Daniel Jones, Giants OL Called out on Twitter for Preseason Struggles vs. Patriots
Aug 11, 2022
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - JULY 30: Daniel Jones (8) New York Giants quarterback drops back to pass during training camp on July 30, 2022 at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
When the New York Giants offensive line heard this could be a make-or-break season for Daniel Jones, it apparently took those comments literally.
Jones played well enough in limited work Thursday night against the New England Patriots, going 6-of-10 for 69 yards.
Based on the state of his pass-blocking, though, the fourth-year quarterback might be fortunate to make it to Week 8.
Not going to lie, braced myself a bit there while watching Daniel Jones have a back shoved into his knees. Risky there. pic.twitter.com/UUQvZjalez
And while preseason games mean little in the grand scheme of things, nothing from Thursday night will change anybody's opinion of the 25-year-old.
Daniel Jones really bout to be riding someone bench like trubisky next year. Crazy how many qbs in the top 15 picks the past like 5 years have been awful products
— Player Props Are Rigged (@HurtSteelersFan) August 11, 2022
The writing was on the wall when the Giants declined Jones' fifth-year option for 2023. He's almost assuredly not the long-term solution under center, and it won't be surprising if Tyrod Taylor replaces him at some point in the season ahead.
Fantasy Alert: Barry Sanders Thinks Giants' Saquon Barkley Will Have Comeback Season
Aug 8, 2022
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - JULY 30: Saquon Barkley (26) New York Giants running back runs with the football during training camp on July 30, 2022 at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Count Barry Sanders among those who believe Saquon Barkley can have a bounce-back season for the New York Giants in 2022.
"I have all faith and confidence in Saquon," Sanders told TMZ Sports.
The Hall of Fame running back said other top players have returned from injuries to find success, notably Adrian Peterson, and Barkley could find similar success.
"He has the right stuff to make it happen on the field," Sanders said. "I've seen it. So, good luck to him."
Barkley was the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft and lived up to expectations immediately with a league-leading 2,028 yards from scrimmage in his first year, adding 15 touchdowns. Injuries have slowed him down since, costing him 21 regular-season games over the last three seasons.
The once-dynamic player was a shell of himself even when healthy in 2021, finishing with just 45.6 rushing yards and 20.2 receiving yards per game. His 3.7 yards per carry ranked 45th among qualified players.
Barkley is now looking to return to form after more time removed from the torn ACL suffered in 2020. With a new offensive-minded coach in Brian Daboll, the running back could be ready to turn heads again in 2022.
The New York Giants have undergone some significant changes this offseason. Daniel Jones remains the starting quarterback, for now, but the Giants have a new...
Peter King Doubts Saquon Barkley Will Receive $12M+ Contract from Giants
Aug 1, 2022
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 05: Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants runs with the ball after the catch against the Miami Dolphins in the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium on December 05, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
With New York Giants star Saquon Barkley heading into the final year of his contract, Peter King of NBC Sports believes the running back will play for another team next season.
"I doubt they want to spend more than $12 million on a running back, even if Barkley plays very well this year," King wrote. "Like so many players on the roster, my guess is he's auditioning for 31 other teams as much as the Giants this fall."
Barkley will make $7.2 million in 2022 from the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, but eight NFL running backs are averaging at least $12 million per year on their current deals, per Spotrac. Christian McCaffrey leads the position with $16 million per year after signing his four-year deal with the Carolina Panthers.
When healthy, Barkley has proved to be in this class of elite running backs and worthy of a high-priced deal. He earned a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie in 2018 when the led the NFL with 2,028 yards from scrimmage, adding 15 touchdowns. A year later, he totaled 1,441 yards and eight touchdowns despite missing three games.
Injuries have been a bigger story in recent years, however, limiting Barkley to just 15 games over the past two seasons combined. He also averaged just 3.5 yards per carry in this stretch after averaging 4.8 yards per carry in his first two seasons.
It could be enough for the Giants to move on next offseason, regardless of what Barkley does in 2022.
Cowboys, Rams, Patriots, Giants Lead Sportico's 2022 List of Most Valuable NFL Teams
Aug 1, 2022
The Dallas Cowboys star at midfield during an NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Sharon Ellman)
The Dallas Cowboys remain the most valuable team in the NFL, with Sportico listing the franchise at $7.64 billion.
"America's Team" is also the most valuable franchise in all of North American sports, topping the New York Yankees by $630 million, as ESPN's Todd Archer observed.
The Los Angeles Rams—fresh of their Super Bowl title—have moved into second place among NFL teams with a $5.91 billion valuation. The New England Patriots dropped from second to third, while the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers round out the top five.
Top NFL Valuations
1. Dallas Cowboys ($7.64 billion)
2. Los Angeles Rams ($5.91 billion)
3. New England Patriots ($5.88 billion)
4. New York Giants ($5.73 billion)
5. San Francisco 49ers ($5.18 billion)
6. Chicago Bears ($5 billion)
7. New York Jets ($4.8 billion)
8. Washington Commanders ($4.78 billion)
9. Philadelphia Eagles ($4.7 billion)
10. Denver Broncos ($4.65 billion)
The Denver Broncos were the most recent NFL team to be sold, with the Walton-Penner family ownership group paying $4.65 billion—a record for North American sports.
This likely helped increase values league-wide, with the $4.1 billion average team value representing an 18 percent hike from last year. The Cowboys jumped 10 percent themselves, while the Rams are up 26 percent from 2021.
It's also clear recent on-field success isn't the only factor that determines value.
The Cowboys might have five Super Bowl titles, but they haven't reached the conference title game since after the 1995 season.
The Cincinnati Bengals reached the Super Bowl this past year, although they are the lowest-valued team in the NFL at $2.84 billion.
The NFL's dominance is still apparent in the valuations, with all 32 teams ranked among the top 50 franchises in North America, per Sportico. The Bengals are worth more than all but seven NBA teams and five MLB teams.
Saquon Barkley Says He Wants to Show Giants 'The Guy That They Drafted Is Still Here'
Jul 28, 2022
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - JUNE 08: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants talks to the media after mandatory minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center on June 8, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is in the final year of his rookie contract, and he has something to prove.
"I just want to show the Giants that the guy that they drafted is still here," Barkley told reporters after the team's second training camp practice on Thursday.
New York selected Barkley second overall in 2018 and he made an immediate impact, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl as a rookie and winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Through his first two seasons, Barkley missed only three games and totaled 3,469 scrimmage yards and 23 touchdowns.
While Barkley appeared to be arguably the most promising young running back in the NFL, his promising career trajectory took a hit when he suffered a torn ACL in Week 2 of the 2020 season. The Giants still picked up his $7.2 million fifth-year option prior to his return in 2021.
Barkley struggled to regain the form from his first two years in the league. In 13 games last season, he carried the ball 162 times for 593 yards and two touchdowns. The four games he missed were due to an ankle injury suffered in Week 5, plus a stint in COVID-19 protocols.
However, Barkley looks to have gotten back to his old self this summer. The 25-year-old is expected to thrive in the offense installed by new Giants head coach Brian Daboll, which will use him frequently as a receiver out of the backfield.
"I can still go out there and make the plays and help my team be successful," he said. "And that is the only thing I'm focusing on—taking care of myself, taking care of my body, taking care of my mental and trying to be the best teammate I can be."
Despite playing in a contract year, Barkley said he isn't putting too much pressure on himself because he has faith that he'll be able to prove his worth this year.
"Honestly, that stuff is in the air and I know coming into Year 5 and coming into the option year—or whatever it's called, something like that—my thing is just, and I keep saying, if I keep taking care of the little things and God blessed me and nothing crazy happens, I think the rest will take care of itself," he said.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers star quarterback Tom Brady will have yet another weapon to play with this season after the team reportedly signed veteran wide receiver...
Giants Rumors: Eric Ebron Works Out for NY After 2 Seasons with Steelers
Jul 25, 2022
PITTSBURGH, PA - AUGUST 07: Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Eric Ebron (85) smiles and looks on during Pittsburgh Steelers training camp on August 7, 2021 at Heinz Field In Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Shelley Lipton/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The New York Giants may add a veteran tight end to their depth chart ahead of the 2022 season.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Monday the NFC East team worked out Eric Ebron, the No. 10 pick in the 2014 NFL draft who has played for the Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers.
While Ebron has never fully lived up to the elevated expectations that come with being a top-10 pick, he has multiple impressive seasons on his resume.
The University of North Carolina product was a Pro Bowler in 2018 for the Colts with 66 catches for 750 yards and 13 touchdowns. While it was the only season in his career he had more than five touchdowns, it was one of five seasons in which he reached 500 receiving yards.
One of those efforts came in 2020 for the Steelers, as he posted 56 catches for 558 yards and five scores, but he appeared in just eight games for the AFC North team last season and had a mere 12 catches.
Ebron went on injured reserve in November with a knee injury, but he tweeted in February that he was cleared and "good to go."
That would be welcome news for the Giants or whichever team signs him ahead of the 2022 campaign.
New York is not exactly loaded at tight end with Ricky Seals-Jones and Jordan Akins as veteran options and fourth-round draft pick Daniel Bellinger as a potential building block. Yet Bellinger was placed on the physically unable to perform list with a quad injury, so depth could be even more important for training camp.
Ebron is a proven playmaker who could help in the passing game and provide leadership for Bellinger as the rookie adjusts to the NFL.
