satisfy that end.
But Schoen used all the right phrases Monday about assessing “market value” of free agents, valuing “known commodities” in house, weighing “positional value” in contract negotiations, and narrowing the Giants’ “margin for error” when upgrading the roster.
“The foundation is set,” Schoen said at his end-of-year press conference. “We’re still trying to build this thing so we can sustain it.”
In the fall, Schoen’s discipline resulted in acquiring third- and sixthround picks for malcontent wide receiver Kadarius Toney. On Monday, it led to playing hardball on Saquon Barkley’s possible contract extension and future with the team.
“We weren’t really that close,” the GM said of their initial November negotiations.
Schoen is determined to continue making “progress,” a barometer he said the Giants satisfied in his first season. That will mean spending a good chunk of his estimated $54.2 million in cap space, as estimated by OvertheCap.com.
But the GM’s Monday message reflected an executive refreshingly rooted in process, with guardrails in place to continue guiding the franchise on a path to sustainability.
He said of Barkley’s negotiations that everyone needs to “take emotion out of it.” He said that he won’t let needs dictate overpayment in free agency.
“You shop hungry, you overpay, it’s a bad deal and you get buyer’s remorse,” he said.
Discipline in rhetoric and process is especially important for the Giants now, which is why it was so good to hear from Schoen on Monday.
The fatal flaw of the 2021 Giants that prompted the firing of a third head coach in five years was the organization’s misevaluation of how close it was to winning.
The Giants spent big in the offseason after Joe Judge’s 2020 rookie team narrowly missed the playoffs at 6-10. They pulled out all the stops, loaded up, fell flat on their faces, and damaged their 2022 salary cap in the process.
Schoen said he hasn’t heard from ownership yet about whether it has increased expectations for 2023 after this season’s success.
“We haven’t really talked specifically about that,” he said. “I’m in constant communication with John (Mara), Chris (Mara) and Steve (Tisch) about what we’re thinking and what the plan is and where we are. That hasn’t come up.”
But Schoen acknowledged the gaping disparity between Super Bowl contenders like the Eagles and his Giants on the field. He understands what they are and what they are not.
“There’s a talent gap there that we need to close,” Schoen said. “To me, it’s the NFC East. I mean, we were 1-5-1 against the NFC East.”
He also would not promise that he will close that gap quickly because it isn’t realistic, although he’s certainly continuing to try.
“Can’t put a timeframe on that,” he said. “But we’re gonna be relentless in pursuit of building a championship team here.”
The early returns of Schoen’s work as GM since his Jan. 2022 hiring are mostly promising.
He and his front office did an excellent job scouring the waiver wire, rosters, practice squads and the free-agent market for constant upgrades or fillins all season.
They targeted many of those acquisitions to be building blocks, not just immediate contributors, including wideout Isaiah Hodgins, tight end Lawrence Cager and defensive backs Nick McCloud and Jason Pinnock.
Schoen also collaborated with coach Brian Daboll on everything up to and including gameday personnel decisions in an encouraging 9-7-1 season.
He has a responsibility to extend his unemotional, process-driven decision making to a thorough evaluation of the Giants’ annual injury problems. hat department was, well, an Achilles heel for Schoen’s and Daboll’s first season. Imagine what they might have accomplished if so many of their players hadn’t gone down.
Schoen sounded like the right leader at the right time for the Giants on Monday, though.
He reiterated his goals to “draft well” and create “cap health” while chasing more measurable progress. And he sounded like a voice of reason who will not veer from the original plan back when he was hired: to rebuild the Giants smartly with patience and discipline.
“We’re just trying to do the best we can with what we have,” he said, “to build a championship team where we can sustain success.”
T
Who lines up under center for the Jets in 2023?
That is the biggest question Jets fans are asking themselves following the quarterback circus of 2022.
The Jets defense was good enough to get them to the playoffs in 2022. The unit improved from 32nd a season ago to fourth in both yards allowed (311.1) and points allowed (18.6).
Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 draft, is expected to return next year. However, the Jets want to bring in a veteran in a critical year for both coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas.
The good news for the Jets is there will be 37 available freeagent quarterbacks this offseason, plus other wayward veterans such as Derek Carr, whom the Raiders will undoubtedly either trade or release next month.. The bad news is only a few of them could make a significant impact under center.
Let’s look at the available realistic quarterback options for the Jets.
JIMMY GAROPPOLO
Of all the available options for the Jets, Garoppolo makes a lot of sense for various reasons. He is unlikely to return to San Francisco with the emergence of Brock Purdy and 2021 No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance still on the roster. Saleh knows Garoppolo well from his four seasons as the 49ers defensive coordinator.
Second, Garoppolo has performed well when he’s been available. He has a 40-17 record and has thrown for 14,289 yards. He also has a career completion percentage of 67.6, with 87 touchdowns to 42 interceptions. Garoppolo has also shown he can help lead a team to the playoffs as demonstrated in 2019 and 2021, when the 49ers reached the Super Bowl and the NFC Championship.
This season, Garoppolo began the year as the 49ers backup. However, after Lance’s season-ending ankle injury against the Seahawks in Week 2, Garoppolo became the starter once again as the 49ers went 8-4 in their first 12 games.
But Garoppolo broke his foot Week 13 against the Dolphins and has been out since, although 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said the 31-year-old could be available to be Brock Purdy’s backup for the NFC title game against the Eagles.
If Garoppolo does sign with the Jets, he would be an instant upgrade and provide stability. His health history is a significant concern for any team wanting to sign him.
DEREK CARR
Garoppolo isn’t the only 31-year-old quarterback the Jets will consider. Carr has been more durable than Garoppolo and had more individual success throughout his career.
The Raiders are expected to release or trade Carr quickly after the Super Bowl. If he is on Las Vegas’ roster on Feb. 15, Carr’s $32.9 million base salary for 2023 and his $7.5 million bonus would be guaranteed. If the Raiders release Carr before Feb. 15, the team would owe him nothing in guaranteed money.
The 2022 season was a bit of a down one for Carr, coming off his first playoff appearance with the Raiders in 2021. He passed for 3,522 yards, 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while completing 60.8% of his passes in 15 games. The Raiders benched Carr for Jarrett Stidham during the final two games with the thought of trading or releasing him during the offseason.
Carr is a three-time Pro Bowler and has shown he has the potential to play at a high level at times. However, his interceptions and boneheaded decisions were problematic with the Raiders, even with weapons such as Davante Adams, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow.
Carr’s play in cold weather should concern the Jets. He has played in seven games when the temperature was 36 degrees or lower, and has a 0-7 record alltime, with 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
TOM BRADY
This sounds