Giants to Reportedly Retain Joe Judge, Daniel Jones -- But Should They?

Changes are coming to the Giants organization--but but doesn't sound like it's the changes everyone is hoping for.

 

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the New York Giants are planning to retain both head coach Joe Judge and quarterback Daniel Jones for 2022. Schefter also reported that it is expected that general manager Dave Gettleman will step down after this season.

It’s been speculated for weeks that this is how the Giants plan to proceed despite the club taking a step backward record-wise in what’s been an injury-filled season and one in which the Giants haven’t been able to optimize their return on the millions invested in free agency.

The big question, though, is if Gettleman does retire, how would a new general manager affect any plans the organization might have regarding the head coach and quarterback.

It’s widely believed that a new general manager coming in who would be worth his weight in gold would want to have free rein to make that decision rather than have it attached as a condition. And as Schefter noted in his report, “Giants ownership would convey its preference to keep Judge.”

What About the General Manager?

Recently, there have been grumbles that the Giants, should Gettleman indeed step down after the season, might promote long-time assistant general manager Kevin Abrams to the role. 

Such a move would, in effect, giving Abrams, Judge, and Jones one year to turn the franchise around. If that doesn't happen, then the early thought process is they would finally press the reset button on all three critical positions for the first time since 1979 when the head coach, general manager, and franchise quarterback all entered the franchise on the same timeline.

That possibility of promoting Abrams, who is widely viewed by many as part of the Giants' problems over the last decade, has not gone well with a Giants fan base that has suffered through nearly a decade of losing football.

Any argument for keeping Judge after two straight years of losing football, the second of which the team has regressed, especially from a coaching perspective, is another tough pill to swallow. 

Still, it’s certainly possible that ownership, in its evaluation of the second-year head coach, likes how the team has continued to fight for Judge, who a few weeks ago delivered a lengthy monologue explaining what progress the team has made since he was hired as head coach.

Between that and the ridiculous injury rate this year which has wiped out key starters for all or part of the season, it’s certainly possible that those factors are why Judge is going to get a pass.

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And Jones?

As for Jones, who has cut down on his turnovers but has thrown only 45 touchdown passes in 38 career games, there are several reasons why, besides Judge's continued support of him, that is likely driving a desire to retain him the finances.

As CBS Sports salary cap guru Joel Corry noted, $765,000 of Jones’ $965,000 base salary and $3,229,644 roster bonus due on the third day of training camp are fully guaranteed.

Another could be a lack of a true blue-chip quarterback prospect in this year's draft class.

The Giants are also well aware of the malfunctions of the offensive line, a unit that will have to be addressed in 2022.

The big question regarding Jones is whether the team will pick up Jones’s option year. That decision won’t have to be made until May 2, 2022.

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So what are we to make of all this?

If Dave Gettleman does indeed step down, as has been expected now for weeks, my choice, not that I get a vote in the matter,  would be to cast a wide net for a new general manager rather than limiting it to an in-house candidate (Abrams). 

And as part of that wide net, I would give the new general manager full  autonomy over football decisions, much like how George Young operated back in the day and I would like to see that general manager come in with a stable salary cap situation to work with, something the Giants don't appear to have for 2022. 

(They are projected to be $9 million over once the Top 51 rule kicks in t the start of the new league year.)

The Giants, if the tea leaves are correct, don't appear willing to go this route. And if they take the route of keeping Judge and Jones, and promoting Abrams, that approach comes with a very high risk.

The risk lies in the draft, where the Giants currently have nine picks, five of which could end up in the top-100. The draft is the cornerstone for building a roster, and while reports are that Abrams has learned how to scout personnel, though it’s unclear what role he plays in that on draft day.

If Abrams is promoted to general manager and Judge is retained, that likely means Judge will have a very loud voice in who gets drafted. That’s all well and good if the plan is to keep Judge for the long term, but the risk is if he flops again and a house cleaning is necessary, we have seen many times over that when a new staff comes in, it tends to want its guys over some of those already in the building.  

This upcoming class is one that the Giants can’t afford to have any whiffs, especially on those picks they have that right now project to fall within the top-100. If Judge can’t turn it around next year, he won’t get a fourth year, nor will Jones, for that matter, and the Giants, I believe, will press the reset button.

But in the meantime, that will have meant another year of lousy football, possibly two or more depending on the direction the franchise is headed. And the fans deserve so much better.

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