After not being franchise-tagged for the second time, Saquon Barkley finally departed the New York Giants via free agency to join the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. While it was certain that the RB’s absence would leave a void, Giants executive Tim McDonnell’s revelation that Saquon’s departure would affect the team’s identity has amused many.
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In the latest episode of this season’s “Hard Knocks,” one notable highlight saw Giants owner Jim Mara, general manager Joe Schoen, and executive Tim McDonnell discussing the aftermath of Barkley’s exit.
In the episode, Tim is openly seen admitting that if they lose Saquon, their identity would require a complete rebuild, as he was the cornerstone of the Giants’ offense. “We lose Saquon, what’s our identity gonna be?” asked Giants executive Tim McDonnell to others.
In response, GM Joe Schoen reiterated that the focus should be on investing in the offensive line during free agency and fully backing QB Daniel Jones. “We’ve gotta upgrade the offensive line, and you’re paying Daniel Jones $40M. It’s not to hand the ball off to a $12M back,” argued Schoen.
It’s interesting to see that the Giants’ management remains bullish on Daniel Jones despite the QB not having lived up to his potential yet. For instance, in his five-year NFL career, Jones has turned the ball over more than scoring touchdowns.
Stats like these for a starting QB are dismal, but as Schoen argued in the final part of the episode, even if the Giants had Patrick Mahomes at the helm, he wouldn’t have won anything with their defense.
“Your offseason, the four guys, the core guys that were going to play together played less than 60 snaps together. Miami, we got fu*ked, three practice squad guys playing for us. Like, nobody could… you could have Pat Mahomes, and he can’t fu*king win behind that. I’m not giving up on him [Daniel Jones.”
While it’s encouraging to see the Giants express full faith in a struggling Daniel Jones, after the episode aired, fans expressed that the management should have shown the same faith in Barkley. Among other observations, netizens were also intrigued by GM Schoen’s future planning and unwavering trust in their QB.
“Worst GM in the League”: NFL Fans Rip Apart New York Giants Management
Viewing the clip first evoked many questions in fans’ minds. If Barkley is pivotal to the identity of the team’s offense, then why not retain him? If Jones is a QB who functions well when surrounded by an elite RB, why let Saquon go? Fans were baffled by these questions, therefore, the majority came to the common conclusion that the NY Giants’ management is out of depth in their job. See for yourselves:
If this is how business is done with rosters, please show me where I can apply for the @MiamiDolphins for any sort of position because I know from what I just heard I could have done a better job with the giants roster than the dudes in that room.
— Moosey (@0nlyMeez) July 3, 2024
But if your $40m Quarterback’s strengths are best-utilized by having a strong run game and play-action passing, then that’s pretty important, no?
Because Daniel Jones is not Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, etc.
— Josh Chavis (@JoshChavis65) July 3, 2024
Worst GM in the league. Good lord lol
— I_Am_BS03 (@I_Am_BS03) July 3, 2024
One user also highlighted the irony of the Giants worrying about their offensive identity while they have a $40 million QB on the payroll.
Imagine having a $40M quarterback and being worried about their identity losing their RB. Lmao.
— Real Estate Flipper Guy (@DetroitFlipper) July 3, 2024
Not all was doom and gloom for the Giants’ management on the internet, as one user on “X” argued fairly that retaining Saquon wouldn’t have allowed the Giants to rebuild their team next season if Jones failed again.
While the arguments can go back and forth, the true results will be painted once the 2024 season begins. All eyes will be on the Giants, as their performances will answer two burning questions – 1] Was it right to back Daniel Jones? 2] Should Saquon Barkley have been extended?
