NFL Trade Rumors: New York Giants ready to deal QB Daniel Jones?
Patience is apparently not a virtue in the NFL. This week's Exhibit A is the New York Giants, who may already be considering moving on from their 23-year-old, supposed-to-be franchise quarterback Daniel Jones.
SportsNet New York reporter Ralph Vacchiano said the New York Giants could already be cooling off on Jones, the No. 6 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Jones' rookie contract goes through the 2022 season, so if the Giants are thinking of ending this experiment, it would most likely involve trading Jones this offseason.
Coming to the Giants from Duke University, Jones was pegged as the replacement to Eli Manning and the team's next great quarterback. He even had a previous connection to Manning, as he was coached in college by David Cutliffe, who coached both Eli and Peyton Manning during their respective college careers and remains close to the Manning family.
If a team couldn't get a quarterback from the Manning bloodline, getting one who was coached by Cutliffe was the next-best thing.
Jones started 12 games in his rookie season, which was also Eli Manning's final season before he retired. He threw for 3,027 yards and 24 touchdowns along with 12 interceptions. The New York Giants went 3-9 in the games Jones started. It wasn't a great rookie season, but Jones showed potential. The franchise seemed headed in the right direction with Jones at quarterback and Saquon Barkley, the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft, at running back, as the foundation of their offense.
NFL Trade Rumors: Daniel Jones has struggled in Year 2 for the New York Giants
This season, things fell apart quickly.
Barkley suffered a torn ACL in Week 2, ending his season. The losses proceeded to piled up for the New York Giants with Jones. Going into Week 9, the Giants are 1-7 and at the bottom of an abnormally weak NFC East division.
Jones has thrown for 1,666 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. His passer rating and Quarterback Rating are both down from his rookie year.
Vacchiano's claim that Jones is regressing is backed up by the stats. Even worse, Jones' season -- the Giants' season, really -- is probably going to be defined by this play:
The Giants are in position to land one of the top two picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. If they do, they'll be in position to take one of the two quarterbacks at the top of the board: Clemson's Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State's Justin Fields.
If given that opportunity, would the New York Giants take a QB and trade Jones, or keep Jones as their franchise QB and get him help somewhere else on the field?