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Choosing Daniel Jones over Saquon Barkley is likely to ultimately sink the regime of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, but Bill Belichick isn’t convinced Daboll was on board with Schoen’s decision to let Barkley leave the New York Giants.
Belichick gave his view on an edition of “The Pat McAfee Show” after Barkley and his new team the Philadelphia Eagles trampled all over the Giants for a 28-3 win in Week 7. Six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Belichick questioned what he saw when the Giants were discussing Barkley’s future ahead of 2024 NFL free agency on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
In Belichick’s opinion, “I don’t think Daboll wanted to get rid of Saquon and I certainly don’t think John Mara wanted to get rid of Saquon. I mean, it just seemed like you know, kind of a general manager thing of well, ‘we don’t think anybody’ll pay him.’ When kinda everybody in the league knew that he was going to go to the Eagles, but anyway. I don’t think everybody was on the same page on that. At least it didn’t appear that way from Hard Knocks, which honestly, I’m surprised they even let that air with that kind of tone being on it.”
Belichick, whose decorated history with the Giants includes winning two Super Bowls as defensive coordinator in 1986 and 1990, is the most illustrious voice questioning a decision that seems to have blown up in the faces of every major decision-maker at MetLife Stadium.
What’s interesting is whether Belichick is right about Daboll not being sold on parting ways with two-time Pro Bowl running back Barkley.
Bill Belichick’s Brian Daboll Take Raises Questions
Perhaps Belichick is merely defending one of his former coaches? Daboll had two stints as an assistant on Belichick’s staff with the New England Patriots, coaching wide receivers then tight ends.
Is Daboll a victim of a GM determined to enforce his own agenda? Or is Daboll equally as culpable as Schoen for letting Barkley walk and pinning the Giants’ hopes on struggling quarterback Jones?
It’s difficult to know for sure, but there are good reasons to believe Daboll endorsed Schoen’s decision. Reasons like Daboll making his name in coaching circles as somebody able to develop quality quarterbacks.
That’s what he did for Josh Allen as offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills. Allen went from the seventh player selected in the 2018 NFL draft to an All-Pro and Pro Bowler on Daboll’s watch.
The progression of Allen earned Daboll the job with the Giants in 2022. He quickly rewarded the faith by helping Jones enjoy a career year en route to a postseason berth and playoff win.
Things have regressed significantly since, but Daboll took over play-calling this offseason. He also got former Bills’ running back Devin Singletary to replace Barkley, before the Giants drafted wide receiver Malik Nabers sixth overall.
It’s reasonable to assume Daboll backed himself to salvage Jones and still the develop the dual-threat QB the way he had Allen. Especially when Daboll is sticking by Jones as his starter.
Further support for the idea Daboll was, in fact, on board with letting Barkley test the market comes from CEO Mara’s comments during the offseason. The co-owner told reporters, “You let the GM & the coach, particularly if they have a unified conviction, make the decision and b—h about it later. I wasn’t crazy about it at the time, I didn’t want to lose him. But I understood what their philosophy was,” per SNY.tv’s Giants Videos.
That “philosophy” led to the best player on the Giants offense joining an NFC East rival.
Saquon Barkley Call Haunting Giants
Schoen made his decision based on the relative value of quarterbacks over running backs in the modern NFL. He chose to pay Jones in 2023 and leave Barkley on the franchise tag, paving the way for free agency a year later.
The GM stuck to his convictions even though Mara warned on Hard Knocks he wouldn’t be happy about Barkley suiting up for the Eagles (h/t B/R Gridiron).
That warning went unheeded, but was likely ringing in Schoen’s ears when Barkley rushed for 176 yards and a touchdown in Week 7. Jones, meanwhile, threw for just 99 yards and took seven sacks before being sent to the bench.
General managers and coaches survive and thrive based on getting the big calls right. Barkley’s return to MetLife Stadium provided a brutal illustration Schoen, and likely Daboll, backed the wrong player.
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