Hard Knocks with the New York Giants: Episode 1 Breakdown
Credit: Decider
(Rutherford, NJ) HBO’s first episode of their offseason rendition of the series Hard Knocks following the New York Giants was released last night. This is the first of the five-episode series following the Giants through the entire spring offseason, particularly through the eyes of General Manager Joe Schoen as he navigates the hoops and ladders to prepare the Giants for the 2024 season. Here are some of the biggest moments from the first episode.
The Start of Saquon Barkley’s Free Agency Exit
One of the biggest points of the Giants’ entire offseason was the loss of star running back Saquon Barkley, who left the Big Apple in free agency. The episode starts with Schoen and his team’s discussion on what to do with Barkley, whether to offer him a new deal and trade him or let him walk. There are also numerous scenes in which we see the entire Giants front office evaluating running backs who are set to hit the open market, with the likes of Zach Moss, Devin Singletary, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, and D’Andre Swift all being looked at in terms of production, style of play, and overall cost to be the G-men’s lead back. Ultimately, throughout the episode, the audience sees the Giants weighing Saquon’s value with those same metrics. With the list of needs for the Giants so long, and Barkley’s age and workload already so high, along with the fact the Giants have Daniel Jones signed long-term, Schoen and his team ultimately plan to let Saquon walk to try and match any offer any team gives him. From what we now know, Barkley signed with the division rival Philadelphia Eagles on a 3-year, $37 million deal. The biggest headline during free agency was the fact that the Giants hadn’t offered him a new deal. From what is shown in the episode, it’s crystal clear why. There was never any doubt of Saquon’s value both on and off the field; he meant a lot to the organization, but it shows how the NFL is a business. With so many needs for the Giants, it was clear even if the Giants did reach a deal with him and then pulled the trigger on a sign-and-trade, they would have wanted significant value or at least enough to be able to fix their needs on the offensive line, in the defensive back room, and finally in their wide receiver core. The episode doesn’t show Schoen calling Barkley to inform him they were going to let him test the market, but it is teased during. That will likely be something we see in either Episode 2 or later on.
The Giants full faith in Daniel Jones
Another focal point in the first episode was the Giants’ faith in Daniel Jones. We see a portion of Jones’ recovery from his ACL tear, which he suffered in Week 9. The front office points to the need for consistency on the offensive line to help Jones remain healthy, with Schoen mentioning how 2024 will be his year. Overall, the front office is well aware of how Jones’ contract should keep him in New York for three years. They also mention how, with Barkley on the way out, Jones should take over that role as the focal point of the offense. Citing his $40 million contract, they emphasize that it is not to hand off the football to someone in the backfield. It is clear the Giants are putting their chips in one basket when it comes to Jones. It will be interesting to see when the series begins to focus on the Draft and how close the Giants were to pulling the trigger in trading up to select Drake Maye, who went to the Patriots at the third overall pick. Even with Jones’ injury history, the Giants’ front office has set a huge priority on Jones reaching his full potential in Giants Blue.
Two Firsts for Burns
To many NFL fans, the idea of fashioning a trade comes in a formal phone call to another team involving suits, poker faces, and looking like a classic sit-down. This first episode bursts that bubble. Another item on the laundry list of priorities for the Giants was a pass rusher to partner with All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. We see the front office do the same breakdown of free agents as they did with the running back market, with Brian Burns of the Carolina Panthers being one of the pass rushers highlighted by the front office. With the hiring of former Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, that need becomes more emphasized, especially in the new defense he pitches to the front office. Towards the end of the episode, the audience sees glimpses of different scouting events with the East-West Shrine Bowl and the Senior Bowl. In Mobile, we see all the general managers chatting away. Panthers GM Dan Morgan, who has a close relationship with Giants GM Joe Schoen, seemingly mentions a potential trade for Brian Burns. Morgan jokingly said, “You wanna give me two 1sts for Burns?” Going back to what we know, Burns did eventually get traded to the Giants for a second-round pick and two fifth-round picks. The trade does not unfold in the first episode, but hinting towards episode 2, we may see that entire deal go down for the star outside linebacker. It’s rather comedic that a little comment like Morgan’s can pull on a thread leading to what could be a huge trade for the Giants’ pass rush in 2024.
It will be interesting to see even more insight into the Giants’ offseason with the end of the episode teasing the work that gets done at the NFL’s scouting combine and rookie meetings at the Combine. Episode 2 of this edition of Hard Knocks releases next Tuesday at 9 p.m. Eastern on HBO Max.