The NFL Hard Knocks show has become increasingly popular over the years, especially when filmed during an NFL team’s offseason. This year’s show has featured the New York Giants, who are looking for much better results in 2024 after a disappointing 6-11 mark last season. With two episodes already in the books, we have seen a ton of drama, as expected, after a dramatic exit from star players like Saquon Barkley.
This latest episode saw some of that drama occur with Giants General Manager Joe Schoen having a phone call with the aforementioned Barkley and seeing New York’s scouting team and Head Coach Brian Daboll assessing what they plan on doing with the sixth overall pick in the NFL Draft. So this year’s show of Hard Knocks will only get more interesting. And with those two episodes of Hard Knocks now over, what have been the biggest takeaways so far?
Schoen’s Intense Phone Call with Barkley
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This was probably something that Giants fans most anticipated seeing on the show, as well as the negotiations between the Giants and Barkley and how his exit from the Giants came to fruition. After a dramatic standoff between the Giants and Barkley last year that resulted in Barkley returning to New York on a one-year deal, this offseason would again be filled with drama. The latest episode had Schoen talking with Barkley over the phone about the Giants’ plan for him and how they intend to let him test the NFL free agency market.
It was one of the most intriguing parts of Hard Knocks. While the phone call was happening between the two parties, Barkley kept reiterating his intention of wanting to be a Giant for life. Schoen said that if an offer was given to the former second-overall pick elsewhere, the Giants could try their best to match that team’s offer.
That was not the case when the Eagles, seemingly out of nowhere, offered Barkley a three-year deal worth $37.75 million, which he ultimately signed. Barkley wanted to be a Giant for life, as he said throughout the call, and he was willing to give New York the chance to match an offer that might come from another team. That obviously never happened, as the Giants saw their star running back leave for their NFC East rivals.
Drake Maye May Have Been the Reason Why the Giants Wanted to Trade Up
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This episode also featured the Giants coaching staff at the NFL Combine meeting with players of this year’s draft. North Carolina’s Drake Maye’s meeting with the Giants was the most notable meeting between the two sides. Daboll seemed very impressed about how Maye could understand play calls and memorize them. People now realize that he was the reason the Giants were trying to trade up from the sixth overall pick to the New England Patriots pick at three.
This episode of Hard Knocks also saw Schoen talking with his front office team about wanting to speak with the Patriots’ front office team and coaching staff at the combine about whether they’re open to trading that pick. It was fascinating to see, especially being over a year removed from paying quarterback Daniel Jones a contract worth nearly $40 million a year. Schoen and Daboll seemed serious about drafting a quarterback like Drake Maye, and that meeting with the young quarterback at the combine was a major takeaway from the episode.
