Giants GM Joe Schoen likes team's chemistry going into the season

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen likes his team’s chemistry going into the 2024 season and is aware that co-owner John Mara called for significant improvement just after the team opened training camp.

The Giants enter the season after a disappointing 6-11 record in 2023. What made that season a letdown was New York was 9-7-1 the season before under then-first-year coach Brian Daboll and made the playoffs for the first time since 2016, and beat Minnesota.

The second year under Daboll the team had several injuries, including a major one to quarterback Daniel Jones, a poor offensive line, a dispute between Daboll and his then-defensive coordinator, Wink Martindale and a lot of losing.

Changes came in the offseason and the Giants are less than two weeks away from opening at home against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 8.

Schoen and Daboll talked about the team for more than 15 minutes after practice Wednesday evening, but the GM didn’t get specific when asked to describe what significant improvement meant to him after two days of final roster cutdowns, making waiver wire moves and filling a practice squad.

The third-year general manager wasn’t going to say X-amount of wins would make significant improvement.

“Dabs and I wouldn’t approach this job without saying we don’t want to go out and win,” Schoen said. “That’s what we are here for and what we work our tails off for. That’s why we were here all last night with the waiver cutdown. That’s why we’re out on the road all spring doing all the work.”

Speaking on a number of topics, Schoen said he likes the makeup of the team. He feels good about Jones heading into the season off ACL surgery and he believes the team’s young cornerbacks can do the job despite some trouble in the preseason games and the joint practice with the Jets.

“We’ve still got to come together,” Schoen said. “I like the chemistry of the team, where we are now. Some of the best teams aren’t the most talented always. They come together. They work hard. They know their assignments. They execute. We don’t know how this team’s gonna react when we are down 10 or when we are up 10, when adversity strikes what’s that going to look like.”

Daboll said he has an idea whether Nick McCloud or Cor’Dale Flott will start at the cornerback opposite Deonte Banks.

Schoen believes rookie draft pick Dru Phillips is a solid addition to the cornerback room.

The biggest improvement has been made on the offensive line with the additions of veteran free agents Jermaine Eluemunor, Greg Van Roten and Jon Runyan Jr., who just returned from missing two weeks with a shoulder injury.

Schoen said the Giants only put in one waiver claim and were awarded safety Anthony Johnson, who was released by Green Bay. To make room, safety Gervarrius Owens was waived. New York also placed linebacker Dyontae Johnson on injured reserve and signed linebacker Curtis Bolton, who spent the past two seasons with the Raiders.