Daniel Jones

New York Giants: Sterling Shepard praises Daniel Jones in important area

by
New York Giants, Sterling Shepard

The New York Giants team and organization seems to have faith in Daniel Jones going into 2021. Despite Jones regularly ending up on the other side of complaints from the fans, the Giants front office and staff have been nothing but committed to the third year QB in all their statements this offseason. Other members of the roster have also painted a popular picture of Jones, including the receivers he’ll play with this season.

Sterling Shepard is one of those satisfied receivers, and had some things to say to the New York Daily News about Jones’ leadership. Specifically, the trip to Arizona that Jones led earlier in the offseason was brought up. During this trip, Jones worked with other members of the offense to get some early practice in under Jason Garrett’s system.

“It just shows his leadership skills in getting everybody together and trying to get some of the timing down. That’s important for offense, especially receiver to QB. Good session. We had a great time out there getting to know each other and bonding with each other, as well. Just shows you [Jones’] maturity level in being able to set something like that up,” Shepard said.

Shepard also spoke during the same interview about the Giants adding Kadarius Toney, another receiver, with their first round pick.

He said that he’s not looking at Toney as new competition – and his explanation is pretty on point. Him and Toney aren’t the same player, with the rookie having a more physical and explosive game.

“No. We’re different players. We needed weapons. That’s just another weapon added to the team and to the offense, and he also brings some value in the return game.”

Daniel Jones has more weapons than ever this year

Many have called this the make or break season for Daniel Jones. His performance might determine whether the front office stays committed to him or starts looking at other options. However, Jones will have more weapons than ever to help him this season.

Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, the leading receivers from the last couple of seasons, are back – and they’re joined by the additions of Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney. The Giants even added former Bengals pick John Ross, bringing another former first round name to see if he can recover his previous upside.

At the tight end spot, Jones will have two pass catching tight ends in Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph. And of course, Saquon Barkley is expected back for week one. The elusive running back has a reputation for being a weapon in the receiving game, not just on the ground.

This all, however, means there will also be less excuses for Jones. After all, if there’s more poor performances this year, the excuse of not having weapons likely won’t hold up.

For now, though, anyone in the organization will tell you that they have faith in Jones avoiding that pitfall and making a big step up in 2021.

New York Giants accidentally walked into a contingency plan for Daniel Jones

by
New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants went into the 2021 NFL draft with their eyes on Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith with the 11th overall pick. As they waited patiently for arguably the best WR in college history to reach their selection, other pass-catchers were flying off the board left and right, as Jaylen Waddle went to Miami and Ja’Marr Chase to the Cincinnati Bengals. However, Smith was on the board with the 10th overall pick; Giants felt strongly they would land the Alabama stand-out receiver.

However, the Philadelphia Eagles leapfrogged the Giants with an inter-divisional trade, including the Dallas Cowboys. They proceeded to select Smith and leave the Giants stranded in the water, but that might’ve been the best thing they could’ve done for a Big Blue squad in dire need of future draft capital and a contingency plan for quarterback Daniel Jones whether they knew it or not.

Jones has had his fair share of struggles at the NFL level, seeing his touchdowns drop from 24 to 11 in 2020 under coordinator Jason Garrett. He did experience an improvement in ball security, but Jones is nowhere near being considered a franchise quarterback until he can prove consistent production on the field.

The Giants provided him with a WR1 in Kenny Golladay, a new TE in Kyle Rudolph, and various playmakers, including John Ross and Kadarius Toney, their 20th overall selection. They also have Saquon Barkley preparing to make a return from a torn ACL, so there is no excuse for Jones to struggle unless the offensive line provides them with minimal time in the pocket. However, I expect them to be a bit more efficient, simply based on the fact that more playmakers will draw more attention and force defenses to play cover-2 and drag LBs and safeties out of the box.

The New York Giants walked away WINNERS:

What the Giants did trading back with the Chicago Bears was exactly what they needed to do, adding a first/fourth-round pick for 2021 and a fifth-round pick this year. In fact, I would go as far as the claim they accidentally put a contingency plan in place for Jones if he doesn’t take the developmental jump they seek in his third year as a pro.

They now have two first-round selections next season, and the Chicago Bears are working through their quarterback situation and don’t plan to start Justin Fields right away. In addition, they have the second hardest schedule in the NFL, so that first-round pick could be even more valuable if they lose a plethora of games.

The Giants would walk away with a heist, offering an opportunity to replace Jones if need be without restarting a rebuild, but also spending draft capital they have now instead of future picks, which would hurt their chances at adding adequate depth.

It took nine drafts for general manager Dave Gettleman to see the value in moving back, and even if it wasn’t his preferred method, he put himself in an incredibly advantageous position moving forward.

New York Giants: The #1 goal for Daniel Jones in 2021 is simple

by
New York Giants, Daniel Jones

There are a few simple ways that New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones can take a step in the right direction next season. Ranging from reducing his fumbles to increasing his touchdown passes, Jones has been gifted more offensive playmakers to utilize in the passing game.

There was a point in 2020 where Jones was stringing together a few successful performances, but a hamstring injury that significantly debilitated his ability to move hurt his progression. He missed two games due to the injury, and according to head coach Joe Judge, he should’ve missed the entire season, but the tough QB pushed on anyway. Knowing his team had a chance at the postseason, Jones did everything in his power to stay healthy and start games for the Giants, even though they ended up missing the postseason by a slim margin.

“Look, Daniel is the last guy that’s going to use anything as an excuse,’’ Judge said on ESPN 98.7FM NY radio. “What I would say about the injury last year is it was much more serious than maybe people thought on the outside. I would say probably 90 percent of players in the league who would have had that injury, including quarterbacks, would have been on IR for the remainder of the year. That’s just the reality of it.

While Jones wasn’t throwing touchdown passes, he was showing consistency and even above average play in the passing game, recording a 67.5% completion rate against Washington in week nine and a 75% completion rate against Philadelphia in week 10. He suffered a hamstring injury against Cincinnati in week 11, and his statistics following that game saw a major drop-off. Moving forward, that should actually indicate that Jones is capable of playing at a higher level, and we have to remember what he had to work with in 2020 was nothing short of inadequate.

This off-season, the Giants have added a bonafide top receiver in Kenny Golladay, drafted Kadarius Toney out of Florida, who is an instant playmaker, and expect Saquon Barkley back from a torn ACL.

The transition of talent on offense for the New York Giants is insane:

Jones is going from Wayne Gallman to Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard as his WR1 to Kenny Golladay. That is not even to mention the addition of Kyle Rudolph, John Ross, and consistency in the offensive scheme.

On paper, it is hard to justify Jones regressing in 2021, and based on the weapons he has around him, he should see a significant step forward in the passing game specifically. However, reducing his turnovers should be the primary focus, as he threw 10 interceptions and fumbled the ball 11 times last season, decreasing his number by seven compared to his rookie season, where he fumbled 18 times.

Depending on how the Giants develop their offensive scheme, this offense could land in the average category, which would be a significant improvement, or even take a further step in the right direction. Most are skeptical that coordinator Jason Garrett is capable of devising a system that thrusts this offense into the above-average category — but don’t discount the additions of Russ Callaway and Freddie Kitchens as a senior offensive advisor, compared to his tight end specific role in 2020.

Callaway comes from an air raid system in the SEC with Samford, and Kitchens has experience as an OC and head coach at the NFL level. I believe their offense will be more downfield-centric and utilize creativity and pre-stop motion to get playmakers open.

It is extremely difficult to envision an offense that is worse than the one the Giants put on the field last season. They ranked 31st in points allowed per game, better than only the Jets, who hosted one of the worst offenses in NFL history.

Again, if Daniel Jones can put forth a successful 2021 campaign fueled by their most recent additions, the Giants will have two first-round picks to plug any remaining holes on their roster in 2022 and hopefully eye a deep postseason run.

New York Giants: Daniel Jones injury was worse than reported, says Joe Judge

by
New York Giants, Daniel Jones

One of the biggest things that happened to the New York Giants last season was the Daniel Jones injury. The team only needed one more win to make it into the playoffs, and they may have been able to grab that win if they had regular starter Daniel Jones for the entire year. Instead, as we all know, the Giants had to rely on Colt McCoy in some late season games and, with the exception of the Seattle win, the results weren’t great.

However, Jones might have done well just to get back on the field after his injury at all. According to Joe Judge, the injury would have taken most players out for the year and Jones fought hard to appear on the field again – even if he did so in a less than capable state.

“What I would say about the injury last year is it was much more serious than maybe people thought on the outside. I would say probably 90 percent of players in the league who would have had that injury, including quarterbacks, would have been on IR for the remainder of the year. That’s just the reality of it,” Judge told ESPN 98.7FM.

“It was much more severe than maybe he allowed people to know or the information that was put out there, and we’re going to protect our players by not disclosing everything about their injuries, to be honest with you,” Judge continued, adding that Jones won the respect of a lot of people.

If this is true, it might be worth giving Jones a break for not being able to come back in full last season. While his absence did hurt the team, it looks like it took quite a lot just for Jones to stay in the running.

Newly-obtained future draft picks give the New York Giants insurance at quarterback

by
New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants are a rebuilt team with an incredibly bright future. That is more evident now than ever after the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Giants operated like a brand new team during this year’s draft. Dave Gettleman did what he has never done before and traded down. Gettleman and the Giants traded down not once, but twice in this year’s draft. The Giants made the big move to trade down in the first round with the Chicago Bears, fielding a 2022 first-round pick, a 2022 fourth-round pick, and a 2021 fifth-round pick.

The Giants gained incredible value when acquiring those future draft picks. Those picks make the Giants’ future even brighter as they continue to build a young, talented, and competitive roster. But those picks also give the Giants insurance for the future regarding the most important position in sports: the quarterback.

How the future capital gives the Giants quarterback insurance

The Giants’ future draft picks obtained via trade this past weekend are hugely important. Not only does the capital give the Giants extra picks to add more young talent to their roster, but it also gives them flexibility going forward with their quarterback situation.

Daniel Jones, right now, is the guy. But this is widely considered to be his “prove-it” year. If Jones cannot succeed and compete now with the number of weapons New York surrounded him with this offseason, then it is hard to see him turning it around at any point.

First-round picks are the most valuable commodity in the NFL other than the quarterback position. But first-round picks are also used to obtain greater quarterback talent. The 49ers had to give up three first-round picks and more to obtain the third overall pick in this year’s draft and draft a quarterback.

If Daniel Jones does take the Giants to the playoffs in a breakout season, then New York can sit happily knowing they have their guy and have extra draft picks to continue building around him next year and beyond.

If Daniel Jones proves that he is not the guy this year, the Giants now have some extra capital to move up and get a new signal-caller in next year’s draft class (which is projected to be loaded with quarterback talent). New York gave themselves insurance and flexibility at quarterback by obtaining extra picks in next year’s draft.

New York Giants: How to solve the last piece to the puzzle on offense

by
New York Giants, Matt Peart

The New York Giants went big in free agency, spending boatloads of money to provide quarterback Daniel Jones with sufficient weapons. The Giants signed wide receiver Kenny Golladay to a big multi-year contract. Golladay was the top wide receiver on the market and he will provide Jones with a dependable receiving option. The Giants also signed tight Kyle Rudolph to be a reliable receiving threat.

New York’s main point of emphasis entering free agency was to add playmakers for Daniel Jones. The Giants’ signal-caller is entering the third season of his career and it is crucial that Daniel Jones breaks out in 2021 to establish himself as a franchise quarterback.

Daniel Jones struggled in 2020 with a depleted group of playmakers and a poor offensive line. The Giants have fixed the playmakers. They added Golladay and Rudolph and also have Saquon Barkley returning from injury. There is also a chance the Giants add another playmaker to the mix in the 2021 NFL Draft. This is all great, but what has New York done to fix the offensive line?

The Giants have not done much to fix the offensive line. Fixing the offensive line is the last piece to the puzzle for the Giants to surround Daniel Jones with sufficient talent and have a good offense. Thankfully, the 2021 NFL Draft is full of pieces that might fit the puzzle.

Offensive linemen to target in the 2021 NFL Draft

The Giants could fix their offensive line through the 2021 NFL Draft. There is a plethora of offensive line talent in this year’s class. At the top of the class are a couple of phenomenal offensive tackle prospects, Rashawn Slater and Penei Sewell, who would be significant instant upgrades for the Giants. However, neither one of them is likely to make it out of the top ten.

At eleven overall, a realistic offensive line option for the Giants is Alijah Vera-Tucker out of USC. Vera-Tucker played left tackle for USC in 2020, but he is projected to be an offensive guard in the NFL, a position of need for New York. There are a lot of interior offensive line prospects to be excited about in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The second round of the draft might be a perfect opportunity for the Giants to find a new offensive guard. Prospects like Landon Dickerson and Creed Humphrey are phenomenal centers that could move to guard in the NFL. Wyatt Davis and Quinn Meinerz are a couple more offensive guards that might fit in perfectly with the New York Giants in the second round.

The Giants also have a question mark at right tackle. Dave Gettleman and the Giants seem confident in Matt Peart heading into his second season. But, Gettleman has also said in the past that he is not afraid to draft over players. Offensive tackle prospects like Teven Jenkins and Christian Darrisaw could make sense for New York in a trade-down scenario as they solidify their other offensive tackle position opposite of Andrew Thomas.

There is no shortage of offensive linemen in this year’s draft class. Quality offensive linemen are a premium in the NFL. The Giants need to take advantage of this year’s incredibly deep rookie offensive line class and give Daniel Jones everything he needs to succeed in 2021.

New York Giants: Daniel Jones gets Eli Manning comparison from Victor Cruz

by
New York Giants, Daniel Jones

Going into year three, Daniel Jones will be one of the key pieces for the New York Giants for better or worse. Jones is the team’s starting quarterback despite the polarizing opinions on him from the fans, but everything indicates the organization itself is positive on his chances going forward. That also includes some past players, including wide receiver Victor Cruz.

While showing up on Good Morning Football, Cruz spoke on Jones and claimed that Jones’ teammates including the receivers all love him. He said that Jones knows what it means to be a quarterback for the New York Giants. And he also went as far as to compare Jones to his predecessor, Eli Manning.

“I think having similar character traits to Eli in terms of his temperament, in terms of the way he treats players and his teammates, I think that’s going a long way for him off of the field,” Cruz stated.

Cruz also mentioned that, while Jones hasn’t put it all together on the field yet, he’ll have new weapons this season. According to him, the Giants can make “a really strong push and be relevant” during the 2021 season and that spending money in free agency will help with that.

This season certainly will be the most high pressure one yet for Jones and many have said that year three is when the verdict will be decided on if Jones is the rebuild quarterback the Giants need or not. But at the very least, Jones will seemingly have the backing of all of his teammates as well as further help in the offense from new additions in 2021.

New York Giants: Offensive and defensive breakout candidates for 2021

by
New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants have made extensive efforts to upgrade their offense while also bolstering the defense this off-season. In free agency alone, they added several players who can help contribute toward a winning season in 2021, including the likes of Kenny Golladay and Adoree Jackson. With the NFL draft in less than a month, the Giants have more ammo and resources to allocate, which should help some of their individual players improve in the near future.

Take a look at breakout candidates for the New York Giants:

Offensive breakout candidate: Daniel Jones

If there’s any player that desperately needs a breakout season, it is quarterback Daniel Jones. After posting 24 touchdowns in his rookie season, Jones saw that number slash by more than half to just 11 under Jason Garrett. Unfortunately, he didn’t have Saquon Barkley and a plethora of playmakers, but the Giants are looking to give him everything he needs to succeed moving forward.

Adding Golladay, a bonafide wide receiver one, and John Ross, we should expect Jones to play a bit more efficiently. In addition, he will have a healthy Saquon Barkley, and the Giants could use the 11th overall pick on another play-maker.

Ultimately, there is no excuse for Jones not to have a better 2021 performance, and the Giants desperately need to see improvement if they want to commit to him as their franchise quarterback moving forward. Looking at a bit more of his statistical output, Jones is deadly accurate when throwing the ball downfield. I expect the Giants to take a more vertical approach to their offense, which is what sold Golladay on joining Big Blue, and the presence of Ross also suggests a more vertical strategy.

When throwing the ball 20+ yards downfield, Jones threw six touchdowns and zero interceptions, so adding more deep threats is exactly what the Giants set out to do, and they accomplish that goal in free agency.

Defensive breakout candidate: Dexter Lawrence

One player I believe will have a stand-out 2021 season is Dexter Lawrence, and with the absence of Dalvin Tomlinson after signing with the Minnesota Vikings, the Giants need Big Dexy to take a step forward.

Last season, Lawrence finished with 37 tackles, four sacks, and 33 stops. He was one of the most double-teamed interior defenders in the NFL, and with two seasons under his belt, a year-three breakout season should be expected.

I believe his knowledge of Patrick Graham’s scheme and the retention of Leonard Williams should assist in his production, and I think the Giants want to see him take more of a pass rusher role from the 3-tech position, where he can pressure the interior and get after the quarterback adequately.

New York Giants: Daniel Jones with 7th highest ‘receiver fault’ incompletions

by
New York Giants, Daniel Jones

New York Giants fans definitely want to see more completions from Daniel Jones next season – but many of the ones last year weren’t his fault. At least, that’s if you put stock in the Pro Football Focus metrics which say that Daniel Jones had the 7th highest receiver fault incompletions of any quarterback in 2020.

Obviously, the Giants didn’t have as much receiving talent last year as many would have hoped. Receivers not getting enough separation was a constant complaint and Darius Slayton, the top performer from Jones’ rookie year, took a step back statistically. The Giants saw some production from players like Golden Tate and Sterling Shepard, but rarely as much as Jones needed in the moment.

This season, things are expected to be different. Jones should have better conditions all around, except for maybe on the offensive line. The Giants have added a main weapon at wide receiver, another receiving tight end, and Saquon Barkley should once again be in the mix in the passing game – as well as making defenses fear the run more than they had to last season.

All of these things add up to more pressure on Jones. After all, with the Giants improving other areas of the offense, there should be less excuses if his play remains the same this season. With that being said, Jones may still find himself throwing under pressure often in 2021.

With these other areas improving this season, one of the main spots that’s still a question mark is the O-line. And if last year was any indication, that might have a big impact on what we get out of Jones.

Giants’ co-owner John Mara makes bold Daniel Jones claim

by
New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants have spent frivolously in free agency this off-season trying to bolster their offense around quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones is entering his third year in the NFL but took a massive step backward without weapons to utilize in the passing game in 2020.

Luckily, he will be going into a second year and the same offensive scheme, but with more talent around him, including wide receivers Kenny Golladay and John Ross. He will also be gaining running back Saquon Barkley back from an ACL tear, and there’s always the possibility they draft a receiver with the 11th overall pick.

On paper, the Giants have a better team on both sides of the ball, and hopefully, they can utilize the draft to plug a few holes and add playmakers. There is no question that ownership is behind Jones, considering the new contract they signed matches up perfectly with his rookie contract. Leonard Williams, Golladay, and Adoree’ Jackson have expiring contracts in 2023, which is exactly when Jones’ fifth-year option concludes.

Ian O’Connor of the New York Post interview John Mara, asking him:

Q: “Do you believe Daniel Jones looks like a quarterback who will ultimately win a Super Bowl?”

A: “Yes he does,” Mara responded. “I can say that without any hesitation.”

Q: “Good enough to win multiple Super Bowls like his predecessor, Eli Manning?”

A: “I don’t see why not,” the Giants CEO said, “if we put the right pieces around him.”

Management has been extremely vocal about Daniel‘s future with Big Blue and their commitments to him. Spending hundreds of millions of dollars on upgrades should justify their confidence, but Jones needs to take a significant step forward in 2021 to justify their backing. He only threw 11 touchdowns last year, tossing 10 interceptions and fumbling 11 times. While his pocket awareness improved and his ball security took a step in the right direction, he still has a long way to go before we can feel confident in his abilities.

Hopefully, the offensive scheme changes around him, utilizing a more vertical style to capitalize on his downfield accuracy. Jones has all the physical tools to be a fantastic quarterback at the NFL level, including solid accuracy, mobility, and intelligence. If he can put all of these attributes together and grow confident in his system, I have no doubt that DJ can run the Giants’ offense at a high-level.