A new candidate for the worst NFL take of 2023 has dropped, and this one involves the New York Giants. If you thought members of the NFL media would stop taking shots at Big Blue now that Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen are in charge, you are sadly mistaken.
During a recent episode of his podcast, the GM Shuffle, Michael Lombardi dropped a take so bad it's hard to fathom. So, per Lombardi, there's an issue going on among the players because Daniel Jones landed his extension? Give us a break.
The "Disease of Me" is creeping into the Giants locker room after Jones' big deal, with Barkley and Lawrence skipping workouts. Daboll needs to snuff this out because this team is not good enough to deal with these issues.
— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) April 13, 2023
Check out #GMShuffle at https://t.co/b4sYN4CC91 pic.twitter.com/KRpOYpIhX8
Claiming the Giants have a locker room issue right now is absurd
Where do we even start with this doozy of a statement? Who said the Giants aren't going to pay Saquon Barkley or Dexter Lawrence? They have had negations with both players, they just haven't reached an agreement yet. Long-term contracts don't come together overnight. Secondly, who cares that Lawrence and Barkley aren't going to be at the start of OTAs? Running backs and defensive linemen are not vital to offseason training programs.
Do Sexy Dexy or Saquon feel underappreciated? The Giants offered Barkley a long-term deal close to $12.5 million a season, while Daboll FaceTimed Dexter during the combine, to tell him they were thinking about him!
I have never seen a player seem so under appreciated as Dexter Lawrence right here https://t.co/Qu6ezj6Fny pic.twitter.com/JOGXb4aczh
— Monte (@MONTECRI5TO) April 13, 2023
What does Lombardi know about running a football team? He was the general manager of the Cleveland Browns in 2013, drafting a horrendous class of players and going 4-12. He was fired after just one full season! Schoen has already accomplished more in his GM career than Lombardi ever did.
The "disease of me" statement the former executive makes is ridiculous. Not long ago, about 15 Giants players, including Barkley, Jones, and new tight end Darren Waller, were spotted training together in Arizona. Sexy Dexy was just spotted on video working out with Leonard Williams in the pouring rain. These guys love playing with each other.
Lombardi manages to let out a ridiculous amount of bad takes in his 49-second video, but the worst was by far: "The reason they won wasn't because of Daniel Jones." Jones posted the sixth-best QBR in the NFL in 2022, was tied for second-most game-winning drives, and became the first player in NFL history to throw for 300 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and run for 70+ yards in a playoff game. This isn't the 1990s - running backs can't lead teams to the playoffs.
Stop blaming Danny Dimes anytime the Giants have a problem. Big Blue has $136 million in cap space next offseason. If Schoen wants to pay Lawrence and Barkley, he will. All indications are he'd love for both players to be Giants for life. Lombardi is way off here.
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