Former New York Giants head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bill Parcells kept it simple when speaking to Joe Schoen.
“He told me it’s the best job in the league,” the new Giants general manager said at his introductory press conference on Wednesday.
The 42-year-old wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity to take over the Giants’ front office — even if that meant leaving a Buffalo Bills team he helped build into an AFC force as assistant GM under Brandon Beane and coming to a franchise that has been mired in one of its darkest stretches ever.
Schoen will now be responsible for leading the Giants out from under the shrouds of embarrassment and into a contending age — not an easy task for a team that has posted five-straight double-digit loss seasons and has made the playoffs only one time since winning the Super Bowl in February of 2012.
“It’s the New York Giants and I’m standing up here as the general manager,” Schoen said. “That was always really cool to me — even that I interviewed. I don’t know if you’ll ever be ready for this job, there’s no manual… You have to problem-solve, it’s not just sitting in an office scouting.”
He was quick to eliminate any speculation that he would come in and immediately clean house — stating that everyone in the Giants’ building will be evaluated.
“I’ve been in those seats when a new GM, head coach come in the building,” he said. “I’m a true believer in giving everyone an opportunity. If you’re a hard worker and a good person and give into the process, then you can work with me.”
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It appears, however, that quarterback Daniel Jones is already safe despite plenty of rumors swirling about his fit with the Giants after the 2021 season.
The injury-prone third-year quarterback has been unable to prove that he can lead an offense that has been a below-average unit — though it descended into league-worst territory after he went down with a season-ending neck injury in Week 12.
“I’ve looked at Daniel and once the new staff gets in here, we’re going to get together, dive into the film as a group, see what Daniel does best, and allow him to put his best foot forward,” Schoen said. “We’ll build an offense around Daniel to accentuate what he does best.”
But first, Schoen has to find a head coach in a search that appears to be approaching its final stages. While he did not go into many specifics, he admitted that Brian Daboll remains in the running while former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores will be coming into Giants facilities to interview for the position, as well.
“The relationship between myself and the next head coach will be integral,” Schoen said. “We’ll be aligned in our plan and vision on how to build the franchise and how to build a winning team.”
