The New York Giants may have struck out in the Mitchell Trubisky sweepstakes. However, when all was said and done, general manager Joe Schoen and company still managed to address their quarterback needs with a former Buffalo Bills signal-caller.
On Tuesday, March 15, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor intends to sign a two-year contract with the Giants. The deal is set to include $8.5 million in guaranteed money, Schefter said.
Ties to New Giants Regime
Taylor, who will turn 33 years old prior to the start of the 2022 NFL campaign, has appeared in 78 regular-season games (53 starts) over his 11-year pro career.
A sixth-round pick out of Virginia Tech, Taylor spent his first four years in the NFL serving as a backup to Joe Flacco in Baltimore. A move to Buffalo in 2015 allowed him to finally crack a starting lineup.
Beating out former first-round pick EJ Manuel and veteran Matt Cassel in the preseason, Taylor went on to start 43 of his 44 regular-season appearances in a Bills uniform through 2017. Over that span, he boasted a 22-20 record and led the Bills to a postseason appearance during his final year in Orchard Park — ending what was a 17-year playoff drought for the franchise at the time. That season Taylor crossed paths with Schoen who was in his inaugural season as the Bills’ assistant general manager.
Taylor has bounced around the league since his departure from Buffalo, spending time with the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers and most recently, the Houston Texans. Taylor started out 2021 extremely strong, guiding Houston to a 1-1 start and accounting for 471 yards from scrimmage, three touchdowns and zero turnovers before injury struck. He returned from injured reserve in Week 6, collecting a win/loss record of 1-3 before being sent to the bench for the final five games of the season in favor of rookie Davis Mills. This marked the third consecutive stop in his career where he was supplanted on the depth chart for a first-year quarterback.
Added Leadership & Mobility
Taylor’s days of being the answer under center for an NFL franchise are likely gone. However, he’s more than capable of holding down the fort should Daniel Jones miss time moving forward. The Giants starter missed the final six games of 2021, as New Yorkers watched Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm wallow their way to a combined 0-6 record.
Almost as important as the evident talent boost the Giants have made to their quarterback depth chart is the skillset Taylor brings to the table. On 361 career rushing attempts, Taylor has amassed 2,001 yards and 19 touchdowns. His dual-threat abilities will allow New York to keep their offensive schematics mostly intact should Taylor be called upon for extensive playing time in 2022.
While the Taylor signing may not present the long-term upside to push or even unseat Jones — something some Giants fans were eager for this offseason — he raises the floor of the quarterback room as a whole. Plus, his presence gives Jones the first real game-proven veteran leader in his ear since Eli Manning decided to hang it up in 2020.
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Giants Sign Veteran Dual-Threat Quarterback, 53-Game Starter: Report