Big Blue View
Could Fields be the bridge option the Giants need in 2025?
The New York Giants are looking for a new quarterback. Both Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito are free agents (the latter is an exclusive rights free agent). GM Joe Schoen may look to add multiple free-agent quarterbacks, and few possess an inexpensive upside like Justin Fields.
I was not a big Fields fan when he came out of Ohio State in 2021. His physical traits are tantalizing, and he has a cannon, but, similar to Daniel Jones, his ability to change consistently the pacing and touch of his passes seems unnatural. Like Jones, accuracy issues and a lack of anticipatory passing are still significant question marks for Justin Fields.
However, Fields is just 25 years old. He’ll cost the Giants little on the cap: Spotrac.com has his market value at $8.9 million average annual value — a shot on Fields at that price as the No. 2 quarterback is an interesting option.
Plenty of former first-round picks have found comfortable homes away from the teams that selected them: Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff and Sam Darnold are examples. Can Fields become yet another? I remain skeptical but intrigued by his potential. I trust his upside more than that of Zach Wilson and Mac Jones, albeit the latter could offer low-upside stability.
Fields started the first six games for the Pittsburgh Steelers while Russell Wilson was ailing from a calf injury. Fields led Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record before head coach Mike Tomlin made a somewhat controversial decision to bench Fields for Wilson. The offense did seemingly play better with Wilson as the signal caller.
Fields finished the season with 1,106 passing yards, five passing touchdowns, one interception, a Big Time Throw Rate of 3.4%, and a Turnover Worthy Rate of 2.8%. Fields was most dangerous with his legs; he rushed for 289 yards and five touchdowns with six fumbles. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry, and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith seemed to enjoy the physicality and mobility of the young quarterback. We’ll start there.
Offensive coordinators can game plan around Fields’ elusiveness and his dangerous rushing upside. His toughness — combined with his 6-foot-3, 230-pound frame — allows him to punish defenders. The defense must be cognizant of his location at all times for his rushing ability can manifest on quarterback scrambles, like we see in the play above and below:
But designed quarterback runs are even more exciting for a creative offensive coordinator. We’ve seen Brian Daboll design solid plays for Daniel Jones as a rusher, but Fields could take that to another level:
Smith designed a beautiful fake-pitch G-Lead for Fields in the red zone against the Las Vegas Raiders. His ability to tuck it and run forces the defense to stay disciplined with their run assignments, leading to more advantageous numbers on the opposite side, lest the defense gets greedy and Fields makes them pay with his speed.
Interior runs like QB-Power are also...
