National Football League

Giants' offseason agenda centers around futures of Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley

Published Feb. 22, 2024 4:47 p.m. ET

Everything went right for the New York Giants in 2022, the first year under GM Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll. Daniel Jones was electric. Saquon Barkley was healthy. Players all over the roster overachieved. They even won a playoff game for the first time in 11 years.

It's almost hard to believe that was all just over a year ago.

The bright future the organization seemed headed towards is suddenly shrouded in darkness. Injuries decimated the team last season. They even clouded the futures of key players like Barkley and Jones. In-fighting among the coaching staff led to the departure of popular defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.

And after a dismal 6-11 season, it once again looks like the Giants are starting from scratch.

"Believe in the process," Schoen said at the end of the season. "We came in here Year 1 and were able to go to the playoffs and win a playoff game, and this year it didn't go as well as we wanted it to, for various reasons. We've all got a hand in it. We've all got to do better going into next year.

"And we will. I've got a lot of faith in the process. We'll get this thing turned around."

It'll take a little more than faith, though, heading into yet another critical offseason for the franchise. They need to settle on a direction at quarterback and running back, they have to fix their offensive line (again), restock their defense (again) and find some dangerous weapons for their offense (again). And they needed to do it quickly, knowing Daboll is likely headed into a win-or-else season.

They've got a lot to do and a lot of huge decisions to make in the next few months. Here are the three biggest offseason issues the Giants will face.

1. Decide if Saquon Barkley (or any running back) is worth a big financial investment

There isn't a more popular player on the Giants roster than Barkley, and that still means something. But unfortunately for him, his 2023 season didn't do anything to improve his value to the Giants. In fact, according to a team source, it only strengthened the resolve of Schoen that running backs aren't a great long-term investment.

Barkley, who was paid $10.1 million last season, missed three games with injuries. He ran for just 962 yards on just 3.9 yards per carry. He was even less effective as a receiver, catching 41 passes for 280 yards — just 6.8 yards per catch. Yes, the Giants were worse without him, but they were still only 6-8 when he was on the field.

That's why the Giants are almost certain to allocate his cap space elsewhere and look for cheaper help at his position. They are not expected to use the franchise tag again, according to the source, especially now that it's bumped up to $12.1 million. And they're not expected to increase the contract offer he rejected last offseason — a deal that likely isn't on the table anymore, anyway.

Barkley has value, but the Giants need too much else to justify paying him. They need a lot of help on the offensive line, more receivers, a defensive overhaul. It certainly seems they realize Barkley is a luxury they can't afford.

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2. Choose whether to stick with Daniel Jones or draft his eventual successor

Schoen made it clear in late November that "The expectation is when Daniel (Jones) is healthy that he'll be our starting quarterback" again. That's because, as FOX Sports reported earlier in November, key members of the organization still believe in the long-term future of their franchise quarterback. He's played just six games since signing his four-year, $160 million contract — three without Barkley, five without left tackle Andrew Thomas and all six behind a crumbling line that nearly got him killed.

They know he was in an impossible situation, and they're not ready to give up on him yet.

But there are two factors they need to strongly consider. One is that Jones has sustained a lot of injuries in the last few years, including a torn ACL that might not be healed in time for him to start the regular season. Any worries about his long-term health could force them to think about his successor.

They also have the sixth pick in the draft — a position they hope they won't be in again anytime soon. That puts them possibly in line to pick, or trade up for, one of the top three or four quarterbacks in this year's class.

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What the Giants have to decide is this: Do they believe in Jones enough to pass on what they hope is a rare opportunity to draft an elite quarterback prospect? Are they worried enough about him to pay what could be a king's ransom to move up even a few spots in the first round? And do they like any of these quarterbacks enough to make the move, especially knowing many scouts don't think the 2025 quarterback class will be nearly as good?

They've only got two months to decide. A good alternative might be to take a quarterback they like in the second round. The investment will be less and so will the scrutiny. He could easily sit behind Jones for a year or two, giving the Giants a fallback option for the future if Jones, for whatever reason, doesn't work out. Don't be shocked if that's the way they decide to go.

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3. Figure out how much they're willing to pay to keep safety Xavier McKinney

Outside of Barkley, the 24-year-old safety is their highest-profile free agent. He knows it, and he wants to get paid. He made that clear on Twitter last week when he wrote "I want to be appreciated in every way for what I do and bring to the table." He surely knows top safeties get deals worth more than $15 million per year.

But safety does not appear to be a high-value position in Schoen's world either. A team source said it's doubtful they'd use the franchise tag on him since it would cost $16.2 million. The New York Post reported the Giants were considering the rarely used transition tag, which would be worth only $13.9 million while giving McKinney a chance to seek other offers and give the Giants a chance to match.

A source, however, said "even that's a little high" for the cap room they want to allot to the position. If they use it, it would more likely just be a placeholder if they felt they had a shot to sign him to a reasonable, long-term deal.

They would like to try to find some way to keep McKinney. He's an ascending player coming off a strong season (116 tackles, three interceptions) and is a veteran leader they need in their young secondary. But the Giants have so many other needs, and so many other holes on their roster, there is a financial limit to how far they're willing to go.

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.