New York Giants co-owner John Mara said his team volunteered for the first edition of “Hard Knocks” to focus on the offseason partly to continue avoiding an appearance on the training camp version of the all-access show.
“I thought maybe it would keep us off the training camp “Hard Knocks” for a while if I’m being totally honest,” Mara said in an interview on the show’s podcast.
That was an interesting calculation. Though having cameras present during training camp may have caused more daily distractions for players, the offseason version of “Hard Knocks” was far more revealing at a much deeper level.
The traditional version of the show would have dedicated 10 minutes per episode to some long shot’s quest for a roster spot and another 20 minutes to an inconsequential preseason game. Meanwhile, the offseason version was packed with internal strategic discussions that will shape the franchise for years.
Every decision the Giants’ front office made received greater scrutiny due to the unprecedented access to the process. It will be interesting to see if another team volunteers for such exposure next offseason.
“I don’t know why you would,” said an executive from another team after Tuesday’s finale aired.
Whatever privacy the Giants’ front office sacrificed, viewers gained from a closer look at the roster-building process. Here are some takeaways from the five-episode series:
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Internal debate
The best aspect of the series was the internal conversations in the early episodes between general manager Joe Schoen and his staff that laid the groundwork for how the offseason would unfold.
It was disconcerting to hear Schoen talk about how the Giants need to figure out if quarterback Daniel Jones is “the guy” after giving him a contract with $82 million guaranteed a year ago. Even if Schoen is trying to sell hope that Jones still can be the Giants’ quarterback for the next 10 years, it’s obvious the conviction the GM expressed a year ago has evaporated.
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Bad luck
The Giants’ failed bid to trade up with the Patriots for the third pick illustrated that there’s an element of luck involved in landing a franchise quarterback. New England’s Eliot Wolf told Schoen during a last-ditch trade inquiry on draft day that the deal would be done if the Patriots had a quarterback. But the Patriots, Bears and Commanders all needed quarterbacks this year, so the Giants couldn’t move into the top three.
That continued a string of bad luck/timing for the Giants since they decided to move on from Eli Manning. Starting with the 2018 draft, the Giants used the No. 2 pick on running back Saquon Barkley when they could have had quarterback Josh Allen, who went seventh. With the Giants desperate for a quarterback the next year, they took Jones with the sixth pick of the 2019 draft.
Jones showed promise as a rookie, so the Giants weren’t in the market for a quarterback in the 2020 draft. They nailed the No. 4 pick with All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas, but they passed on quarterback Justin Herbert, who went sixth. Adding to the Herbert pain, he likely would have been the Giants’ target in 2019 if he hadn’t elected to return for a senior season at Oregon.
Still believing in Jones, the Giants weren’t in the market for a quarterback in 2021, so they traded back from No. 10 to acquire a 2022 first-round pick from the Bears. That trade gave the Giants two picks in the top seven of Schoen’s first draft. Unfortunately, no quarterbacks were worthy of such a high pick. In fact, 2022 was the first draft since 1997 with no quarterback picked higher than No. 20.
Even if the Giants wanted to move on from Jones after the 2022 season, their surprising playoff run left them with the 25th pick, far out of range of the three quarterbacks selected in the first four picks of the 2023 draft.
Oops
Schoen’s emphasis on upgrading the offensive line this offseason demonstrated how badly he miscalculated last year. Coming off a playoff season, Schoen’s only investment into the offensive line was second-round center John Michael Schmitz. Rather than spending on potential upgrades at guard and better tackle depth, Schoen dedicated resources to Barkley, tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Parris Campbell.
The offensive line neglect last year forced Schoen to spend on free agents Jon Runyan and Jermaine Eluemunor in free agency this offseason to fix the mistake.
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Oops?
Ownership will be able to deliver a big “told-you-so” to Schoen if Barkley has a huge season with the Eagles and the Giants’ offense doesn’t improve. Mara and his nephew, director of player personnel Tim McDonnell, were the biggest skeptics of Schoen’s plan to let Barkley leave in free agency.
Even if Schoen’s stance on Barkley is completely legitimate, there could be a particularly awkward meeting in his office with Mara after the Giants face the Eagles in Week 7 if the running back tears up his former team. Schoen will be thankful the cameras are no longer rolling if that’s how the game plays out.
Need a mulligan?
Barkley’s departure shines a greater focus on last year’s failed negotiations. It was obvious both sides were content with a divorce this offseason, but they both seemed to be motivated to reach a long-term agreement last year. So it’s mystifying they couldn’t bridge the small gap of $1 million to $2 million in average salary and total guarantees in a three-year deal last offseason.
If the Giants offered the same deal last year that Barkley accepted from the Eagles this offseason — three years, $37.8 million with $26 million guaranteed — that may have seemed like an overpay for an injury-prone running back. But, a year later, it certainly seems like it would have been better to slightly overpay Barkley and use the franchise tag on Jones instead of the opposite route the Giants chose.
If the Giants had tagged Jones instead of Barkley, they would have been clear to start fresh at quarterback this offseason without being handcuffed by Jones’ $47.9 million cap hit. The Giants would have Barkley on the books for roughly $12 million against the cap this year and then could cut him after this season if his performance dipped with a much lower dead money hit than the $22.2 million charge if Jones is cut next year.
Fast-moving market
The running back market this offseason was far more lucrative than last year. Schoen initially thought he’d be able to find running back value during the second week of free agency.
That was the case last year when the Texans signed Devin Singletary to a one-year, $2.75 million contract a week into free agency. But the market moved much quicker this year, possibly due to the inflated salary cap. The Giants gave Singletary a three-year, $16.5 million contract on the first day of free agency.
If Schoen had waited to go bargain hunting, he could have signed JK Dobbins (one year, $1.6 million from the Chargers) or Ezekiel Elliott (one year, $2 million from the Cowboys). That would not have been a suitable replacement plan for Barkley, especially with the inexperience in the rest of the Giants’ backfield.
From the top down
The show confirmed some beliefs about how the team operates and ownership’s level of involvement.
For instance, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka’s promotion to assistant head coach seems like nothing more than a goodwill gesture after he had play-calling duties taken away at times last season and then was prevented from interviewing for the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator job. Whatever Kafka’s role as assistant head coach entails, those responsibilities certainly weren’t featured on the show. Kafka was absent from most of the big discussions and was a background figure whenever he was present. Kafka was never shown interacting with any of the top offensive draft prospects at the combine or on their visits to the Giants’ facility.
As for ownership, Mara is clearly very involved in the daily operations of the team to the point that Schoen was walking his boss through possible Day 2 draft scenarios. Mara’s level of influence on personnel decisions has been a hot topic for years. He clearly doesn’t strong-arm decisions, as he let Barkley leave against his wishes. But it’s impossible to measure if his voice creates an implicit impact. Schoen surely had to know it would please Mara to sign Jones to a long-term deal last offseason (“Hard Knocks” would have been so much more interesting last year!).
Saquon Barkley on the multiple offers he received and how the Giants made him feel. This and more on Scoop City
🎤 https://t.co/OPooQq9JIK
📺 https://t.co/0micCwpxZB pic.twitter.com/PoqDIfMkx5— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) July 23, 2024
As expected, co-owner Steve Tisch has little presence on a day-to-basis. Tisch essentially showed up for the draft and was briefed on the team’s plans without offering any input.
Mara’s brother, Chris, was also shown to have a minor role. Chris Mara’s title changed from senior vice president of player personnel to senior personnel consultant after Schoen was hired in 2022, which was consistent with sources saying he had scaled back his involvement in recent years. Chris Mara was only shown in a meeting with Schoen discussing Jones’ situation and in the draft room.
McDonnell, however, has a significant role. Many of Schoen’s high-level discussions involved McDonnell and assistant general manager Brandon Brown.
Ryan Cowden was viewed as a potential replacement for Brown, who interviewed for two GM positions this offseason. Cowden, who has a long history with Schoen, was hired as the executive adviser to the GM after the 2023 draft. Cowden’s role seemed limited compared to other members of the front office, however, so he may not be the obvious successor if Brown leaves.
Assistant director of player personnel Dennis Hickey is clearly a voice Schoen respects, while director of pro scouting Chris Rossetti was a breakout star of the series for his willingness to voice his opinions with conviction. Rossetti could make sense as a Brown replacement if Schoen is interested in having another up-and-comer in that role.
Kevin Abrams shifted from assistant GM to senior vice president of football operations and strategy after Schoen’s hiring. That was a step back in prominence, but Abrams remains heavily involved in managing the salary cap and negotiating contracts. Abrams and director of football operations Ed Triggs were the point-men on agent negotiations during free agency.
New York state of mind
The Giants place an emphasis on how players will handle the New York market. A scouting report on No. 1 pick Caleb Williams noted that the former USC quarterback didn’t speak to the media after a loss last season, which scout Blaise Bell called a “no-no” in this market.
Like he did with Kayvon Thibodeaux before the 2022 draft, coach Brian Daboll framed a question to LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels in a combine interview about dealing with media criticism if he struggled as a rookie.
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But what about … ?
My biggest (unfair) complaint about the show is that it was, in fact, a TV show. That meant certain story lines were exaggerated for dramatic purposes — Barkley told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini that there was very little suspense about returning to the Giants — and others were ignored completely.
As a football geek, would I have loved to get an inside look at the undrafted free agency process? Absolutely. But I also understand that’s not the sexiest topic for the casual viewer in HBO’s target audience.
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That said, there were some notable omissions from a behind-the-scenes look at the offseason. There was very little mention of tight end Darren Waller’s prolonged retirement deliberation. It would have been interesting to see how Schoen and Daboll dealt with that, especially since Schoen was still viewing Waller as a piece of the offense in a mid-February meeting with Mara.
There was no mention of wide receiver Darius Slayton’s contract unrest. It’s understandable that wasn’t deemed a major story line, but it would have been nice to see how Schoen navigated a situation that ended with the team adding modest incentives to Slayton’s contract.
The team’s pre-free agency meeting with quarterback Russell Wilson wasn’t addressed. It would have been fascinating to at least hear the team’s thinking on meeting with the 12-year veteran.
It also would have been revealing to see more interactions between the front office and agents. For instance, Schoen and his staff spend a chunk of their time at the combine meeting with agents. While “Hard Knocks” couldn’t show any meetings about prospective free agents from other teams — that, of course, would be tampering, so it NEVER occurs — but conversations with the agents of Barkley or safety Xavier McKinney would have provided a unique perspective into the process. We only got to see a few phone calls with Barkley’s agent, Ed Berry, to provide a glimpse into those interactions.
My biggest complaint is that the episodes were too short. And that made the personal interest filler more annoying because there was plenty of compelling content left on the cutting room floor.
But overall, this was an entertaining series that provided more unfiltered access than expected. Good luck to the producers finding a team for next offseason.
(Photo of John Mara and Joe Schoen: Lucas Boland / USA Today)
