Getty Daniel Jones #8 of the New York Giants throws a pass in the second quarter against the Washington Football Team.
While an Aaron Rodgers trade to the New York Giants remains nothing short of a pipe-dream, Dave Gettleman’s newfound reluctance to completely dispel the possibility of a deal has allowed some to hear what they want to hear, ie: Aaron Rodgers will be Big Blue’s starting quarterback come Week 1.
The fact of the matter is, Gettleman and the rest of the Giants’ higher-ups have remained firmly committed to their current quarterback, Daniel Jones. Their slew of offensive roster moves this offseason further support that notion. And, while many NFL circles still believe the jury is very much out on whether Jones can be a legitimate starter in this league, the Giants continue to proceed as if they’ve already found the next “face of the franchise.”
“We were spoiled by Eli Manning’s dedication and how he carried himself as the face of the franchise,” Gettleman told WFAN’s Moose and Maggie Show. “It was important to me that the next guy in could be that guy, and there’s no doubt in our minds Daniel is that.”
“With Daniel, you don’t have to beg him to study and watch film. It’s the voluntary period so he does what he does, but one of the things that was critical in making the decision to draft him was seeing if he is naturally driven, and there’s no doubt about that,” the GM added.
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Giants Expect Jones to Make Major Strides in Year 3
As touched on above, the Giants have finally supplied Jones with the type of talent that will give New York a true representation of whether or not he is the man for the job under center. The team backed up the Brinks truck for Pro Bowler Kenny Golladay in free agency. They also took a one-year flyer on speedster John Ross. And as recently as this past Thursday’s NFL Draft they added what Urban Meyer dubbed a “human highlight reel,” in Florida product Kadarius Toney. Insert a presumably healthy Saquon Barkley into what will now be a familiar Jason Garrett system, and the Giants feel strongly that Jones will take his game to new heights in 2021.
“This will be a big jump for Daniel; it’s his second year in the same scheme, and I feel we’ve done a good job of getting Daniel some help,” Gettleman said. “Obviously, this is the year that Daniel should really make a major stride. Our game is just so different, everything happens a click or two faster. But with the work he has put in on and off the field, we’re looking forward to seeing him thrive.”
Joe Judge Weighs In on Jones
While head coach Joe Judge took a far more monotone approach during his WFAN interview in terms of his expectations for Jones (surprise, surprise), he made no qualms about his backing of his 23-year-old signal-caller.
“There is no finish line on development, but I’m pleased with the progress Daniel made last year, looking at the way he played at times last year after not having a true offseason,” Judge said. “I learned that he’s a tough dude, and when you have a tough dude standing in the huddle, you know you have 10 sets of eyes in the huddle ready to stand up for you.”
“I’ll talk openly with Daniel about where he is and where he needs to go, and I’ll keep those between us,” Judge noted. “As a complete player, we’ll ask him to focus on certain areas more than others sometimes due to the game plan, but I love the way the players see him always working.”
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