In every of the final three seasons, a quarterback who was extremely drafted however didn’t initially fulfill began to flourish in a brand new location with the fitting offense and training employees.
In 2022, the Seattle Seahawks determined 2013 second-round New York Jets decide Geno Smith would change Russell Wilson as their franchise quarterback after Smith had been a washout with the Jets, the New York Giants, and the Los Angeles Chargers. Smith has been a plus-level starter within the Emerald Metropolis ever since.
Baker Mayfield was chosen by the Cleveland Browns with the primary general decide in 2018, fell out of favor with head coach Kevin Stefanski, and was jettisoned in favor of Deshaun Watson, who joined the crew in what would be the worst deal in NFL historical past. Mayfield had a pleasant cup of espresso with the Los Angeles Rams, after which signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023. Below offensive coordinators Dave Canales (who was instrumental in Smith’s skilled rehabilitation, and is doing the identical for 2023 first general decide Bryce Younger in Carolina) and now Liam Coen, Mayfield has come to outline the Bucs franchise as a lot as any present participant.
Sam Darnold, one other Jets failure early in his profession, was chosen by Gang Inexperienced No 3 general in 2018 – two picks after Mayfield. Issues by no means labored out for Darnold there, and he was catapulted out of the constructing by way of a commerce to the Carolina Panthers after three seasons. After two respectable years with the Panthers, and a 2023 stint with the San Francisco 49ers as a backup, Darnold discovered the proper place in Minnesota, the place Vikings head coach and offensive shot-caller Kevin O’Connell has made essentially the most of Darnold’s attributes whereas masking his deficiencies.
Might Jones be a part of an analogous the feelgood story in 2025? A number of reviews have him signing with the Vikings with a spot on Minnesota’s observe squad, so maybe he can experience on the O’Connell Rehabilitation Program as Darnold has.
The Giants just lately launched the 2019 sixth-overall decide after a profession of (principally) subpar play. Jones has by no means appeared like The Man. However, to be truthful, he’s additionally had three head coaches, 4 offensive coordinators, and a number of offensive techniques to cope with.
On Monday, O’Connell was requested about his crew’s potential curiosity in Jones.
“I’m not going to actually get into that at present, however I’ll say I’ve tons of respect for Daniel Jones as a participant and an individual,” O’Connell mentioned. “ I received to know him by way of the draft course of years in the past, and I’m certain now that he’s a free agent, there’s in all probability a ton of league-wide curiosity in him. Daniel’s going to make the choice that’s finest for him in his profession transferring ahead, and I’m certain he’s working by way of that course of proper now. I actually can’t get into an excessive amount of short-term or long-term. I can simply say I’ve been a fan of Daniel’s for a very long time, and hope wherever his subsequent cease takes him, it’s a great alternative for him.”
Properly, now that’s at the very least in play.
Smith, Mayfield and Darnold had been in a position to reframe their careers after touchdown with groups who constructed the fitting offenses round them. How can Jones’s second NFL crew – whether or not it’s the Vikings or one other crew from an lively roster perspective – accomplish an analogous turnaround, most definitely with the 27-year-old as a backup behind a real star quarterback, at the very least to begin?
Make the RPO a staple idea
Jones isn’t the perfect field-reader within the NFL, and there are occasions when he waits too lengthy to throw. However he’s cell, and he can win as a runner. He has 2,179 speeding yards and 15 speeding touchdowns in his profession. So the run-pass possibility needs to be an enormous a part of his subsequent offense. This idea provides the quarterback the choice to throw, hand off to a working again, or run the ball himself primarily based on how the protection assaults. It additionally tends to restrict the quarterback’s have to learn all the area, as most RPO passes are of the quick-game selection.
This season, Jones has been comparatively environment friendly as a passer and as a runner in RPO performs. He’s accomplished eight of 13 passes for 52 yards, whereas as an RPO runner, he’s gained 42 yards on six carries. With the Vikings this season, Darnold has accomplished 5 of six RPO passes for 22 yards, and O’Connell tends to desire handoffs to working backs versus quarterback runs, so it’s not a staple of O’Connell’s offense. However it could possibly be, in a pinch.
And as Darnold has, Jones ought to ostensibly profit from a receiver with the expertise of Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson, maybe the NFL’s finest at his place. O’Connell’s excellent offensive designs, which lean closely in direction of scheming receivers open, isn’t one thing that Jones has had earlier than.
Make Jones a sport supervisor
The time period “sport supervisor” is usually thought of pejorative, because it signifies a quarterback whose bodily presents are unspectacular, and due to this fact have to be protected by teaching and the expertise round him. However each quarterback is a sport supervisor to a sure extent, and even the all-time greats are coveted for his or her general consistency as a lot as their flashes of brilliance.
What does this imply for Jones? In his case, his subsequent teaching employees will wish to set up a constant rhythm for him within the passing sport, and which means eschewing the deep ball in favor of quick and intermediate passes. This not solely regulates Jones’ inconsistencies, it additionally removes the beforehand talked about field-reading points when performs take longer to develop, and Jones begins to get out of his depth.
Jones’s passing splits this season inform the story:
Passes beneath 10 air yards: 172 completions in 247 makes an attempt for 1,241 yards, 4 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and a passer score of 79.7.
Passes of 10-19 air yards: 38 completions in 65 makes an attempt for 613 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer score of 87.5.
Passes of 20+ air yards: Six completions in 29 makes an attempt for 216 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and a passer score of 66.7.
Intermediate passes are what Jones’s subsequent crew ought to lead with, whereas giving him simple reads in crimson zone conditions, which can complicate the short-pass numbers for any quarterback who isn’t conversant with changing in these compressed conditions. This season, Darnold has tried the NFL’s fourth-most makes an attempt of 10-19 yards (86), finishing the fifth-most with 50, for 426 yards, 4 touchdowns, six interceptions, and a passer score of 81.8.
Assist Jones to develop into a “Messenger of Confidence”
Former Giants common supervisor Dave Gettleman took Jones at No 6 after Jones had an excellent week of observe on the 2019 Senior Bowl, and was named the sport’s Most Helpful Participant. One of many causes Gettleman is the Giants’ former GM is that he positioned extra significance on one All-Star week over the three seasons at Duke through which Jones put up tape that was much more of the second- or third-round selection.
That put Jones firmly within the realm of the overdrafted. And whereas the cash’s so much higher in that neighborhood, it additionally tends to create an unlucky dichotomy between what is predicted and what can truly be achieved. Not everyone seems to be Tom Brady, who was chosen with the 199th general decide, and wished to make everybody on this planet pay dearly for that oversight.
In Jones’s remaining press convention as a Giants participant, he learn an announcement through which he apologized for his general efficiency and thanked the crew. Jones was rightly praised for dealing with the scenario professionally, however that’s a troublesome method to finish one’s time with a franchise. And Jones’s self-confidence, one thing that’s essential for a quarterback, could also be affected consequently. It’s not simply self-confidence that’s essential for a quarterback both – his teammates should imagine in his skills too.
For instance, Younger is popping issues round with the Panthers this season after a horrid rookie marketing campaign in 2023, partly as a result of his teammates now imagine in him. After Younger had his finest sport up to now final Sunday in a 30-27 loss to the defending Tremendous Bowl champion Chiefs, veteran receiver Adam Thielen mentioned of Younger that he had develop into “The messenger of our confidence and who we could be. We love that man, and [we] respect his type of mindset this 12 months.”
Maybe Kevin O’Connell could make that occur for Jones. He’s already accomplished so for Darnold, who may definitely inform Jones a factor or two concerning the path he’s at present on – the identical one Darnold has subsequently transcended.
Getting the fitting match was crucial a part of that journey for Daniel Jones. And it might seem that it’s occurred.
