John Mara thrilled to lastly give Daniel Jones ‘continuity’ with Giants
PHOENIX — With solely minutes to spare, the Giants have been in a position to put the ending touches on a four-year contract with Daniel Jones price $160 million again on March 7.
Earlier that day, co-owner John Mara reached out to his quarterback, hoping this one last outreach would assist persuade Jones how a lot he was needed.
“I emphasised to him how a lot we needed him right here, needed him to be a Large and the way I felt it was in his finest curiosity to signal the deal and keep right here,” Mara mentioned Monday on the NFL house owners’ assembly. “We’re lastly going to present you some continuity, which we haven’t been in a position to do since we drafted you and we’ve an opportunity to construct this roster to be a profitable workforce and we wish you to be part of it. It was an excellent dialog. I used to be more than happy he ended up signing the deal.”
This message was a pointy distinction to what Mara mentioned Jan. 26, 2022, the day he launched Joe Schoen because the workforce’s new common supervisor. The Giants have been coming off a 4-13 season and Jones missed the ultimate six video games with a neck challenge.
“We’ve achieved all the pieces potential to screw this child up since he’s been right here,” Mara mentioned on the time, alluding to a revolving door at head coach and offensive coordinator, shabby offensive traces and suspect weapons to focus on within the passing recreation.
Jones returns in 2023 with the identical head coach (Brian Daboll), similar offensive coordinator (Mike Kafka), similar quarterbacks coach (Shea Tierney), similar beginning working again (Saquon Barkley) and some acquainted large receivers in Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins and two gamers coming off accidents, Wan’Dale Robinson and Sterling Shepard.
The large transfer in free company was the commerce with the Raiders for tight end Darren Waller, a top-tier threat when healthy. The Giants despatched certainly one of their two picks within the third spherical of the 2023 draft to Las Vegas for Waller.
“He’s an offensive weapon,” Schoen mentioned. “Who’re these weapons which can be obtainable? The place can we discover a participant that has a dynamic talent set that may assist us? Waller was a kind of gamers we discovered was obtainable, we did our analysis on him and the worth met what we have been keen to pay.”
Within the Giants grading scale, Waller is listed as a “blue” participant — thought-about to be a Professional Bowl-type participant.
Maybe the Giants will choose a large receiver with the twenty fifth general choose within the upcoming draft so as to add to Jones’ arsenal.
“If we put the items round him there’s no restrict to how excessive he can climb,” mentioned Mara, who added he’s “very assured” the Giants can ultimately win a Tremendous Bowl with Jones because the beginning quarterback.
“I believe he confirmed how good a quarterback he will be final yr and if we proceed to enhance our roster there’s no restrict to how effectively he can play,” Mara mentioned.
Signing inside linebacker Bobby Okereke ought to considerably enhance the run protection, an space that bothered Mara in the course of the 2022 season.
“I clearly really feel a lot better about our workforce now than I did a yr in the past,” Mara mentioned. “Clearly our division is far harder. I believe we’ve the items in place to proceed to enhance and finally contend for a championship.”