Second in a three-part series on the Giants' quarterback issues. Tomorrow's schedule: We examine the remaining interesting but unproven QBs, retreads, etc.
There's one way Sam Darnold makes the lofty expectations he faced as a rookie seem small.
If Darnold signs a big-money, multi-year free agent deal with the Giants as a solution to their quarterback woes, the pressure of returning to New York will outweigh the savior burden that comes with a first-round arrival. Dew. 2018 Jets draft pick.
The Giants are expected to draft a quarterback in 2025, but a dangerous third pick would remove them from the only two first-rounders in Colorado's Shedule Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward. The possibility exists. In any case, it is considered a prospect that cannot be overlooked.
So what happens when general manager Joe Schon and head coach Brian Daboll let a franchise quarterback, who could quickly cool the hot seats, into free agency? In that case, you have Darnold and everyone else.
“Other than Sam Darnold, none of the free agents are moving at all for me,” NBC Sports NFL analyst Chris Sims told the Post. “This is such an important year for the Giants that we can't just deal with a guy who's like, 'We see talent and potential and we think we can make him throw a little bit better.' “We need guys who can run the offense, make the throws, and do everything else. ”
Darnold's anatomy
Why would the Vikings let go of a 27-year-old Pro Bowler who has career-highs of 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns?
Well, they might not, even after Darnold's back-to-back season-ending antics took a 13-win team from the brink of a No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs to a first-round exit. The Vikings have salary cap space (approximately $58 million) and could apply the franchise tag (one year, $41.3 million).
If they part ways, ironically, the Vikings' strength chart could end up with JJ McCarthy, who the Giants avoided, in the first round in 2024, and Daniel Jones, who was waived by the Giants. .
In place of Darnold, the Vikings will buy Jones ($160 million on the Giants' 2025 salary cap) as a cheaper bridge to McCarthy (still recovering from two knee surgeries). There is a possibility that he will re-sign a contract that still includes $22 million from a failed contract extension.
“Going back to Darnold's draft day, everyone valued his skill set and that's always going to help him,” a league official who is a salary cap expert told the Post. “But there are teams that are thinking, 'Given how good the situation was around him, we've just seen the absolute limit.'
“There's going to be some trepidation, but Darnold's free agency is the best timing in the world because last year we had six quarterbacks in the top 12 of the draft, and now we're getting two in the first round. Because he can. It's very beneficial for him.”
As always, there are more teams in need of a quarterback than a solution.
The Titans and Browns are in the best position for Sanders and Ward, considering they have the No. 1 and No. 2 draft picks, respectively. However, the Raiders are in a similar dire situation as the Giants, and the Jets, Steelers, Colts and Saints could also make big changes.
How will Darnold fare with the Giants? I wonder if it will be like his three-year struggle with the talent-poor Jets, or when he completed 53 percent of his passes and had 11 sacks in his last two games. There are concerns that this may be the case.
“The last two games really show who Sam Darnold is,” said one AFC pro personnel scout. “I think the Vikings did a really good job of trying to protect him and I think he’s rejuvenated.
“The problem New York has isn't just the quarterback, it's the players around him. How are they going to rebuild their offense again? If they can't run the ball, the average quarterback It's going to be very difficult to play really good football, not just straight dropbacks, but setting up play-actions and bootlegs. [passing] It made him a better quarterback. ”
Considering Darnold's market estimates is a big risk.
Salary cap experts say Darnold's contract is an inflation-adjusted replica of the three-year, $100 million deal ($50 million guaranteed) that Baker Mayfield signed with the Buccaneers last season. Mayfield's contract significantly exceeds the three-year, $75 million deal ($40 million guaranteed) signed by the Seahawks in 2023 with Geno Smith.
“There will be some desperate teams because of the weak draft class,” the expert said. “Look at the Raiders. They were going to trade up for Jaden Daniels as much as possible. They won't, and the whole regime gets fired. This is Darnold's best opportunity to make money. His. You can look at his performance and make the argument that he should be signed for another year, but the chances that he can stay healthy and perform like this are slim to none.
Mayfield, Smith, and Darnold are often lumped together as journeyman quarterbacks who ended up living up to their draft expectations on the fourth team. One former NFL general manager said the trio “reminds us that a quarterback's development is never a straight line.”
The Giants' path may come down to honest self-evaluation of their goals. Is it to regain respectability as quickly as possible? Or is it to find and develop an answer to Dak Prescott (second in 2024 MVP voting) and Jalen Hurts and Daniels in the division in the NFC Championship Game?
“I don't think the strategy of taking a failed journeyman and hoping he comes back is a winning proposition,” former Giants scouting director Mark Ross said in November. Mahomes and Josh Allen. ”
Other proven starters
The free agent quarterback market, which will be allowed to negotiate for the first time on March 10, could look different than it does now.
Will the unions of the Jets and Aaron Rodgers, the Falcons and Kirk Cousins, and the Saints and Derek Carr still exist?
Cousins will almost certainly be available, even though the Falcons claim they're fine with $40 million in cap space for their hapless backup. He has a no-trade clause, so Cousins gets to decide where he lands, essentially allowing the Falcons to pick up the bulk of his bill while he plays elsewhere on the league minimum salary. Forced to release him while in arrears.
Sitting on the bench, there's little to convince Cousins, 36, that the Giants are his best path to redemption. The Browns, coached by former Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski, appear to be a good fit for Cousins, which could give the Giants a draft option.
If the Cousins situation sounds familiar, it's because Russell Wilson did it with the Broncos last offseason. Wilson visited the Giants before signing with the Steelers, where he showed signs of his Pro Bowl days before ending the season with five straight losses.
When asked about not bringing in Wilson to compete with Jones last offseason, Schoen said, “I can't get them to sign.” Perhaps a second job will be more appealing for the 36-year-old Wilson with Jones gone and fewer replacements available.
“I doubt Russ will be a starter in the league next season,” Sims said.
The best contract comparison for Wilson would be the two-year deals (adjusted for inflation of up to about $50 million) that Case Keenum and Sam Bradford signed late in their careers.
“We probably won't touch him,” the scout said. “Why was he better in Pittsburgh than in Denver? They can run the ball and play to his strengths to the fullest.”
Rodgers enjoyed the loss in New York, which has a better roster than the Giants. Kerr, whose older brother won a Super Bowl as Eli Manning's backup, may be more interested.
But Rodgers, 41, and Carr, 33, were essentially the Jets' last two options in 2023.
See how it worked out.
