Xavier could be expensive Big Blue $afety measure
INDIANAPOLIS — When Shane Bowen was a defensive assistant with the Titans then later ran their entire defense, two starting safeties, Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker, received second contracts to stay in Tennessee. Byard cashed in with a five-year deal worth $70.5 million and Hooker stayed aboard on a three-year deal worth $33 million.
Bowen is the newly hired Giants defensive coordinator. Clearly, he values the position.
“Safety is gonna be an important part of his defense,” general manager Joe Schoen said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.
That could be good news for
Xavier McKinney, whose rookie contract expired after four years with the Giants. McKinney, a 2020 second-round pick, is going to be looking for big money — he is not shy about expressing his opinion that he is the best safety in the league. The Giants will not pay him as if that is the case, but they realize he will be a hot commodity on the open market. If he gets there, and he will not come cheaply.
“Xavier is another player that we’d like to have back,” Schoen said. “He’s 24 years old, he was a captain, played 100 percent of the snaps [in 2023]. We think a lot of X and look forward to getting to the negotiation period here later this week.”
McKinney’s new agent, David Mulugheta, arrives in town Friday, and the Giants plan on a sit-down with him then.
➤ Daniel Jones, rehabbing from ACL knee surgery, is “on track” according to Schoen. Jones has started throwing from a stationary position, and there is a possibility he will be cleared to participate in seven-on-seven and individual passing drills as early as the spring.
“He hasn’t had any setbacks,” Schoen said. “If he continues on that pace, he should be ready for the start of training camp.”
Schoen said he will meet with Tyrod Taylor’s agent this week, as the Giants have not closed the door on re-signing the 34-year-old quarterback for a third season with the team.
“Tyrod’s a true pro,” Schoen said. “He has been really good for not only Daniel but Tommy DeVito and his progress throughout the year. We’ll address the position. It can be through free agency, and it doesn’t preclude us from doing it in the draft as well.”
➤ In the wake of the ugliness surrounding the dismissal of defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, much has been made of the way coach Brian Daboll relates to his staff. Martindale, now back in the college ranks at Michigan, did not appreciate the way Daboll could blow up on the sideline or berate an assistant — or player — when things were not going well. Does Daboll need to lighten up? “I think we’re all gonna learn and grow over time, and we have to,” Schoen said. “It’s the first time we went through adversity. I’m sure there’s a lot we all learned about ourselves going through that and as leaders, myself included. We’re all got to get better, in terms of how we handle those situations, and I think we’re all going to reflect this offseason on how things went and what we can do better, and I would put Dabes in that category as well.”