Following their best season since 2016, the NY Giants are primed and ready to enter 2023 with a much-improved roster and bigger aspirations. While improvements were made at multiple positions, there are still a number of questions surrounding this roster and its players.
These four questions will be answered as the season goes on, however, they must be asked. Not only could the questions affect the Giants' odds of success if they are answered incorrectly, but they could have devastating effects as well:
4. Will Saquon Barkley get his extension soon?
The Saquon Barkley experience this offseason has been quite the roller-coaster ride. Not only did he turn down an extension midway through last season, but things didn't go much better for him and Joe Schoen earlier in the year as well.
While from the perspective of Barkley this hesitance is understandable, as he wished to be paid fairly for the services he has provided this team, we would still like to see him re-sign with New York soon.
It's hard to judge what Barkley could get paid considering the way the NFL thinks about running backs. However, we're confident in Schoen to not only give Barkley a fair deal for himself, but something that won't cripple the team financially either.
Barkley very well could re-sign long-term soon, but we wouldn't be surprised to see this scenario drag out well into the 2023 season and potentially go into the next offseason. This wouldn't be ideal if Schoen wishes to keep Barkley, however, it may be necessary in order to best balance the Giants' cap space.
3. Who will step up at SS with the loss of Julian Love?
While Julian Love may not have been a superstar by any means for the Giants, he was a very impactful player for the team's struggling run defense. Schoen may have brought in several run-stoppers this offseason to make up for the loss, but the answer of who will man the strong safety position still stands.
Currently, ESPN has Jason Pinnock starting at strong safety. Honestly, this is rather surprising considering the personnel the Giants have at the position, but we wouldn't be shocked to see second-year safety Dane Belton man the position at some point.
Belton wasn't perfect last season, but he showed several flashes of excellence in coverage. This could make for a deadly coverage safety duo between him and Xavier McKinney for the long-term future of this team. Belton may have a long ways to go in terms of his ability to stop the run, but we're confident in his abilities to develop into a more well-rounded safety.
Some other wild-card choices for SS this season include Bobby McCain, Trenton Thompson, Alex Cook, or seventh-round rookie Gervarrius Owens. These players likely won't start, but if Belton disappoints or gets hurt, we could see one of them step up and make a name for themselves this season.
2. Will Darren Waller be able to stay healthy?
One of the best moves Schoen has pulled off this offseason was the acquisition of former Raiders tight end Darren Waller for just a third-round pick. While Waller is an incredibly talented pass-catcher at his position, the biggest question surrounding this trade has to be his health.
In the last two seasons, Waller has appeared in just 20 games due to various injuries. Even when he was on the field, especially last season, it was apparent that injuries were hindering his level of play. Despite this, the Giants and Schoen still bought in on his upside, and for a very good reason.
If Waller is able to remain healthy this season, not only will the Giants have a top TE in the league for the first time since Jeremy Shockey, but he is also on a pretty team-friendly deal. Not only is Waller slated to have a cap hit of just $4 million this year, but he also has an option at the end of this season that could allow the Giants to move on from him if he doesn't pan out.
We have all the faith in the world that Waller can be an incredible contributor to this Giants team. All it takes is for him to remain healthy for the first time in two years. While on paper, that may be asking for a lot, we are still very hopeful for Waller.
1. Is Daniel Jones really going to be worth $40 million?
Following what was by far his best season in the NFL, the NY Giants opted to sign Daniel Jones to a massive 4-year, $160 million extension. While most of the criticisms about this extension were over-exaggerated, it's still tough to gamble that much money on a QB who has had just one good season in four years.
Obviously, there is much more going into why Jones has had just one good statistical season, but we're glad it finally happened. Now, entering the 2023 season, Jones has a new-and-improved offense in the second year of a system that helped him become the potential franchise QB he is today.
The question still must be asked though, can Jones be worth $40 million a season? We think he can, especially considering the current QB market. Not only did Jones have a great season through the air in '22, but his run game helped elevate the Giants to a whole new level.
If Jones can continue to evolve as a QB while also elevating the weapons he has around him, the Giants could be in for a heck of a season. Even if he doesn't, the contract Jones signed gives the Giants a chance to move on from him following the 2024 season. This extension was really just one of many great moves made by Schoen and the front office this offseason.
READ MORE: Predicting what a Saquon extension could look like