4 reasons Joe Schoen is becoming the best GM in the NFL
2. Getting things done with key playmakers
The big question for the Giants this offseason was centered around the plan for Daniel Jones. On March 7, that question was answered. Jones signed a four-year, $160 million extension. Yup, Danny Dimes landed his monster payday and now the pressure is on for him to step up.
The initial number is far from the whole story. Jones is making that $40 million a year salary, but because Schoen is a wizard, there is a team option after Year 2. That means, if Jones regresses or shows he isn't the guy, that deal can be restructured. Schoen locked in the franchise QB in a team-friendly way. Love to see it.
We also saw extensions for Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas - two guys who are some of the best at their respective positions in the entire league. Jones gets a security blanket for the foreseeable future and the defensive line gets its leader. Then, we have the Saquon Barkley situation. This whole saga could be another blog in itself, but this is the main takeaway.
Schoen and Barkley couldn't agree on an extension. There was plenty of worry that No. 26 would be a holdout into the regular season. However, Schoen stood firm and Barkley ended up signing an adjusted franchise tag. So, Schoen didn't break the bank and he has his Pro Bowl RB back in the mix for 2023. Boom.