The New York Giants finally agreed to let HBO’s Hard Knocks through the doors of 1925 Giants Drive.
Hard Knocks has given viewers exclusive access to the inner workings of NFL teams since 2001. The show usually takes place prior to the NFL season during a team’s training camp. However, Hard Knocks recently expanded to include an In-Season and Offseason version.
Both the Offseason and In-Season chapters of Hard Knocks allow general managers, head coaches, and players to share their personalities and lifestyles with a broader audience. Fans get a closer look at the impact of roster moves, position battles, contract disputes, and more.
This year, the Giants are in the spotlight for the newest edition of Hard Knocks Offseason.
The show will focus on GM Joe Schoen, HC Brian Daboll, and other members of the Giants’ front office staff as they try to get their team ready for Week 1.
Pressure from team owners, a salary cap of $255.4m for 53 players, and the level of competition in the NFL will make their jobs extremely difficult. This might be a problem for the team, but it should make for an interesting story to follow on Hard Knocks.
As per the rules of the show, the Giants ultimately have final say over what’s aired in the series. Fans are already disappointed that every detail from the 2024 offseason won’t be covered (namely the Wink Martindale Saga). HC Brian Daboll even explained that he would play licensed music in private conversations with GM Joe Schoen so that Hard Knocks could not use that footage.
With all that said, the 1st episode of the series aired on Tuesday, July 2nd. And it certainly raised the curtain on many of the Giants offseason moves.
The Saquon Saga
Hard Knocks teased covering former Giants star RB Saquon Barkley’s contract negotiation saga since the very 1st trailer. A released snippet implied Saquon did not give the Giants a chance to match the Philadelphia Eagles offer to sign him.
And they wasted no time in expounding various details that eventually led to Saquon testing free agency.
Saquon’s relationship with the Giants had been testy since his rookie contract expired after the 2022 season. There were several failed negotiations to extend Saquon throughout the 2022 season, and after it.
Saquon ultimately received the 1-year franchise tag once QB Daniel Jones got his contract done. Unhappy but unwilling to holdout, Saquon accepted an incentive-laden 1 year/$11 million contract and reported to training camp.
The saga led to an irreparable relationship between the Giants and Saquon. GM Joe Schoen even states in the Hard Knocks episode that the past year “took 10 years off my life.”
Saquon’s Re-signing Falls Apart
Throughout the 1st episode, it becomes apparent that Schoen viewed signing the star RB as unnecessary. Owner John Mara said in a perfect world he’d love to sign Saquon. However, he agreed with Schoen that supporting Daniel Jones and investing in the offensive line must take priority.
The episode goes on to show Schoen and the Giants front office staff questioning which teams would be willing to spend on Saquon. And they concluded that most teams would rather use that money at other positions, like wide receiver.
Moreover, Schoen was skeptical that the right deal with Saquon would ever get done. The episode starts with Schoen saying that tagging and trading Saquon would be unrealistic. Later on, Schoen and Mara agreed that tagging Saquon for a 2nd time would not be the right decision. They conclude that Saquon may get the most money in a saturated market for RBs, which would mean the Giants would most likely have to overpay to be competitive.
Ultimately, Schoen and his staff conclude that they do not want to “disrespect” Saquon with a low offer. They agreed to let Saquon test the open market with the intent of matching a deal, and the rest is history. Whether Saquon let the Giants match the Eagles offer before signing remains to be seen. Hopefully that will be covered in the episodes to come.
Saquon’s Replacement
Most of the airtime in Hard Knocks is dedicated to the scouting that goes into free agency. Giants Director of Pro Scouting Chris Rossetti shared many presentations on the topic with Joe Schoen and his staff. In short, these presentations educated the Giants staff about who they should consider signing.
Finding Saquon’s replacement at RB is one of the Giants main priorities in this process. The Giants value many different traits in RBs; ones mentioned in the episode are pass protection, pass catching on 3rd down, and injury history.
Age is also a big factor for the Giants decision-making when it comes to signing RBs. In a conversation with former RB Frank Gore, Schoen shares that data says a running back’s production tends to drop-off at age 27. He admits he was hesitant to re-sign the 27-year-old Saquon for that reason, combined with Saquon’s asking price.
Schoen and his staff considered all options. They even appraised premium backs like Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, and Deandre Swift, because they were available and younger than Saquon.
In the end, Schoen decided to sign his former colleague with the Buffalo Bills: Devin Singletary. Schoen drafted Singletary when he was the Assistant GM for the Bills. That familiarity helped the Giants get Singletary for a reasonable deal.
“Don’t pay filet mignon prices for a top sirloin” and “get ROI” were two quotes echoed by Assistant GM Brandon Browne. The Giants avoided paying those high prices and got the ROI they were looking for.
Shane Bowen’s Defense
Once HC Brian Daboll hired Shane Bowen as his defensive coordinator, educating the Giants on his defensive philosophy was a top priority.
And Bowen hit the ground running immediately at Giants HQ.
He started by pitching his scheme and what he values most to Schoen, Daboll, and the front office staff. Collaboration is crucial to getting the players he needs. Everything needs to be choregraphed with Schoen, the pro scouting staff, and the college scouting staff.
Bowen dove right into his style: a 3-4 defense where inside linebackers are indispensable. He rarely blitzes, so having four capable pass-rushing defensive linemen who can win on their own is a must. He also employs a zone-heavy scheme in the secondary to confuse opposing quarterbacks. Versatility and flexibility is necessary at all positions.
It became apparent that there were not four elite pass-rushers on the roster. In-house options were considered, but Schoen realized that the solution is outside the building. Schoen and his staff then begin to search for solutions and eventually stumble upon one via trade with the Carolina Panthers.
The Early Stages of the Brian Burns Trade
Needing capable pass-rushers to win on their own without manufactured blitzes, Schoen and the Giants evaluated all options. They considered options like All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, and one of Dexter Lawrence’s good friends, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.
Just by chance, the solution presented itself while Schoen was chatting at the Senior Bowl with his family friend, Dan Morgan. Hard Knocks was able to capture the entire conversation.
Morgan is now in his 1st year as general manager of the Carolina Panthers. He playfully suggested the Giants should give him two 1st round picks for star edge rusher Brian Burns. That lead to some surface-level, speculative negotiation between Schoen and Morgan, which eventually culminated in the Giants trading for Burns.
Seeing the entirety of the Burns trade negotiations play out on screen will be intriguing. Schoen even mentions on Hard Knocks that him and Dan Morgan are very good friends, to the point of vacationing with each other’s families.
From the outside looking in, it looks as if Schoen leveraged his connection with Morgan to broker a great deal for the Giants with the Panthers.
Quick Hits
The Giants belief in Daniel Jones is an overarching theme from the 1st episode. Jones is seen rehabbing his ACL throughout. Plus, Mara and Schoen agree that supporting their investment in him is the best move.
A clip reveals that Joe Schoen really hoped that wide receiver Malik Nabers would be available for the Giants to select at the 6th overall pick. And they were able to get him and several other key additions in the draft this year.
It is absolutely evident throughout the show that the Giants are very data-driven when it comes to identifying personnel.
There was acknowledgment from staff that the Giants offensive line is not a good unit. They had hoped that their core group would take a step forward in 2023, but that did not come to be.
Joe Schoen comments that Patrick Mahomes “couldn’t succeed here” in the Giants current situation when making the case for Daniel Jones.
The cap space created by trading Leonard Williams enabled the Giants to look into pass-rushing options like Brian Burns.
Jack-of-all-trades but master-of-none Isaiah Simmons will be used as a nickel corner primarily for stopping the run on 1st and 2nd downs. He will then be used as a “money” backer on 3rd down because of his elite speed.
While defensive linemen Boogie Basham and Ryder Anderson taking steps forward would be nice for the Giants, the front office does not have confidence in that happening.
Dexter Lawrence’s trash talk is the perfect combination of nicely saying “You know I’m better than you” and disrespecting his opponent’s effort.
It’s worth keeping in mind that Director of Player Personnel Tim McDonnell is Owner John Mara’s nephew, so it is safe to assume that his opinions on matters match the Owner’s.
