General manager Joe Schoen didn’t slam the door on Wan’Dale Robinson returning to the New York Giants, but he might as well have nudged it pretty close to shut.
Free agency forces front offices to show their priorities. Sometimes it’s in who they chase. Sometimes it’s in who they quietly talk themselves out of. Listening to Schoen discuss Robinson compared to right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor told fans everything they needed to know about where this thing is heading.
Robinson just turned in the best season of his career: 92 catches for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. He carried the passing game after Malik Nabers tore his ACL and expanded his role outside of being just a slot guy.
And still, the answer the much-maligned GM gave when comparing Robinson’s future to Eluemunor’s while speaking at the NFL Combine was pretty telling:
“Now Right Tackle, you need a Right Tackle regardless. So, and Jermaine was actually with Baltimore, so he has a relationship with coach, in the past. But yeah, a receiver like Wan’Dale, you definitely got to have those conversations to make sure that you’re going to get value from the player if you’re going to pay him probably what he’s going to get.”
Joe Schoen’s comments hint at tough choice on Wan’Dale Robinson
There was nothing accidental about Schoen's response. Robinson is about to get paid. Spotrac projects something in the $17 million-per-year range. Pro Football Focus has him even higher. For a player who has primarily lived in the slot and thrived on volume, that’s a real investment. Especially for a team sitting on limited cap space and already paying Darius Slayton too much money.
Schoen’s contrast between Robinson and Eluemunor stood out. A right tackle is a necessity. You need one on the field every snap. A slot-heavy receiver is more dependent on scheme and usage. The 46-year-old exec openly questioned how integral that role would be in the offense going forward.
That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Related: Joe Schoen just sent a telling message about the Giants at NFL Combine
This is the reality of roster building. Malik Nabers is coming back as the undisputed No. 1 WR. The Giants hold the fifth overall pick and could easily draft another wideout on a rookie deal. Paying top-of-market money for a low-end No. 2 option in a 4–13 rebuild isn’t always the smartest allocation of resources.
Robinson earned his payday. He proved he can be a high-volume target. The problem is timing. And if you read between the lines of Schoen’s answer, the G-Men may have already accepted that someone else is going to write that check.