Giants GM Joe Schoen’s stark Saquon Barkley reality: Not paying Daniel Jones $40M for handoffs
NY Post
Tuesday night’s “Hard Knocks” premiere gave Giants fans an inside look at how painful a business it is behind the scenes.
In a closed-door meeting with seven of his closest constituents, Giants general manager Joe Schoen pointed out the financial reality of paying quarterback Daniel Jones $40 million and retaining a high-priced running back in then-pending free agent Saquon Barkley.
“We’ve got to upgrade the offensive line, and you’re paying the guy $40 million — it’s not to hand the ball off to a $12 million back,” Schoen said to director of player personnel Tim McDonnell, who questioned the team’s offensive identity without Barkley.
Jones is entering the second year of a four-year contract worth $160 million, and the Giants’ large commitment to him forces savings in other aspects of roster construction.
And that came to the forefront with Barkley’s negotiations.
In a separate conversation regarding the former Penn State star, Giants owner John Mara told Schoen on Feb. 13 that “in a perfect world, I’d still like to have him back.”
Almost a year to the day after a goaltender interference call against Kyle Palmieri lost the Islanders a game against the Blue Jackets that started their season’s death spiral, they were on the wrong end of another controversial call against those same Blue Jackets that might have had the same effect.
On the Queens side of town, the reno began in earnest almost as soon as Francisco Lindor grounded into the 4-6-3 double play. That ended a 4-0 loss before a rare sizable crowd at Miami’s loanDepot Park last Sept. 27, all of them there to witness the final death rattles of an epic baseball calamity.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is being paid handsomely for his breakout season.
Next comes the harder part. Mostly because it can’t get any easier.
It was Kids Day at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, but for the Rangers, it’s been All About The Kids for months.
PORT ST. LUCIE — From the moment he was told he needed surgery on his left hamate bone, Francisco Lindor fixated on the recovery time. Trainers provided the Mets shortstop a six-week pathway to return to play, and Lindor was determined to hit every marker.
Dylan Garand knew the number off the top of his head. He knew that, between the regular season and playoffs, he’d logged over 160 games with AHL Hartford, and he was right. Before the Rangers recalled him Friday, Garand had served as the Wolf Pack’s goaltender 165 times.
SAN DIEGO — As you may have seen elsewhere in this newspaper (and also if you haven’t deleted me yet from your social media), I have a book coming out Tuesday called “The Bosses of The Bronx.” Much of it details the 37 years’ worth of antics, winning, losing, winning again and overall mania of George Steinbrenner’s time with the Yankees.
Don’t close the curtain on “Mean” Joe Greene.
The Knicks are on a five-game winning streak and flooded with concerns.
Dylan Garand knew the number off the top of his head. He knew that, between the regular season and playoffs, he’d logged over 160 games with AHL Hartford, and he was right. Before the Rangers recalled him Friday, Garand had served as the Wolf Pack’s goaltender 165 times.
SAN DIEGO — As you may have seen elsewhere in this newspaper (and also if you haven’t deleted me yet from your social media), I have a book coming out Tuesday called “The Bosses of The Bronx.” Much of it details the 37 years’ worth of antics, winning, losing, winning again and overall mania of George Steinbrenner’s time with the Yankees.
The Knicks are on a five-game winning streak and flooded with concerns.