Big Blue View
Schoen believes in the foundation being built despite the record
There will be some who think he is delusional, but New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen said on Tuesday he believes the 2-8 Giants are “not far off” from being a good team.
“I like the direction we’re going,” a somewhat defiant Schoen said during his bye week press conference. “I like my team. I like my strategy, the groups that help me in research and strategy, my scouting department, we’ve got a good coaching staff, and I truly believe we’re heading in the right direction.”
Schoen, of course, understands that it doesn’t look that way with the team at 2-8 and having lost five straight games. Especially on the heels of a 6-11 2023 season.
“Nobody’s happy that we’re 2-8,” Schoen said. “I believe in the process and, again, I believe where we’re going.
“Building it, sometimes it hurts and it’s painful and it’s hard to go through it, but we’re going in the right direction.”
Schoen pointed out that the Giants have a young core of players and that much of the roster you see next year will be the same as it is this year.
“We have 19 of 22 starters are under contract for next year. I believe it’s 41 players on the 53. There is a young nucleus of players here and some veterans that are going to be together. We’re in a position where we have some continuity,” Schoen said. “Again, as this team grows together it’s important over these final seven weeks that a lot of these guys are going to be together again next year. We’re finally in a position where there will be some continuity year over year and it’s important that we find ways to win games, specifically those ones I spoke about earlier when it’s close. That’s part of changing the culture and expecting to win.
“You don’t want it to be here we go again. That’s a mindset that we’re still trying to develop.
“We do have a young team. We have the youngest defense in the league. We have Theo [Johnson], [Tyrone] Tracy, [Malik] Nabers, some young guys on offense that are playing major roles for us and contributing. It’s important for them to grow and learn how to win games as well.”
Schoen said “I really do” feel like the Giants could take a significant leap forward in 2025.
“I’m excited about the young players that we have. The build’s tough. It hurts sometimes as you’re going through it, but you gotta go through it to get to the other side,” Schoen said. “I like the young foundation that we’ve put in place, whether it’s [Brian] Burns and Dex [Dexter Lawrence] and Kayvon [Thibodeaux]. There’s some pieces that are going to be in place. Nabers, the rookies I talked about, Theo.
“There’s some young pieces here in place in terms of the foundation...
