How much does it cost to modernize the board in the Giants’ draft room?
Co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch are going to find out soon enough when that expense report comes through.
Change is coming to the Giants with Joe Schoen installed as the general manager. And not merely cosmetic updates, such as one that struck Schoen as necessary during his tour of the team facility. He noticed the draft board in what sometimes is called the “war room’’ contained magnets “that they’ve probably had forever.’’ Most NFL teams have gone to digital draft boards. The Bills, the team that employed Schoen the past four years, certainly did. The Giants, you can be sure, soon will, as well.
Magnets are leaving and change is coming.
“They’ve obviously had success with it in Buffalo and we need to make some changes in how we do things around here and that was one of the big reasons why we wanted to bring somebody in from the outside that can look and see what we’re doing,’’ Mara said. “See what we’re doing well, see what we’re doing poorly at and just change things to a point where everybody’s on the same page moving forward.’’
Figure Schoen after evaluating what he has and what he does not in the building will make a move to hire someone for a title sounding something like director of research and technology. There is work to be done in that area, although the Giants did make strides the past few years under Dave Gettleman, sent into retirement after four losing seasons. It is not as if the Giants did not try to overhaul and get more up-to-date. They fired five college scouts, changed the pro personnel director and beefed up the analytics department. The losing continued, though, which is why Schoen will dive in even further.
Schoen said, “I’m not going to rule that out,’’ when asked if he will hire a top assistant, perhaps a right-hand man, someone with whom he has worked previously.
“That will be his call,’’ Mara said.
In his opening comments on Wednesday, Schoen mentioned five individuals he described as “dear friends of mine that I’ve also learned a ton from over the years.’’ He singled out Ryan Cowden (Titans), Jeff Morrow (Panthers), Brain Gaine (Bills), Alonzo Highsmith (Seahawks) and Dan Morgan (Panthers).
What Schoen will not do is walk in and start firing people left and right. He previously knew some of the members of the Giants’ front office and said he wants to familiarize himself with the others. Some of the Giants scouts are currently on the road, at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in Pasadena. The East-West Shrine game in Nevada comes next and then the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Schoen said he will be at the Senior Bowl and the next week all the scouts will assemble at the Giants’ facility for two weeks of group film sessions.
“They’ve got people in here on the staff with experience that I’m gonna lean on,’’ Schoen said, noting he will “evaluate the staff’’ before making any other decisions.
Schoen said he will immediately begin working on the salary cap with Kevin Abrams, the vice president of football operations and assistant general manager. Abrams handles the cap for the Giants and it remains to be seen what his future is with the organization. Abrams has been with the Giants since 1999.
“I’ve been in those seats over there before when a new general manager or new head coach comes into the building,’’ Schoen said. “I’m a true believer in giving everybody an opportunity. If you’re a hard worker, you’re a good person and you’re going to buy into the process, then you can work with me. I’m not coming in anticipating any changes and I’m not going to make any statements where, ‘We’ve got to do this.’ We’re going to implement our process. Everybody is going to be evaluated. Right now, I can tell there’s a lot of good people in that building that I’m looking forward to working with.’’
Schoen on Thursday made his first player move with the Giants, bringing in someone he is familiar with, signing running back Antonio Williams. A practice squad member of the Bills the past two seasons, Williams, 24, played in one game in 2020.