Getty Giants co-owner John Mara made a blunt assessment about acquiring quarterback Deshaun Watson via trade.
Although three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson has been linked to the New York Giants as a possible trade target this offseason, co-owner John Mara threw cold water on this scenario on Wednesday, January 26.
“We’re not trading for Deshaun Watson,” Mara told reporters earlier today.
“We’re not trading for Deshaun Watson”
– John Mara
When asked to elaborate on this statement, Mara gave a blunt assessment as to why Watson is not on the organization’s radar.
“There’s so many reasons why we wouldn’t do that,” said Mara. “I mean, (salary) cap-wise we couldn’t afford it, but more importantly with the allegations that are out there right now that’s just not the right fit for us.”
Case closed, Watson will not be putting on a Giants uniform in the near future, or likely ever, based off Mara’s comments towards the situation surrounding the NFL’s 2020 passing yards leader.
Watson is currently facing a number of sexual-harassment allegations, which have yet to be resolved. While Watson was never officially suspended or placed on any reserve list, he was ruled out of all 17 of the Texans’ regular season games in 2021 for non-injury reasons/personal matter.
Watson, 26, requested a trade by the Texans prior to last season as a result of his displeasure regarding changes to Houston’s front office and coaching staff. The Texans were initially unwilling to shop their franchise quarterback around the league, which created a standoff between Watson and the team. However, Watson’s hopes of being traded were derailed when his harassment allegations emerged.
The latest Giants news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on Giants newsletter here!
Sign up for the Heavy on Giants Newsletter!
Sticking With Jones
Based off Giants new general manager Joe Schoen’s comments at his first press conference with the media on Wednesday, all signs point towards Daniel Jones getting another shot at leading the offense in 2022.
“I’ve looked at (Daniel). I wasn’t here in the past so I don’t exactly know what he was told to do,” said Schoen. “But I do know this, I know he’s a great kid, he has been in this building the last two days, I’ve talked to him. There’s not anybody in this building that has said a bad word about his work ethic, passion or desire to win.
“And I think you have to have those traits as a quarterback. The kid has talent and physical ability. He has got arm strength, he’s athletic, he can run, so I’m really excited to work with Daniel. So again, when the new staff gets in here, we will build an offense around Daniel to accentuate what he does best.”
Joe Schoen says the Giants will try to build their offense around Daniel Jones:
“I know he’s a great kid. I’ve talked to him, the kid has physical ability”
Talk about a vote of confidence. If Schoen holds true to his word, it sounds like the Giants will prioritize building their offense around Jones moving forward.
Mara also admitted that Jones has not exactly been setup for success in his first three seasons with the Giants either.
“We’ve done everything possible to screw this kid up since he’s been here,” said Mara.
With Jones entering his fourth-year as a pro, he is set to work with his third head coach and third offensive coordinator during this span. The Giants will have a decision to make later in the offseason as to whether they will exercise Jones’ fifth-year option for 2023 or not, which Schoen would not comment on this afternoon.
So, time will tell if Schoen meant what he said about building around Jones.
Fixing the OL
The biggest elephant in the room is that the Giants must fix their offensive line, which has been a major issue dating back to the 2013 season.
This was a topic of conversation that Schoen wasn’t shy about addressing earlier this afternoon.
“Yeah, I think everybody knows the offensive line,” said Schoen. “And again, they had some injuries unfortunately, but yeah that’s going to need to be addressed.
“Because if you really want to see Daniel Jones put his best foot forward, he’s got to be on his feet. If you want to see what (running back) Saquon (Barkley) can do, it would be nice if we could block guys. So, the offensive line will be a priority as we move into the offseason.”
With @RVacchianoSNY, Joe Schoen tabs the offensive line as a huge priority:
“If you want to see Daniel Jones put his best foot forward, he’s got to be on his feet. If you want to see what Saquon can do, it would be nice if we could block guys.”
With the exception of left tackle Andrew Thomas, the Giants’ offensive line was a disaster in 2021 after losing starting center Nick Gates (broken leg) and guard Shane Lemieux (torn patellar tendon) to season-ending injuries early on. Not to mention, right tackle Matt Peart took a major step back in his development in year-two.
Right guard Will Hernandez is set to become a free agent this offseason, and he is not expected to be retained after struggling during his time as a Giant following the team’s decision to select him in the second-round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
So, the Giants will essentially need to fill four spots on their line. Luckily, they have the No. 5 and No. 7 picks in this upcoming draft. And they’ve already been linked to a number of talented offensive linemen coming out of college, including Iowa’s center Tyler Linderbaum and N.C. State’s right tackle Ikem Ekwonu, who is nicknamed: “the pancake king.”