Brian Daboll Outlines Plan to Help Get Daniel Jones on Track
There was no bravado, no predictions, and certainly no promises tied into any timelines made by new Giants head coach Brian Daboll.
That was especially true when it came to the hot topic of quarterback Daniel Jones, who in three seasons has yet to reach the performance levels many in the organization thought he was capable of reaching when he was plucked as the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Duke.
But there was an acknowledgment by Daboll that, in undertaking the task of turning around
the misfortunes of a Giants franchise that has lost its way since winning Super Bowl XLVI in 2011, one of his top priorities will be “fixing” Jones.
Daboll has already met Jones, and he likes him—in fact, during his interview process, he pledged his backing of the embattled Jones, of whom team co-owner John Mara admitted they as a franchise had “screwed up” the kid every way possible.
Daboll knows that fixing Jones isn’t going to happen overnight, just like getting Josh Allen of the Bills to play at an elite level didn’t happen overnight. But the 46-year-old head coach has a plan that he hopes will help Jones realize the potential he and others in the organization believe Jones has.
That plan began with a simple homework assignment when the two men first spoke.
“He was one of the players that called me after it was announced, and I said, ‘Hey, give me some things that you really liked in your last three years or if you did it at Duke,’” Daboll said of the process he has in mind for helping Jones get on the right track.
“That’s where it’s going to start—with some foundational pieces that he feels comfortable with. I think we’ll add good coaches. We’ll have a good support system, and we’ll try to bring in the best players we can bring in.
In terms of establishing a milestones timeline, Daboll said he would let things play out with Jones organically rather than use Allen’s progression as a measuring stick.
“We’re not going to make any predictions. I wouldn’t do that to Daniel or any player. I don’t think that’s fair to compare him to another guy that I was working with,” Daboll said.
“We’re going to find out what he does well. We’re going to try to implement a system that suits him, and then it’s our job to bring pieces in that help him to be the best version of himself and the best quarterback for us.”
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Daboll spoke honestly about Jones when he was asked about him, tossing just about every compliment one could think of about the 24-year-old’s work ethic, attitude, and potential.
“He’s got the right mindset. He’s got good size. There’s a lot of things to like about Daniel,” he said.
But what Jones doesn’t have—the support system and stability—is what Daboll plans to provide one day at a time.
“We’ll work with him. We’ll help him get better. We’ll help him be a better leader. We’ll help him be everything,” Daboll said.
“It takes a lot to raise a quarterback if you will, and he’s been around the block here these last three years with some different pieces. We’re going to try to give him some stability and just take it from there.”
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