Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
New York Post
Giants GM Joe Schoen’s stark Saquon Barkley reality: Not paying Daniel Jones $40M for handoffs
By Erich Richter,
19 days ago
Tuesday night’s “Hard Knocks” premiere gave Giants fans an inside look at how painful a business it is behind the scenes.
In a closed-door meeting with seven of his closest constituents, Giants general manager Joe Schoen pointed out the financial reality of paying quarterback Daniel Jones $40 million and retaining a high-priced running back in then-pending free agent Saquon Barkley.
“We’ve got to upgrade the offensive line, and you’re paying the guy $40 million — it’s not to hand the ball off to a $12 million back,” Schoen said to director of player personnel Tim McDonnell, who questioned the team’s offensive identity without Barkley.
#Giants exec Tim McDonnell on possibly losing Saquon Barkley:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 3, 2024 Joe Schoen discussing his team-building principles. @MySportsUpdate/X
Jones is entering the second year of a four-year contract worth $160 million, and the Giants’ large commitment to him forces savings in other aspects of roster construction.
And that came to the forefront with Barkley’s negotiations.
In a separate conversation regarding the former Penn State star, Giants owner John Mara told Schoen on Feb. 13 that “in a perfect world, I’d still like to have him back.”
The Giants ultimately did not want to pay premium price for a running back, and Barkley agreed to a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles, with $26 million guaranteed and the deal being worth $46.75 million if he hits his incentives.
Saquon Barkley walked away from the Giants for a huge contract with the Eagles. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
“What are we really gonna get, unless it got down to $7 million? I don’t want to offer that because I don’t want to be like we ‘disrespected’ him,” Schoen explained to Mara.
Daniel Jones is getting paid $40 million per season. Getty Images
Schoen’s comments about the high-priced Jones handing off to a pricy Barkley signaled how the organization still believes Jones can be the leader of a playoff contender.
The general manager further detailed that the plan was to provide Jones more protection up front and potentially help him in the draft.
“My plan is address the offensive line at some point here in free agency. We’re sitting at (No. 6), there’s a chance there’s an offensive weapon there. This is the year for Daniel,” Schoen said.
“The plan all along was give him a couple years. Is he our guy for the next 10 years? Or do we need to pivot and find somebody else?”
“You could have Pat Mahomes, and he couldn’t f–king win behind that,” Schoen said. “I’m not giving up on him.”
While he didn’t pay Barkley, Schoen did invest in the offensive line as promised, bringing in five new faces in Jon Runyan Jr., Jermaine Eluemunor, Aaron Stinnie, Austin Schlottmann and Matt Nelson.
Runyan and Eluemunor will likely start at guard for the Giants, but they will still need improvements from 2023 second-round pick John Michael Schmitz Jr. and 2022 top-10 pick Evan Neal.
Pro Football Focus still projects the Giants to have the fourth-worst offensive line in football this coming season despite the moves.
The Giants also added an offensive weapon in the draft, as he projected, selecting LSU standout receiver Malik Nabers with the sixth pick.
For the latest in sports, top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com/sports/
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0