New Giants general manager Joe Schoen was straightforward in his support for incumbent quarterback Daniel Jones while addressing reporters Wednesday, saying New York will "build an offense around Daniel" in 2022. Along with that, team brass was even more blunt in denying rumors of interest in Texans QB Deshaun Watson, with co-owner John Mara explicitly telling media that the Giants will not trade for Watson, who is "not the right fit" for a number of reasons.
"We're not trading for Deshaun Watson," Mara said when asked of speculation linking the former Pro Bowler to New York. "There are so many reasons why we wouldn't do that. Cap-wise, we couldn't afford it, but more importantly, with the allegations that are out there right now, that's just not the right fit for us."
Watson, of course, is facing 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault or misconduct. The former first-round pick spent the entire 2021 season inactive for the Texans, who reportedly attempted to fulfill the QB's previous trade request both before and during the season. Some reports connected him to the Giants this offseason because of his rumored interest in playing under ex-Dolphins coach Brian Flores, who reportedly has interest in New York's open head coaching job.
The Giants might not be proactive in pursuing any veteran QB this offseason, however, judging by the way Schoen described Jones, the team's former first-rounder, on Wednesday.
"Once the new staff gets in here, we're going to get together -- offensive coordinator, head coach, the entire staff -- dive into the film as a group and look at what Daniel does best," he said, per NFL.com, "and we're going to try to allow him to put his best foot forward ... There's not anybody in this building that's said a bad word about his work ethic, passion, desire to win, and I think you've got to have those traits as a quarterback. The kid has physical ability. He's got arm strength, he's athletic, he can run. I'm really excited to work with Daniel."
