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Can a quarterback who doesn’t throw touchdowns be a “Franchise player”?
The Los Angeles Rams are traveling east to face the New York Giants on Sunday at 10 AM PT. A season ago, the Rams dropped the Giants to an 0-4 record with a 17-9 victory in Week 4. This time around, LA is 4-1 and New York is 1-4, with head coach Joe Judge facing the hot seat if he doesn’t solve his team’s issues soon.
One of those problems could be quarterback Daniel Jones, but that would depend on who are asking.
I asked Ed Valentine of the Giants blog Big Blue View when I sent him five Qs about the team. Ed sent me back five corresponding As, to give us a glimpse into the Giants.
Q – If you had to predict Sunday’s inactives for the Giants, which notable names would be on that list?
A – Well, Saquon Barkley and Kenny Golladay will be on the list. Barkley had that ugly ankle injury against Dallas last week and will be out Sunday, and maybe longer. Golladay, signed to be the Giants’ No. 1 wide receiver, will miss a week or two with a knee issue.
The Giants also have Daniel Jones in concussion protocol and his status has not been guaranteed. Neither has left tackle Andrew Thomas and several notable receivers other than Golladay, including Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton.
Q – Does Daniel Jones give the Giants significantly more production or value at quarterback than Mike Glennon would?
A – Absolutely! I’m stunned this is even a question. Jones has been playing the best football of his career, and had a career-best 402 yards passing Week 4. He is throwing the ball well, and hasn’t been turning it over. He’s third in the NFL in QB rushing yards. Glennon is a decent career backup with limited mobility.
Jones has thrown four touchdown passes in a little less than five games. Texans rookie Davis Mills has five touchdowns in four games.
Last season, Daniel Jones had 11 touchdowns in 14 games. That’s 15 touchdown passes in his last 19 starts.
Q – Azeez Ojulari and Kadarius Toney have been two of the more exciting and productive rookies this season, even if both are a bit under the radar nationally. Is general manager Dave Gettleman “good” at drafting? He’s taken a lot of heat for his first round picks and the Giants have two of those next year, so how confident are you in Gettleman’s ability to use those wisely?
A – Oh, that is a loaded question. The Giants are 17-50, tied with the Jets for the worst record in football, during Gettleman’s tenure. Now, is he good at drafting? Giants fans will immediately say “no,” but it’s more nuanced than that. He drafted Saquon Barkley. Great player, but was he the right pick? Daniel Jones is looking like a franchise QB. Andrew Thomas has played like a franchise left tackle this season. Toney looks like a star. Ojulari is a good player, and I loved that pick.
As for the upcoming draft, I’m not even confident Gettleman will be the GM. If the Giants win three games it is going to be hard for ownership to justify keeping him.
Q – Inside linebacker Tae Crowder was the NFL’s “Mr. Irrelevant” in 2020 and now he’s calling plays for the defense with Blake Martinez sidelined. David Sills was once in the news for committing to USC as a quarterback when he was still in middle school and now about a decade later he is a receiver on the Giants’ practice squad. Isaiah Wilson was a first round pick of the Titans who got cut after only one season because he seemed to lack the desire for football and now he’s also on the New York practice squad. Do any of these players give you optimism that they could be great pieces for the Giants some day?
A – Crowder has played every snap the past two weeks — the games since Martinez was injured. I doubt he will ever be more than a decent player, but he does have athleticism and the Giants are getting a ton of value out of a guy who the last player picked in the draft.
Sills is a fan favorite after a couple of good training camps, but I doubt he is ever going to be much more than a practice squad player or roster fill at the bottom of someone’s 53-man roster. He adds no special teams value, and that’s a problem.
Wilson? I have no idea. At this point, the Giants are trying to get him into some semblance of playing shape so they can get a real evaluation on him. I don’t blame the Giants for taking the flier — the guy is a former first-round pick, and Nate Solder is a starter for the Giants.
Q – When you think of “The LA Rams” what image pops into your head first? When you think of “The St. Louis Rams” what image pops into your head first?
A – LA Rams? Old images of Roman Gabriel and Deacon Jones, to be honest. I’m an old guy. St. Louis Rams? It isn’t necessarily an image, but I think of ex-Giant DC Steve Spagnuolo flopping as head coach.