Saquon Barkley is gone and Daniel Jones may follow soon.
Remember when the franchise was going to be built around them?
With a new coach and GM, times have changed. Barkley’s departure was the sealing of the rebuild on the way.
What had been anticipated for the past few years has finally arrived. There won’t be any talk of a playoff run in East Rutherford this winter.
Instead, the Big Blue faithful will have to turn back the clock to the beginning of the Eli Manning days.
The Barkley signing saga never truly had any good vibes behind it. After their initial negotiations, it became more and more apparent that Barkley and the Giants were going to part ways. For whatever reason, head coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen have decided to change the course.
Ironically, Barkley signed with the Eagles, who appear to be the early favorite to win the NFC East. It will be interesting to see Barkley’s production behind one of the better offensive lines in the league.
So, where does that leave the Giants?
They filled the running back void by signing former Texan Devin Singletary, who is more of a low profile yet productive back that would fall under the Daboll-Schoen Bills’ script. He rushed for 898 yards and caught 30 balls. More importantly, the 26-year-old Singletary has proven to be durable, as he has played in every game over the last four years.
The Giants quietly and methodically were busy in the offseason, signing guards Aaron Stinnie (Bucs), Austin Schlottman (Vikings), and Joe Runyan (Packers) along with tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (Raiders). None of them moved the meter, but Stinnie and Runyon are currently penciled in as starting guards and Eleumunor is slatted at right tackle.
As for Jones, there is plenty of chatter behind the rumor that the Giants will move up in the upcoming draft from their sixth pick to draft North Carolina’s Drake Maye. Manning apparently has spent some time with Maye to add more fuel to the fire. The team also reportedly had a workout with Maye.
The 6-4, 229-pound Maye may just be the quarterback that Daboll and Schoen envision for the future of the franchise. He has a strong arm and is of the same build as their former Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen. Jones has the same credentials, but with Barkley’s exit, it has also become apparent that Jones is on his way out as well.
The Giants also have looked at University of Washington quarterback Michael Penix and Michigan signal caller J.J. McCarthy, who they may secure without moving up in the draft.
Daboll and Schoen apparently had a vision of Jones being the long-term solution at quarterback despite his neck injury that had signs of being a recurring one. They inked him to a four-year, $160 million deal.
But Schoen can get out of the deal after this season, even though they will take a dead cap hit of $22.1 million.
That likely will be the case. No matter what happens on the movement of their future quarterback in the upcoming draft, Jones should open the season as the starter. The exception would be if Maye, Penix, or McCarthy have an eye-opening camp, and it still looms as a longshot.
The Giants’ receiving corps also is a work in progress, darted with a promising core of Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, Isaiah Hodgins, Jalin Hyatt along with tight ends Darren Weller and Daniel Bellinger.
The NFL draft is roughly three weeks away, and there will be plenty of more whispers and scenario that will be heard and unraveled.
One thing is certain- the Giants will begin to have a new look in 2024 without Barkley and phasing out of Jones.
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