Tommy DeVito or Tyrod Taylor? Giants coach Brian Daboll made the choice he had to make
The New York Giants were officially eliminated from playoff contention with Monday’s 33-25 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. But the drama is still alive for Big Blue.
Here’s a review of Monday’s loss and a look ahead at yet another quarterback decision for coach Brian Daboll:
No QB conundrum
Daboll has been decisive whenever he’s had to make a quarterback decision this season. When No. 2 quarterback Tyrod Taylor returned from injured reserve in Week 14, Daboll announced that No. 3 QB Tommy DeVito would be the starter in his first news conference that week. After the offense struggled in last week’s 24-6 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Daboll said in his postgame news conference that DeVito would remain the starter for Monday’s game against the Eagles.
But Daboll changed his tune after benching DeVito in favor of Taylor at halftime of Monday’s game. When asked after the loss who would start Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, Daboll said he was only worried about the Eagles game.
A day later, Daboll wasn’t any more forthcoming. He said Tuesday morning that the staff would discuss the starting quarterback decision later that night. That appeared to be true, because Daboll announced Wednesday morning that Taylor would be the Giants starter on Sunday against the Rams.
Frankly, there shouldn’t have been any suspense. Daboll needed to stick with Taylor, who provided the “spark” the coach said he was seeking when he made the in-game switch. The defense and special teams made key plays to spur the Giants’ comeback, but Taylor delivered a perfect strike to wide receiver Darius Slayton for a 69-yard touchdown to pull them within five points with 5:22 remaining.
Taylor is the better quarterback with the longer track record. He’s one of the highest-paid backup quarterbacks in the league because the Giants believed in his ability to step in if starter Daniel Jones got injured.
That happened midway through the season, but the door was opened for DeVito when Taylor broke four ribs in a Week 8 loss to the Jets. DeVito won two straight starts before Taylor was activated from injured reserve after missing four games.
That set up an interesting decision for Daboll. Taylor is deeply respected in the locker room, and he had performed adequately before getting injured. But Daboll elected to ride DeVito’s hot hand, which looked like a smart decision when the undrafted rookie turned in his best performance in a 24-22 win over the Packers in Week 14. DeVito predictably came back to earth however, with the Giants managing just nine points over six quarters before Daboll pulled the plug while trailing the Eagle
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4 contract decisions that will pay off for the NY Giants
Joe Schoen has been on fire this offseason for the G-Men
Entering this offseason, the NY Giants had several decisions to make regarding certain players’ contracts. However, with limited cap space and many moves needed to upgrade this roster, Joe Schoen pulled off an offseason masterclass.
Not only did he retain key players, but Schoen also brought in some studs who can help push the Giants over the edge. The Giants have seen how badly other GMs can mess up an offseason, so we’re glad to have a guy like Schoen running the show.
These four contract decisions made by Schoen not only set up the Giants for success now, but they also made it much easier for the Giants to succeed in future seasons:
4. Restructuring Darren Waller’s contract
After landing former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller from the Raiders, the Giants finally have their elite receiving threat for Daniel Jones. Alongside this, he’s on a rather team-friendly deal thanks to an absolutely genius decision from Schoen.
Shortly after trading for Waller, Schoen decided to restructure his contract in order to free up cap space for this offseason. Not only did he do this, but Schoen also gave the Giants a massive advantage in case he doesn’t work out this season. Say Waller deals with injuries again, or just struggles overall, the Giants can opt out of the remainder of his contract.
While the remainder of his contract may be a little more beefy because of this move, the Giants have much more cap space in future years than this offseason. The move was almost necessary in order to bring in the free agents New York signed.
So not only did the Giants get a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end for just a third-round pick, but on the slim chance the move doesn’t work out, they can get off of his deal with no problem. These kinds of moves are what separates guys like Schoen from the average GM. In total, Schoen was able to create around $7.3 million in cap space this offseason by re-working Waller’s deal. Boom.3. Structuring Daniel Jones’ contract the way Joe Schoen did
When the announcement was made that Daniel Jones signed a four-year, $160 million extension with the Giants, many people harshly overreacted. Sure, Jones may not be directly worth $40 million a year. However, when you consider both the QB market, and the details of his contract, it’s not nearly as bad as you’d think.
Not only does Jones have a cap hit of just $21 million this season, but he also has an opt-out after the 2024 season. This means that a four-year deal could potentially be just a two-year deal worth much less than $160 million. We have faith that Jones will be worth this contract. However, it’s nice to know that the Giants aren’t screwed if this deal doesn’t pan out.
People can complain about Schoen paying Jones so much, but considering that Jones just led the Giants to the NFC Divisional Round, Schoen basically had to keep him. Alongside this, what’s worse? Giving your QB a massive deal that the team can get out of in two years, or completely starting over in one offseason without a top-10 pick to take a QB?
It’s rather clear just how necessary bringing Jones back was. New York couldn’t afford to start over at the most important position in the sport after making the playoffs. Honestly, the fact that Schoen was able to bring Jones back on the deal he did shows how genius of a GM he is. Someone like former GM Dave Gettleman wouldn’t even have the thought to structure Jones’s contract as Schoen did.2. Extending Dexter Lawrence for less than you’d think
One of the biggest needs this offseason was extending All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Many thought that Lawrence’s deal would come close to resetting the market for interior defensive linemen. Instead, however, Lawrence signed for just four years, $90 million. This is still a lot, but considering that Jefferey Simmons got four years, $94 million, it’s clear that Lawrence took a bit of a pay cut to help the team.
Regardless of whether Simmons or Lawrence is better, they are both arguably top three players at their position. This makes it rather surprising to see Lawrence get less than Simmons. Alongside this, just like Waller and Jones, Lawrence also has an opt-out following the 2025 season. While we doubt the Giants will use this, we’re glad to see it there in case something unforeseen happens in the future.
Lawrence is not only the best player on the Giants’ defense, but arguably the best player on the entire team as well. New York could not afford to let him walk following the ’23 season. So for Schoen to not only extend Lawrence, but to do so without resetting the market is inexplicably huge for the future of the Giants.
Keep in mind, Lawrence is just 25 and is only going to get better. The fact that his deal wasn’t record-breaking is incredibly shocking. It really seems like this deal could be considered a steal in the next couple of years.
Not overpaying Saquon Barkley
The Saquon Barkley saga this offseason has been an exhausting one. However, we’re incredibly glad that Schoen did not meet Barkley’s original demands. While Barkley is the caliber of running back worth paying a decent amount, there is no chance he was going to get $15-16 million per year.
Barkley is probably a top-three running back when healthy. However, he’s only had two fully healthy seasons in his five-year career and is 26 years old. How much can we trust that Barkley will be very productive in two or three years? Barkley does more than a lot of players to keep his body in the best shape possible, but the injuries are eventually going to take a toll on him.
Not only was it a great idea for Schoen not to overpay Barkley initially, but it was arguably an even better move to give him the franchise tag. That way, if a deal can’t be met, Barkley can either sign elsewhere and the Giants get assets out of it, or Barkley can play on the tag and show that he will continue to be consistently productive.
We’re hopeful that Barkley and Schoen can agree on a deal before the season starts. That way, the Giants can have their franchise running back on a team-friendly deal that won’t cripple them financially. Running backs may not be worth what they once were, but a player like Barkley is still incredibly important to the Giants’ offense.
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