Getty Daniel Jones #8 of the New York Giants.
The quarterback carousel this offseason is unlike any we’ve seen in recent memory. Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford and Carson Wentz have all switched teams. Deshaun Watson would like to switch teams and Russell Wilson may not be too far behind him. Add in the fact that there are five projected first-round signal-callers in April’s upcoming draft and it’s understandable why any team vacant of a proven commodity at the position is publically pressed to make a move.
The New York Giants clearly fall into this category. Soon-to-be third-year pro Daniel Jones has shown promise over his young NFL tenure. Yet, not enough to cement himself as the long-term answer under center –– or at least that’s the perception from the outside looking in.
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Dave Gettleman on Daniel Jones: ‘He’s Everything We Want’
Dave Gettleman held a virtual media Zoom conference on Tuesday afternoon and as you could likely guess, quarterback Daniel Jones was a trending topic. The general manager was asked by reporters whether the quarterback shuffle across the NFL, plus having an early first-round pick at their disposal, has tempted the organization to look at possible alternatives under center.
Gettleman emphatically denounced the possibility of looking to replace Jones, claiming “He’s everything we want.”
We’ve had Daniel for two years; we’ve done the evaluation on him and we really believe he’s the guy. No reason to go look [elsewhere]. What we’re doing isn’t fantasy football, we’re not playing, we’re not doing that. We’ve got a conviction on him, he’s everything we want, he’s got all the physical skills and again I say this all the time, the kid just finished his second year of NFL football. How many of us after two years at our new job were great? No, we all start at point A and we hopefully get to point Z, but the one common denominator is it takes time. Everybody has to understand that. We believe in Daniel and that’s where it is.
Joe Judge Refutes Changing Stance on Jones
Gettleman wasn’t the only Giants higher-up to go to bat for their quarterback. Prior to the GM’s conference, head coach Joe Judge held one of his own, and much as he has for the last 12 months, Judge backed Jones as his guy.
When asked whether recent quarterback movement has altered his stance on Jones, here’s what the head coach had to say:
No, it hasn’t at all. It hasn’t at all. Again, we have confidence in Daniel, he’s a player that we want to work with going forward with this team. He’s shown us a lot of improvement, there’s a lot of things. I can go on and on about how we respect him and like him and how the locker room responds to him, but the simple answer to that is no.
Jones, still just 23-years-old, took his bumps in 2020. After a promising end to his rookie campaign, the former No. 6 overall pick failed to take a sophomore jump. Jones accounted for just 2,943 passing yards in 14 starts, tossing 11 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. Furthermore, he led the NFL in fumbles for the second consecutive season with 11.
Jones did do damage with his feet this past year, rushing for 423 yards. He also appeared to makes strides as a decision-maker late in the season, throwing just one interception over his final six games. The Giants are hopeful that improved play from the offensive line, a healthy Saquon Barkley and a few added pieces in the passing game can help elevate Jones’ game to new heights in 2021.
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