The New York Giants 2023 season was a complete failure, especially given the club made the playoffs the previous year.
Recently extended quarterback Daniel Jones underperformed and was placed on injured reserve. The offense lacked consistent playmakers, while the defense only infrequently performed like a postseason-caliber team.
The Giants concluded with just six victories and fired defensive coordinator Don Martindale at the end of the season. However, head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen will both return in 2024. Their vision for the franchise will continue.
“It takes time, a couple of offseasons, and a few drafts to build it the right way,” Schoen told Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano.
However, it will need effort, and the Giants face a number of difficult decisions.
Running back Saquon Barkley was New York’s most consistent offensive performer in 2023, at least while healthy. However, injuries limited him to 14 games. Barkley’s professional career has been plagued by injuries, and he will turn 27 next month.
Signing Barkley to a long-term agreement would be risky, but letting him leave may hurt Jones, who got a four-year, $160 million extension last summer and has yet to live up to it.
Using the franchise tag for the second year in a row would be troublesome, but Barkley does not appear to be opposed to it.
“They completed it last year. So I’m numb to it. Barkley told Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, “I have no feelings about that at all.”
New York is expected to have $37.9 million in cap space, but tagging Barkley would need a 20% raise over his 2023 contract, which would consume $12.1 million in cap room.
Daboll and Schoen must decide how to keep Barkley and whether doing so is more sensible than replacing him with a younger, cheaper alternative.
