“Do as I say. and not as I do.” — Giants general manager Joe Schoen, apparently.
After acknowledging in February that the offseason edition of “Hard Knocks” was a mistake, the Giants are giving the series another run ... in the season-long version, “Hard Knocks: In Season with the NFC East.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made the announcement Wednesday. He also said that the Bills will be the focus of the offseason series.
At the NFL Combine, Schoen told reporters that no teams had reached out to him about the series, though he acknowledged, “I think I know what I would tell them.”
That’s because the Giants’ version foreshadowed their disastrous season and Schoen would end up eating his words about running Saquon Barkley, whom he let go to sign with the eventual Super Bowl-winning Eagles.
While the series provided fans with rare, behind-the-scenes access into an NFL team’s decision-making process, it also made the Giants look bad and the butt of jokes for the entire season.
In front of the HBO cameras, a few people, including Giants owner John Mara, advocated for re-signing Barkley, but the majority of the Giants’ front office, led by Schoen, was in favor of allowing Barkley to walk in free agency.
“I think the right thing to do is let you test the market and see what your value is,” Schoen told Barkley as aired in the series.
Instead of giving him an extension, Schoen advocated on spending their resources on the offensive line to protect quarterback Daniel Jones, who was ultimately benched and cut last season.
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