GM Joe Schoen discusses Giants' additional depth, improved offense and expectations for 2023
With training camp coming to a close and the Giants’ initial 53-man roster officially set in stone, general manager Joe Schoen met with reporters prior to Thursday morning’s practice.
Here are some takeaways…
Added Depth
The Giants made a pair of additions to improve their depth on defense as camp came to a close, acquiring pass rushers Isaiah Simmons and Carlos ‘Boogie’ Basham in trades.
Simmons, a former first-round pick added from the Cardinals for a seventh rounder, is expected to slot in alongside free agent signing Bobby Okereke at inside linebacker.
He's struggled so far in his NFL career, mainly playing safety, but many including Schoen expect Giants DC Wink Martindale to be able to reach into some of that untapped potential.
“Talked to Wink, he’s got a vision for the player,” he said. “Young guy, just turned 25. He has size, length, athleticism and versatility. For the compensation we thought it made sense and we’re excited to see what he does this year.”
With Basham, the GM actually had familiarity with him from their days in Buffalo. The defensive end told reporters after Wednesday's practice that Schoen was one of the big reasons he ended up being drafted by the Bills.
Now that they’re reunited in New York, Schoen likes the potential he brings to Big Blue's defense.
“He’s a young man we’re excited to get. He’s a second-round pick, been in the league for two years and still has two years left on his contract," he said. "He’s got a lot of upside, we’re looking forward to working with him.”
New-look offense
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones took some massive strides forward last season in his first year under head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
Schoen and the Giants decided to reward the first rounder with a massive payday this offseason, making him their franchise quarterback of the future. They also decided to add some more weapons around him.
Schoen acquired Darren Waller from the Raiders, retained Darius Slayton and Isaiah Hodgins, and brought in speedsters Parris Campbell and Jalin Hyatt via free agency and the draft, respectively.
While we didn't see much of the new-look first team offense during the preseason, Schoen was happy with their one touchdown scoring drive in Week 2 against the Lions.
He feels Jones appears "more comfortable" in Year 2 in this system and is excited for the potential of this group.
No extensions on the horizon
Schoen was also asked about if he’s discussing any new contracts or contract extensions heading into the regular season, and he said currently there’s “nothing on the docket.”
Schoen went on to say that it’s not something he wouldn’t consider, but there’s nothing in the works at this moment.
When asked specifically about starting safety Xavier McKinney, the GM confirmed what he mentioned on a recent radio appearance, saying the team will wait until after the season to start those talks.
The Alabama product has appeared in 29 games over his first three seasons in the league but has quickly become one of the leaders on the Big Blue defense.
Expectations
In the first-year of the Schoen/Daboll era, the Giants took a massive leap, returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and defeating the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round.
As mentioned above, Big Blue had a busy offseason adding a handful of new weapons and young talent on both sides of the ball. Heading into Year 2, there’s certainly high expectations for this group, but Schoen remains focused on taking things one day at a time.
“We’re just gonna try to get better each day,” he said. “We’re gonna focus on our process and if we do what we did last year, we’ll see what happens,” he said. “If we focus on that process I think we’ll see results.”
“For now, we’re just going to continue to prepare for Dallas and get ready for the season. We still have a slot to learn about this team and we’ll see when it comes to Sunday against the Cowboys how their gonna come together as a team and gel.”
