If you bring up Joe Schoen's name in New York or New Jersey, there's a good chance someone will then have a big smile on their face. What Schoen has been able to do since taking over as general manager of Big Blue has been nothing short of exceptional.
This offseason alone, Schoen has been outstanding in improving the NY Giants roster. Not only that, he's also worked his magic in working some mega-deals with some of the team's brightest young talent. With that said, which moves have been the best from Schoen this offseason?
4. Trading for star tight end Darren Waller
This was easily one of the best surprises for the Giants fanbase during the winter. Seemingly out of nowhere, the Giants were able to land Darren Waller only for a third-round pick. Seriously? Waller, when healthy, is one of the best tight ends in the game. Schoen also received a third-round pick for Kadarius Toney, so this was a nice little swap.
Although injuries have been a major issue for Waller over the past two seasons, people have strong belief that he'll be able to make a big-time difference for this team, especially in the red zone. Waller is a big-bodied pass-catcher, one this Giants offense has desperately needed for a while.
Waller is a former Pro-Bowler who once posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the Raiders. Things didn't go well for him in recent campaigns in Las Vegas, but again, injuries got in the way. If Waller can stay close to 100 percent in 2023, then he should be able to put up impressive numbers for Brian Daboll.
3. Crushing it in the 2023 NFL Draft
In late April, Schoen had one of the best weekends in the NFL Draft we've seen in a while. No one can argue that fact that the Giants GM was a man on fire from start to finish. For starters, he traded up to No. 24 to select stud cornerback Deonte Banks. Banks has a bright future with this team, no doubt about it. People are jacked up to see what he can do working with Wink Martindale.
If you ask us, though, Schoen really won things with his work on Day 2. First, after a bit of a scare, he was able to land Minnesota center John Michael Schmitz with the No. 57 overall pick. That was great. Then, though, Daboll helped Schoen land Jalin Hyatt in the third round. Wait, what? Yup, that's exaclty what happened.
As it turns out, Coach Dabes was the one to text Sean McVay to see if LA would have interest in letting the Giants move up to their spot. The LA front office ended up calling Schoen and soon after, the trade was completed and Hyatt was a Giant. For NY to bring in Banks, Schmitz and Hyatt with their first three picks was a dream come true.
2. Signing Dexter Lawrence to his mega-deal
After the 2022 campaign that Dexter Lawrence was able to record, it only made sense that Schoen would reward him with a major extension. There was plenty of worry when Sexy Dext didn't report for the start of the offseason program - fans were nervous there'd be some beef there between the two sides. The opposite was the case.
Not long ago, Schoen ended up signing Lawrence to a four-year extension worth $90 million. Now, Lawrence is paid like one of the top defensive tackles in the NFL. You better believe the Second Team All-Pro is worth every penny. Lawrence is coming off a career-year for the Giants and he's about to enter the prime of his career.
With Lawrence and Dexter Williams, along with Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari coming off the edges, the defensive front for the Giants is looking incredible these days. The pass-rush for NY will be a problem for opposing offenses for the long haul. Lawrence is also quite personable off the field, easily making him a favorite among Big Blue nation.
1. Getting things across the board with Daniel Jones
Lastly, Schoen and Co. made countless headlines when they were able to finalize the four-year, $160 million payday for Daniel Jones. This contract agreement came down to the wire, as the Giants and Jones came to terms at the last second before the deadline. Once Jones got his deal, the Giants were able to place the non-exclusive franchise tag on Saquon Barkley.
Don't forget too that the Jones deal saved the Giants quite a bit in cap space. If the G-Men were to place the franchise tag on Jones, it would have come with a $32.4 million hit. With his new deal, his cap hit for 2023 will be $21.75 million. That's more than $10 million in cap saving for Schoen and the rest of the front office. Worth it.
Danny Dimes is coming off the best year of his career, powering the G-Men to a 9-7-1 record, plus a postseason win on the road over the Vikings. Jones was electric in that showdown, passing for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 78 rush yards. With his dual-threat abilities, Jones is a beast and we have a feeling his best year yet is coming in 2023.
READ MORE: Brian Daboll worked his magic to help the Giants land Jalin Hyatt