New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll told NFL Network’s Judy Battista that the new era of Big Blue football is off to a “good start” with a “foundation” in place but the team still has “a long way to go.”
“I thought it was a good start. We laid a foundation. Have a long way to go. But just to interact with the people in the building, not just on the football side, but the business side, all the different departments. I thought (general manager) Joe (Schoen) and I tried to establish what we wanted to bring to the table.
“Certainly got a long way to go because this upcoming year, you’re faced with the task again of building a team again. Not just collecting talent. So, 30 to 40 percent of your team is gonna be new. So different challenges. Certainly grateful for the opportunity, but made a lot of mistakes along the way. And (we’re) trying to learn from them throughout the offseason.”
Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen run the show now after arriving in New York from the Buffalo Bills. The Giants went 4-13 in 2021 but improved to a 9-7-1 record in 2022, which marked the team’s first postseason berth since 2016 and first playoff win since 2011.
The season ended in ugly fashion with a 38-7 loss in the NFC Divisional Round to the eventual conference champion Philadelphia Eagles, but it was clear how much progress and strides the team made after the bottom fell out the year before.
Some key pieces to last year’s team remain, such as quarterback Daniel Jones, who is back on a four-year, $160 million deal. The same goes for running back Saquon Barkley on the franchise tag. Other key names have left, such as interior offensive lineman Nick Gates and safety Julian Love in free agency.
The Giants are still going through a rebuilding process as they continue to add pieces to the squad, such as tight end Darren Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders via trade. They also have three draft picks in the top 89, starting with the No. 25 overall selection.
Overall, though, the foundation has clearly been laid for future success in New York as the franchise seeks its fifth Super Bowl.