Giants news, 3/1: Chris Simms on Daniel Jones, Combine workouts, Odell Beckham Jr., more

New York Giants news for Friday

Good morning, New York Giants fans!

1-on-1 with Chris Simms: Daniel Jones is ‘problem 74’ for the Giants

Put NFL analyst Chris Simms firmly in the ‘build around Daniel Jones’ camp when it comes to the question of what the New York Giants should do at quarterback this offseason.

“I am one that leans more toward let’s keep Daniel Jones and let’s build the football team,” Simms said. “One, the way I look at it right now is, OK, I think there’s a good chance it’s 1-2-3 quarterback [in the 2024 NFL Draft]. Are you going to be sold that the next guy is the guy at No. 6? I don’t know necessarily. I think you get into some question marks after that or guys that might not be ready right away or things like that.”

Simms doesn’t believe the Giants, coming off a 6-11 season, are in a position to trade away the necessary draft assets to move up.

“What are we going to do. The first two quarterbacks come off the board, we want a quarterback, now we’re going to trade up,” Simms said. “The Giants have got holes everywhere. And we’re just going to leave holes and ‘hey, quarterback, save the day.’ That just doesn’t sound like the Giant way to me.”

More from Big Blue View

• Rome Odunze to Giants in latest Kiper mock draft
• Does the NFL Combine matter? Part 1: Offense
• Does the NFL Combine matter? Part 2: Defense
• NFL Scouting Combine: Defensive linemen, linebackers to watch
• Poll results: Giants fans want to watch the receivers at the Combine
• 2024 NFL Draft prospect profile: Javon Solomon, edge, Troy
• 2024 NFL Draft prospect profiles: Who will be Giants?

Other Giant observations

2024 NFL Free Agency matchmaking: One team fit for 15 notable free agents | NFL.com

Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants. Beckham accounted for less than $5 million of cap space in Baltimore last year, making him a feasible signing for most teams. If a high-level quarterback is a requirement, that pool will shrink. And yet, I feel as if a return to New York has always been alluring to Beckham. Daniel Jones doesn’t do it for me, but maybe he will for Beckham – or maybe Beckham will once again wait out his free agency until a contender comes calling.

This time last year, Jalin Hyatt met his future employers

Combine Notes (2/28): Sizing up the edge rushers | Giants.com

So, what kind of player does Bowen want?

“Philosophically, Wink preferred more run stoppers on first and second down – let’s get to third down where we can do the exotics and blitz and all that stuff,” Schoen said of Martindale’s blitz-heavy scheme. “Whereas Shane’s philosophy is going to be a little bit more, let’s get after the passer – like we’ll stop the run on the way to the passer and going to look for more edge guys and ability to rush the passer versus stopping the run. Stopping the run is still going to be important, it’s always going to be important, but in terms of how you’re prioritizing those, you may flip those in the new scheme.”

Javontae Jean-Baptiste: From Bergen Catholic to NY Giants would be NFL dream | The Record

A conversation with Justin Tuck closed the deal for Notre Dame, and the rest is history with Jean-Baptiste emerging as a team captain and one of its most important defensive players with five sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss.

Tuck talked with Jean-Baptiste about the prospects of not just what Notre Dame meant to him and his on-field aspirations to reach the NFL, but the value of an additional year of education and what the connections he could make there would deliver whenever his football career was over.

Xavier McKinney: Saquon Barkley ‘deserves to be paid’ | New York Daily News

Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney are both important, pending free agents that Giants GM Joe Schoen said the team would like to have back.

NFL Draft Analyst Bucky Brooks Suggests This Veteran Quarterback for Giants | Sports Illustrated

NFL analyst Bucky Brooks, during an appearance on the NFL Network program NFL Total Access, suggested that quarterback Russell Wilson, currently awaiting word on his fate in Denver, would get “a chance for a Super Bowl title” if he were to join the Pittsburgh Steelers or New York Giants.

Brooks correctly noted, “The New York Giants might need a quarterback that stabilizes the situation.”

A JJ McCarthy scouting report from former teammate

What Are NFL Coaches and Execs Really Saying at the NFL Combine? | The Ringer

What Schoen said: “I have faith in Daniel [Jones] as our starting quarterback.”

Translation: “I have less faith in Daniel as our starting quarterback than I did 11 months ago, when I gave him $82 million.”

NFL Draft 2024: Patriots’ heavy interest in Jayden Daniels could keep Giants away from him | NJ.com

There are so many quarterback-related scenarios to consider atop the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Giants, of course, didn’t lose enough late in 2023 to wind up in the top three. That’s why the Bears, Commanders, and Patriots could prevent the Giants from landing an elite quarterback prospect — if all three stay at those spots and all three pick a quarterback.

Mock Draft

NFL teams most likely to pick QB in Round 1 of 2024 NFL Draft | NFL.com

Likely Fit: Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy. The Giants are in striking distance of potentially being able to grab the third or fourth quarterback in this draft, but depending on how their evaluations come along, they might be inclined to put together an aggressive package to move into the top three. Will there be any takers? I doubt we see any of the top three teams dropping to the sixth overall pick. Even if the Giants don’t select a QB within the first six slots, I could still see them taking one at some point in the first round.

2024 NFL 2-Round Mock Draft: Giants add competition for Daniel Jones | CBSSports.com

6. Rome Odunze, WR, Washington.
39. Giants: QB Bo Nix, Oregon
47. Giants (via SEA): OG Cooper Beebe, Kansas State

2024 NFL Mock Draft: How High Does Marvin Harrison Jr. Rise and How Far Does Jayden Daniels Fall? | Pro Football Network

6) New York Giants: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

Around the league

Josh Harris has been part of Commanders QB interviews at Combine | Pro Football Talk

NFL executive Troy Vincent suggests ‘Tush Push’ is here to stay | CBSSports.com

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones compares Tyler Smith to Dallas Hall of Famer, wants Tyron Smith to return | CBSSports.com

Jets believe Mecole Hardman leaked game plans to opponents out of spite, per report | CBSSports.com

Building the Ideal 2024 NFL Draft QB Prospect | The 33rd Team

2024 NFL Draft: 7 things PFF analysts want to see at the NFL Scouting Combine | PFF

Fans Don’t See Most Important Part of NFL Combine | The 33rd Team

Mueller: Caleb Williams or Justin Fields? It’s not that simple for the Bears | The Athletic

Bills GM explained Josh Allen trade up decision in NFL Draft, and his logic is flawless | SBNation.com

Panthers HC Dave Canales: Not planning to ‘fix’ QB Bryce Young, just need him to ‘do his part’ in offense | NFL.com

Report: Lions to have extension talks with Amon-Ra St. Brown | Pro Football Talk

Rams GM talks Aaron Donald’s status, free agency: ‘You can’t microwave free agency. You got to put it in the oven’ | The Athletic

Russell Wilson vs. Sean Payton has potential to be messiest breakup in NFL history | SBNation.com

Lawsuit alleges Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill fractured model, influencer’s leg in football drill | The Athletic

Chiefs plan $800M renovation to Arrowhead Stadium after 2026 World Cup | NFL.com

Momentum is building for XFL-style kickoff | Pro Football Talk

Bill Hillgrove retires after 30 years as Steelers’ play-by-play voice | ESPN.com

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