After an uninspiring bye-week press conference from Joe Schoen, the chances have never been higher that the New York Giants will be searching for a new general manager this offseason. It has been a long four years for Schoen, coming onto the team with now-ex head coach Brian Daboll and leading the G-Men to the playoffs in the first season.
Since their last playoff appearance in 2023, losing has become the team’s culture. Despite some of Schoen’s good moves as GM, poor drafts, unwarranted contracts, and a lack of accountability are too much to overlook to keep him around.
Draft Blunders
Schoen has certainly drafted some franchise players, such as Malik Nabers, Jaxson Dart, and, hopefully, Abdul Carter, but there is little credit to give him for the Dart selection. Before and during the draft, Brian Daboll was very vocal about wanting Dart as the quarterback, with Schoen assumingly drafting him because of that.
Despite his good selections, Schoen is also responsible for an immense number of draft busts. The prime examples are Evan Neal’s selection at seventh overall in 2022, Deonte Banks in the first round of 2023, and Jalin Hyatt in the third round of 2023. Each of these players has been a healthy scratch throughout this season and will likely not be on the team next season.
To make matters worse, drafting has been considered Schoen’s strength as the Giants’ GM, despite his overall poor record.
Season-Destroying Contracts, Or Lack Thereof
Schoen’s most infamous move as GM has been letting Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley walk in free agency. This move may not even be his worst; other catastrophic mistakes have been re-signing Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million deal and letting All-Pro Xavier McKinney walk in free agency.
Many of the Giants’ cap issues over the past few years have stemmed from the disastrous Jones contract, which made it extremely difficult to bring back Barkley and McKinney. Along with losing premier players, Schoen has additionally struggled with the small-time moves.
What seem like insignificant moves, like re-signing punter Jamie Gillan, signing swing tackle James Hudson, or re-signing receiver Darius Slayton, have made a significant impact on their cap.
Gillan, who is getting paid as a top-10 punter and making over $3 million this season, is 30th in average punt yards. As for Hudson, he had an awful start to the season and has not seen the field since then. Slayton, who is making the most out of these “role players”, has continued his mediocrity/below-average play, and his contract is possibly keeping the Giants from bringing back Wan’Dale Robinson.
Schoen’s inability to manage the cap wisely has cost the Giants multiple outstanding players.
Limited Accountability
Lack of accountability has been evident throughout the Giants organization, and not just an issue with Schoen. As a result, there have been problems within the team, including Abdul Carter’s benching and a toxic locker room.
Schoen has repeatedly vocalized that he is not at fault for various issues within the Giants, despite evidence to the contrary. Having this type of leadership in the front office has plagued the Giants, and moving on from it would help the team tremendously.
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