INDIANAPOLIS — The New York Giants dared Daniel Jones to prove his worth last season. They made him show he could be a franchise quarterback before paying him like one.
That’s what he did. Now he wants his money.
Why do so many people think this is false?
Jones is not the reason the Giants are about to face a salary cap hit after a week of in-person talks between general manager Joe Schoen and Jones’ agents at the NFL Scouting Combine failed to result in a new long-term contract. Their plan is to use the $32.4 million franchise tag on him if they fail to reach a deal before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline. And that will use about 70 percent of the $46.8 million in salary cap space they are expected to have.
(Giants’ commitment to Daniel Jones could cost them Saquon Barkley)
As Schoen pointed out last week, this will “limit” what they can do in free agency. This would almost certainly mean the loss of the running back Saquon Barkley.
And none of this would be Jones’ fault.
Yes, he shot for the moon when negotiations opened, asking for more than $45 million a year, according to one source — a figure that would have made him the third highest-paid player in the game. Was that more than he was worth? Of course. But with the way quarterback prices are skyrocketing, he figured it might look like a bargain in a few years. As one agent told FOX Sports: “Franchise prices are always going up, not down. »
Of course, he knew the Giants wouldn’t pay that much. They preferred a deal closer to $35 million per year, according to a source. But Jones also knew they didn’t want to use the franchise tag and kill the cap space that Schoen had worked so hard to free up. It was his leverage, and he chose to use it. This is how negotiations work.
So stop resenting him and stop thinking he should be generous and accept some sort of discount. The idea that Jones – or any player – should take less money so his team has more wiggle room to spend on other players is absurd. Players should try to get whatever they can, whenever they can. If a team is short on cap space, it’s a team problem, not a player problem. Players are not responsible for managing the salary cap. Good CEOs and capitalization gurus can make things happen.
Plus, if the Giants use the expensive tag on Jones, it’s not only their choice, it’s also their fault. They could have gotten him for $22.4 million this year if they hadn’t declined his fifth-year option. Instead, they played and Jones won. So now they face a difficult decision. If they think he’s a franchise quarterback, they should pay him like one.
If they don’t, they should let him go, take a chance and start over with someone else.
Is Jones worth $45 million a year?
Nick Wright shares his advice to the Giants: franchise tag Daniel Jones.
They obviously don’t want to do it again, which is why haggling over what’s probably $5-7 million a year at this point doesn’t make sense. It’s not an amount that destroys the cap if the deal is structured well. So they should go a little beyond their comfort zone, pay him a little more and get back to work building the team around him.
If they prefer to use the label rather than risk overpaying for it, that’s their decision. But it’s not Jones’ responsibility to help them out of the mess they created. He’s already helped them a lot by being a 25-year-old ascending talent in the most important position in football, so they don’t have to spend the next few years hoping to get lucky and find someone else.
Teams without a quarterback don’t have a chance. Jones gave the Giants a chance.
This comes at a price. So maybe it’s time for everyone to adopt the attitude of Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, who will soon give away his franchise quarterback, Jalen hurtsa new record contract.
“You want me to get sentimental about what it was like before we paid our quarterback?” » Roseman said. “I think that’s the nature of the business. I think the best thing is to have a quarterback who is good enough to want to pay him.”
Philadelphia pushback
THE Philadelphia EaglesUnsurprisingly, they weren’t thrilled with the news that the NFL’s competition committee discussed banning their infamous “push play” on quarterback sneaks – where players literally push Jalen Hurts from behind, helping to cross the goal line or first down mark. The committee was divided during their discussions in the scouting group, according to a league source, but agreed to revisit the issue at the NFL owners meeting in March.
“All I know is everything we do is legal and it works,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said. “And just because people are doing something really good doesn’t mean it should be banned.”
Roseman is right. This “push” has technically been legal in the NFL since 2006, when the league changed the language of its blocking rules. The Eagles do this incredibly well. Hurts’ sneak attacks were successful more than 90 percent of the time.
Multiple league sources told FOX Sports that the NFL is unlikely to ban the “push,” at least for now. This could change if more teams start doing this – which they clearly will.
“I’m a little jealous that we didn’t come up with this idea,” said the new Broncos coach Sean Payton. “When I was asked about this piece at FOX, I said, ‘If it’s allowed, we’d all watch more movies and put them in ourselves. If they allow it, you see how you can do it. If they don’t allow it, you move on and do something else.’
Commanders QB Clarity
THE Washington Commanders are ready to start next season with Sam Howell as the starting quarterback, but Ron Rivera has made it clear the second-year pro will have to compete for the job.
“He’s not our starter,” Rivera said last week. “He comes in as QB1. He’ll have a great opportunity to be our starter. But we want to find a veteran quarterback.”
Rivera wouldn’t rule out bringing back Washington favorite Taylor Heinicke be that vet. But it seems even more likely that they will turn to free will. They won’t make a big splash, like they did by trading for Carson Wentz last offseason. They are more likely to consider a lower tier of free agents, perhaps Mayfield Baker Or Sam Darnold.
Catching up in Dallas
Considering Lamb CeeDee had more catches, yards and touchdowns than everyone else Cowboys combined wide receiver last season, it’s pretty clear they need to find a No. 2 receiver this offseason. Even vice president Stephen Jones said “it’s fair to say we’re seriously looking” at improving their receiving corps.
But he also looked like he expected WR Michael Gallup (39-424-4 in 14 games last season) to emerge as a viable No. 2.
“Michael Gallup has a great chance to take the next step in terms of what he can do,” Jones said. “After suffering a major ACL (at the end of the 2022 season), I think it’s pretty typical for guys to improve from year one to year two.”
Gallup also reportedly underwent arthroscopic surgery on his other (right) knee and ankle last month, although he is expected to be ready for the offseason training program this spring.
Jones also said the Cowboys will “more than likely” use his franchise tag — probably at running back. Tony Pollard ($10.1 million), according to an NFL source. Owner Jerry Jones also said he wants to keep coming back. Ezekiel Elliottwho, according to him, is always a “difference maker”. But he will likely have to take a pay cut from the $10.9 million salary he is owed in 2023.
Is Dak the man for Dallas?
The SPEAK Team discusses Stephen Jones’ comments on whether the Cowboys should still trust Dak Prescott to lead them to a Super Bowl victory.
What is happening in Washington?
Last week was a bad one for the Washington Commanders organization with multiple reports accusing embattled owner Daniel Snyder of financial fraud — including one from ESPN claiming Snyder’s minority partners were accusing him of using the franchise as his “personal piggy bank.” Her apparent efforts to sell the franchise also appear to have stalledsince he would not yet have an offer close to the $7 billion price he is seeking.
Unsurprisingly, NFL owners are expected to discuss Snyder and the sale of his franchise at owners’ meetings in March. It doesn’t look like they’ll try to force him to sell.
Meanwhile, the NFL Players Association released a player survey that ranked the Commanders as the worst organization for working conditions in the NFL. Teams were graded in eight categories and Washington received F-minus grades for the training room, locker rooms and accommodations.
The rest of the NFC East is doing much better. The Cowboys ranked fifth, the Giants eighth and the Eagles 14th overall.
Take the fifth
The Giants will “most likely” pick up the fifth-year option on left tackle and 2020 No. 4 pick Andrew Thomas, general manager Joe Schoen said (Spoiler alert: They definitely will), at a cost of $14.2 million for 2024. And since Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones said wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (the 17th pick that year) “is in our long-term plans term”, it is clear that Dallas will recover its $18 million. fifth year option as well.
Commanders, however, might not choose this option on the defensive side. Chase away the young ($17.5 million), who was selected second overall in 2020. Rivera hinted at the possibility during the Super Bowl, and a team source said it was a possibility. Teams have until May 1 to make a decision, and it could depend on Young’s medical evaluation as he continues to return from his ACL surgery.
The teams have until May 1 to decide.
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 NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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