Ex-Giants Megastar Sign Contract Deal With Seattle Declining Rams Offer.
When the New York Giants signed former Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock in free agency, Seattle general manager John Schneider played it off that it was because Lock was promised a chance to start – which he wouldn’t have with the Seahawks. But on Friday, Lock dispelled that rumor. … Or did he?
“Daniel Jones is the starter on this team and that’s been conveyed to me,” Lock said. “I need to come in and push Daniel to be the best he can be, and that’s the role that I played for Geno, that’s the role that I played for Teddy, that’s the role that Brett Rypien played for me when I was the starter in Denver. “I’ve had both sides of this. I’ve been the guy to push the starter and I’ve been starter pushed by the backups, so it’s all about making that room the best it can be, and if we do that, the sky’s the limit for this team.” That’s all well and good, and it sounds like Lock is towing the proverbial company line. Anyone who watches New York Giants football knows Jones has struggled outside of last season, head coach Brian Daboll’s first with the team. In 2022, Jones passed for a career-high 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 67.2 percent of his passes. The Giants went 9-6-1 and beat Minnesota in the Wild Card round of the playoffs before eventually losing to Philadelphia in the Divisional game. Jones’ numbers weren’t bad in the playoffs, either, throwing for 436 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while completing 62.9 percent of his throws. But in 2023, Jones took a huge step back, appearing in just six games due to injury, and posting a 1-5 record. His two touchdowns to six interceptions were a disappointment too. Related: Report: Seahawks Interested in Ex Cowboys DT We won’t even get into the financial catastrophe Jones has become for New York. Lock should have every opportunity to become the starter, regardless of what New York general manager Joe Schoen says publicly, and one would hazard a guess that there was a private conversation between Schoen and Lock indicating he’d have every opportunity to at least compete for the starting job.
The New York Giants still have a void to fill in their defense with a clear starter not currently present for the starting cornerback position opposite Deonte Banks. Having yet to sign a corner in free agency, perhaps the Giants could look from within to solve their weakness on the boundary.
Can the Giants count on Tre Hawkins III to take that step forward?
At the beginning of last season, the Giants had high hopes for rookie sixth-round pick Tre Hawkins III. He stood out all summer, making plays in training camp to earn the starting outside cornerback job in Week 1. But things did not go as planned for Hawkins.
He only wound up making three starts at the beginning of the season before being pulled from the lineup due to poor play. Hawkins finished the season having allowed 25 receptions on 30 targets (83.3%) for 403 yards and four touchdowns.
Hopefully, Hawkins is ready to take that step forward in 2024 after using the 2023 season as a learning lesson. If he has another solid summer of practice, the Giants could give Hawkins a second chance to start this season.
The Giants tendered Nick McCloud this week
If Hawkins is not ready to become the full-time starter, the Giants do have another familiar face waiting in the wings. They tendered veteran CB Nick McCloud this week, giving him a one-year $3 million deal to compete in New York’s secondary.
In addition to being a key contributor on special teams last season, McCloud turned in some quality playing time at cornerback. He made three starts and finished the season with three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three pass defenses, and one interception. McCloud is quality depth in the secondary and could ascend into a larger role if the Giants are unable to find any additional talent to inject into the defensive backfield.
Could Cor’Dale Flott start on the outside?
The expectation is for Cor’Dale Flott to be the team’s starting nickel cornerback in his third season. However, if the team is unable to add a new starter on the outside, they could attempt to play Flott in that role instead.
The Giants moved Flott to the slot in 2023 after he spent the majority of his playing time as a rookie out wide. In 2022, he played 269 snaps as the wide cornerback compared to 15 in the slot. In 2023, those numbers shifted, and he spent only 45 snaps out wide and 432 as the nickel.
In all likelihood, Flott will maintain his role as the nickel cornerback. But if the Giants cannot find a suitable replacement for Adoree’ Jackson out wide, Flott might need to prepare to play that role, too.
Flott totaled 36 combined tackles, five pass defenses, and one interception in 2023. He also surrendered 34 receptions on 57 targets (59.6%) for 440 yards and three touchdowns in coverage. Flott has flashed his potential, but will need to take a step forward in 2024.