New York Giants provide Daniel Jones with great chance to win
The New York Giants have spent lavishly in free agency. Now third-year quarterback Daniel Jones needs to make strides.
If Daniel Jones has felt outgunned his first two NFL seasons, that shouldn’t be the case in his third.
General manager Dave Gettleman has been busy over the past week, spending more than $150 million on three stars in cornerback Adoree Jackson, receiver Kenny Golladay and the re-signing of defensive tackle Leonard Williams. All told, Big Blue kept one difference-maker in house while adding two more, including an elite weapon for Jones.
Want $250 to bet on NFL futures?
After finishing out of the playoffs once again in 2020, the New York Giants are clearly making a play to not only improve but contend in the weak NFC East. The Washington Football Team is a defending champ and might be seen as slight favorites. However should Jones take the next step in his development, New York would be in the proverbial driver’s seat.
Last season, Jones, 23, threw for 2,943 yards with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 14 games. This represented a step back from his rookie campaign. In 2019, Jones totaled 3,027 passing yards with 24 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. Some of this can be attributed to having no rushing attack after star running back Saquon Barkley went down with a torn ACL in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears.
Now, everything is different and the pressure is on. Jones is slated to have a healthy Barkley for the 2021 campaign. He also haas Golladay on the outside, who with the Detroit Lions had a pair of 1,000-yard seasons on his rookie deal. Pairing him with Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, along with tight end Evan Engram, and Jones has one of the more talented groups of weapons in the NFL.
Read: Bucs’ Rob Gronkowski ‘Could Play Another Season Right Now’ If It Started Today
Should Jones fail to reach expectations — it’s probably fair to ask for 25 touchdowns and at least 3,800 yards — and the Giants could very well decide to decline his fifth-year option and force him to play out the final year of his rookie deal. At that juncture, there’s a good chance Jones would face competition for the staring job. As a result, he could perhaps be nailed to the bench.
The Giants, while far from perfect, put together a competitive team around Jones. Now he must take wing and prove he was worthy of being the No. 6 overall pick two years ago, or face a very murky future with New York.
