At this point, calling New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen one of the worst general managers of the NFL is starting to feel like a recycled talking point. The Daniel Jones extension went sideways... but that felt like a front-office move anyway. The Saquon Barkley exit didn’t sit well with fans in the slightest and only got worse when he won a ring in Philly.
So nobody’s saying Schoen’s been perfect. He's been faaaaar from it. But hanging his whole tenure predominantly on those two moves while ignoring the draft hits and roster progress doesn’t tell his full story.
But if that’s the full basis for calling him "concerning" heading into 2025, it’s a relatively shallow read.
CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin released his recent list of “most concerning GMs,” and Schoen made the cut alongside names like Andrew Berry (Browns), Chris Grier (Dolphins), Chris Ballard (Colts), and Mickey Loomis (Saints). Benjamin pointed to Schoen’s “perpetual rebuild in New York” as the reasoning. Which sounds fine until you realize it skips right over the context — and the clear signs of progress.
The Giants are (surprisingly) trending up under Joe Schoen
When Schoen was hired, he walked into a mess. The roster he inherited was overpaid, underperforming, and not working. The offensive line was a disaster. The quarterback situation was murky. The cap was a nightmare. That’s not a rebuild you fix with a splashy free agent and first-round pick. We're talking full-on renovation territory.
And while it’s true that Schoen’s early picks haven’t all worked out — Evan Neal hasn't worked out, Deonte Banks regressed, and Kayvon Thibodeaux is still a relative unknown — the last two drafts are changing the narrative. Malik Nabers looks like a star. Tyrone Tracy Jr. was a fifth-round steal. Tyler Nubin and Andru Phillips bring real upside to the secondary. This year, Abdul Carter and Jaxson Dart headlined a class that could change everything.
Schoen pulled off the Brian Burns trade without giving up a first-round pick. He added Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston to stabilize the quarterback spot along with drafting Dart to give the team a potential answer for the future. These moves reflect a front office that’s operating with a clear plan and a better understanding of the roster than it had even a year ago.
Listen, Giants fans have every reason to doubt the guy. So far, he just hasn't delivered. But it's rare for teams to do so overnight, and while it's been four years, these things take some time.
The results still need to come. That’s where the pressure lies. If 2025 turns into another disaster, ownership will make changes. John Mara already made it clear he’s losing patience with how long this thing is taking to turn around. Schoen knows that. Everyone in the building knows that. But calling him a concern right now paints an incomplete picture. Schoen has made mistakes, but he learns quickly and does his best to self-correct.
Don’t look now, but the Giants might finally have some structure. The (continuous) rebuild hasn’t gone how anyone hoped, but it’s clear Schoen and the front office know that. The roster is finally making some progress. There’s still work to do, but the foundation is stronger. Yes, Schoen is nowhere near perfect, but calling him "concerning" after one of the perceived best offseasons of his career is missing the mark.
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