The New York Giants are finalizing a deal to make Joe Schoen (pronounced SHANE for those wondering) their new general manager.
That leads to the next question: What can Schoen do to turn this listing Giants’ ship around?
The quotes I've got from co-workers and those who know Joe Schoen around the league:
"Really smart."
"Dude is gonna outwork you." "Earned keep."
"Straight-forward."
"Great communicator."
"Well-rounded."
"Home run."— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) January 21, 2022
First off, Schoen, if empowered, must take this dusty rug of an organization out into the backyard and beat it until all of the dust is gone. If John Mara doesn’t allow him to make the vital institutional changes in the scouting, medical, conditioning and personnel ranks this hire will have all for naught.
“We are looking for a person who demonstrates exceptional leadership and communication abilities,’’ CEO John Mara said recently. “Somebody who will oversee all aspects of our football operations, including player personnel, college scouting and coaching.’’
If he does get empowered, Schoen can lead the Giants back to prominence through proper scouting and drafting and not overpaying for players. The other part of that equation is keeping those player healthy and on the field.
Schoen could very likely hire an offensive mind who can develop fourth-year quarterback Daniel Jones. One coaching candidate is a natural fit – Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll who turned Josh Allen from a raw rookie into one of the NFL’s most dynamic players. Many believe Jones possesses some similar characteristics that Allen has.
It will be interesting to see what Schoen thinks of Jones. After all, having the right quarterback is the key to success in this league. He must have told the Maras and Steve Tisch that he can likely salvage and/or develop Jones as the Giants appear to still be tethered to him.
“Throughout our search, Joe impressed us with his ability to communicate a progressive and comprehensive vision for our team. His philosophy and collaborative approach to building a roster and coaching staff align with what we were looking for in a general manager,’ Mara said in a statement on Friday.
“Joe is the kind of exceptional leader we sought to oversee our football operations,” said chairman Steve Tisch. “We will do whatever it takes to support Joe’s vision and strategic plan for success. We are excited to begin this next chapter with Joe as our general manager.”
A new era is about to begin in East Rutherford. If Schoen is sold on Jones, he can begin to rectify the many mistakes his predecessor, Dave Gettleman, made. The salary cap must be addressed. The medical and conditioning staff has to come up with answers to why they lead the league in injuries almost every year and the team must be built the right way – from the inside out, not from the outside in. They must get bigger and meaner in the trenches.
Schoen is likely to know all of this already. The Giants’ mistakes under Gettleman and Jerry Reese are well known across the league. That is why the job was so sought after. The problem are well known and the solutions may be easier than we think if the owners allow Schoen to do the job properly.
