After a very rough couple of seasons in the Big Apple, the New York Giants finally made a Quarterback splash, signing free agent QB Jameis Winston to a 2 year 8 million dollar contract. It is still yet to be known whether the Giants plan on starting Winston at QB this season, trading for a different starter, signing another starter, or finding their future quarterback via the NFL Draft on April 26th.
The New York Giants finished the season with a 3-14 record, while releasing QB Daniel Jones after some time with QB Tommy Devito and QB Drew Lock splitting starts the rest of the way. While fans like myself understand another “rebuild” is underway, we are also upset at the situation after waiting years to compete for another Lombardi trophy, and fans are eager for change. After reaching the playoffs in the 2023 season, light finally appeared for Giants fans, but since then, another downfall has occurred.
Seeing RB Saquon Barkley sign with the rival Philadelphia Eagles this past offseason and go on to win a Super Bowl angered a lot of people, as he could have been re-signed for similar value and stayed a NY Giant. However, while the RB position is important, a team cannot succeed without a good quarterback steering the ship. While Jameis Winston is a viable option, I believe that they need to bring someone else in to lead the helm, as Winston at his age is a viable backup but not a legitimate starter anymore. The fans, ownership, and front office are sick of seeing the franchise lack the ability to contend and change needs to happen quickly.
I asked other New York Giants fans around Monmouth University about their thoughts regarding the Jameis Winston signing, and what the team should do next. Andrew Solomon, a NY Giants fan and Senior here at MU said, “ I think the Giants should draft QB Shadeur Sanders or Cam Ward, or possibly look to sign free agent QB Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers, if possible. One of the two should happen because the Giants only paid [Winston] 8 million dollars over 2 years which is considered backup QB money”. I agree with Andrew, as 8 million dollars over 2 years in the NFL gives you no greater than a backup quarterback, so if they attempt to use Winston as a starting QB, then it is a failure for the front office as a whole.
Regarding the QB situation, Matt Hill, a sophomore Giants fan here at Monmouth University said, “In my opinion, I believe the Giants should have waited to draft a QB like Shadeur Sanders or Cam Ward. Now after signing Winston, I don’t hate the signing but I believe the Giants should trade back in the draft, target a solid OL (Offensive Lineman), or a potential defensive superstar in Abdul Carter out of Penn State. The Giants would only be hurting themselves more if they kept the number three pick in the draft and reached on somebody else”. I also agree with Matt, but think that the Giants can do both.
I think the Giants best move at this point would be to draft a quarterback and let them grow and develop for part of the season behind Winston, who is now considered a veteran in the league. Letting a rookie QB sit and learn for a while can be very monumental for their development, as we have seen with some notable quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts, who both made the Super Bowl this past season. As a Giants fan, I am definitely frustrated and want change quickly, but sometimes patience is key and can go a long way. Throwing another rookie in the mix from the jump can halt their development, but drafting a QB and giving them time to sit back, learn, and develop, can end up being very efficient in the coming years. It will be interesting to see what Joe Schoen, the Giants General Manager does in the coming weekend.
