Giants’ GM Joe Schoen: ‘The cupboard’s not bare offensively’

Schoen believes whoever is at quarterback will have a solid group around him

In the middle of the 2024 season, with the New York Giants at 2-8, on the verge of cutting ties with Daniel Jones and heading toward a 3-14 finish, general manager Joe Schoen was more upbeat than most about the state of the team’s roster.

“We’re not far off,” he said at the time.

Schoen, with that 3-14 finish still stinging, a sinkhole at quarterback to fill, an unhappy fan base to pacify and a coach hanging on to his job by a thread, remained more upbeat than most about his team during an interview with former Indianapolis Colts GM BIll Polian that aired Friday on Sirius XM NFL Radio.

Schoen spoke optimistically about the resources the Giants have available to them this offseason.

“Where we are, we’re at $45 plus million dollars in cap space. In 2026, we have over $100 million dollars. Financially, we’re in good shape,” Schoen said. “You’re talking about three picks in the top 65 in the draft. You’ve got the financial means to upgrade the roster, and then you also have some premium draft picks.”

Safety Jason Pinnock, guard Greg Van Roten and wide receiver Darius Slayton are the only Giants heading to unrestricted free agency. Add quarterback after moving on from Jones and Schoen is encouraged by only having to replace four starters from the team’s 2024 opening day roster.

“We’ll be able to, with some of that money, upgrade some of our depth, which will be important for us. I’m excited about the offseason,” Schoen said. “We have the resources to really upgrade the roster. Last year, I think it was 10 or 11 starters we needed.

“You’re making these mass changes. Eventually, you run out of resources when there’s that many changes that you need to make. Where we are now with the guys that are coming back and the culture and the scheme and the continuity amongst the system, I’m excited about how we can upgrade the roster and get through free agency and the draft this offseason.”

‘The cupboard’s not bare offensively’

Schoen, of course, acknowledge the need to find a quarterback, or quarterbacks, for 2025. Despite the Giants finishing 31st in the league in scoring in 2024, Schoen sounded optimistic about the situation any new quarterback — young or old — would be stepping in to.

“We tried it with Daniel. We had a two-year deal basically where we could get out of it. Unfortunately that didn’t work out,” Schoen said. “The way we built the roster, four of our five starting offensive linemen are coming back. Malik Nabers, you have a number one receiver on the roster. Young tight end that was really promising this year in Theo Johnson, and [running back] Tyrone Tracy. The cupboard’s not bare offensively. Whoever it is, whether it’s through free agency or draft, whoever you drop in there the cupboard’s not bare.”

Who will the Giants ‘drop in there’?

Schoen, of course, wasn’t going to give away any secrets. He said the Giants would “look at all options.”

“There are some free agents this year. We’re going to look through that group of guys,” Schoen said. “We’ve got a pretty thorough process in terms of the college draft picks and the quarterbacks that goes all the way back to when [Brian] Daboll was in Miami and the Andy Dalton draft. That’s kind of where it originated.

“Then we used it in Buffalo with the Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield draft. We’ve continued to do it each year here. We’ve got a good process in place. We believe in it.”