Joe Schoen Offers Optimistic Take on Giants' 2024 Roster

Schoen feels the Giants roster is much improved from a year ago.

Jul 24, 2024; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen talks to media before the start of training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Facility. / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

No NFL roster is ever complete or perfect–it just doesn’t work that way, no matter what or who the team is. But as far as New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen is concerned, the group that he, head coach Brian Daboll, and the rest of the front office decision-makers assembled to compete in 2024 is a solid group that is much improved from a year ago.

“I like the group,’’ Schoen said Wednesday, declining to go into a position-by-position breakdown. “We like the team. We like the chemistry. We like where we are. Excited to get things going this week. I feel like we've improved in several areas.” 

Schoen’s optimism and body language as he spoke were much different than a year ago, when it wasn’t hard to notice that his voice had some trepidation when asked for his assessment of the roster.

Schoen’s sentiments come as no surprise as the group that will take the field next weekend against the Minnesota Vikings is mostly all players Schoen and Daboll have brought on board or, as is the case with quarterback Daniel Jones and receiver Darius Slayton, decided to give second contracts to.

Schoen made it a top priority this past offseason to fix the offensive line, bringing in veterans with more than acceptable game experience that could hit the ground running. 

Florham Park, NJ -- August 21, 2024 -- Giants head coach Brian Daboll before practice. The New York Giants came to the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park, New Jersey to take part in a joint practice with the New York Jets. / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

That plan had a monkey wrench thrown into it over the summer thanks to injuries to center John Michael Schmit and right tackle Evan Neal, but the projected starting five that the Giants will field next week–left tackle Andrew Thomas, left guard Jon Runyan Jr, center Schitz, right guard Greg VanRoten, and right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor–have begun practicing together this past week and should be ready for the challenges that lie ahead.

Schoen made the blockbuster move to bring in edge rusher Brian Burns, finally giving the Giants another viable weapon. When teamed with outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux and defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II, Burns will force opponents to pick their poison. 

Schoen also added a legitimate No. 1 receiver in rookie Malik Nabers, giving embattled quarterback Daniel Jones a receiver whose talent level is much higher than any Jones has worked with previously in his Giants career.  

And although Schoen couldn’t get a deal done with running back Saquon Barkley, he did manage to land a reliable, if less flashy, back in Devin Singletary, who has led every NFL team he’s been on in rushing yardage.

It’s a solid-looking roster, but not one without question marks. Schoen could not get an outside cornerback during free agency despite reportedly trying with three different established veterans. The price to acquire Burns also cost the Giants a chance at drafting an outside cornerback in the second round, when their desired targets came off the board before they could go on the clock.

There is also a question about Jones, who is coming off a torn ACL. Circumstances around Jones during the first five years of his career haven’t been ideal, be it due to injuries, offensive line performance, or a lack of a quality receiving corps. 

But Jones himself has had his ups and downs for which he’s been responsible, and now, as he enters Year 6 of his career and Year 3 with Daboll and Schoen, it’s a make-or-break season for the former Duke signal caller. 

And then the Giants are also at a crossroads of sorts with Evan Neal, the seventh overall pick of the 2022 draft who was supposed to be their right tackle of the future but who through two seasons has struggled with staying healthy and with pass blocking. 

Schoen knows that the roster isn’t perfect–and again, no NFL roster ever is, as all it takes is an injury at a key spot to throw everything out of whack.

But there is enough currently in place for Schoen to believe that if this group avoids the injury bug, it could be a much-improved unit over the 6-11 mess that played last season. 

“ I like the chemistry of the team, where we are now. I think that's important. Some of the best teams aren't always the most talented teams, but they come together, they work hard, they know their assignments, they execute,” he said. 

“Again, we don't know how this team is going to react when we're down 10 or how they're going to react when we're up 10, when adversity strikes, what's that going to look like. 

“But talent-wise, we like the group we have; we're excited about them. We'll see how they gel and execute once we get out there on Sunday.”  

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