Joe Schoen has taken charge of Giants with his approach to personnel

On the first installment of HBO’s “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants,” we got to see general manager Joe Schoen imparting his priorities on both ownership and his staff.

Co-owner John Mara intimated to Schoen that he would love to keep free agent running back Saquon Barkley in the fold.

“In a perfect world, I’d like to have him back,” Mara said.

In a clear conversation between a 21st-century thinker and a 20th-century one, Schoen diplomatically told Mara that letting Barkley test free agency is the best course of action for the Giants.

#Giants GM Joe Schoen and owner John Mara discussing what to do with Saquon Barkley:

Mara: “In a perfect world, I’d still like to have him back.”pic.twitter.com/ueQG1XcmlR

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 3, 2024

Mara’s thinking is old school. The names on the back of the jersey are always secondary to the logo on the side of the helmet. Loyalty is nice but winning is more important.

It’s a team game and Schoen’s explanation was a stark U-turn to the tunnel-vision thinking that has sunk the Giants into NFL limbo the past decade.

In another conversation regarding Barkley, Tim McDonnell — the team’s director of player personnel and Mara’s nephew — asked Schoen what the Giants’ identity would be on offense without Barkley.

Tim McDonnell asked the best question of this episode.

Whats our offensive identity going to be without Saquon?

NFL front office isnt the place for yes men. Everyone knew what Joe Schoen wanted to do.

One of #Giants lieutenants HAD TO raise the counterpoint https://t.co/TtRd1DTwFa

— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) July 3, 2024

Schoen has a lot of money invested in quarterback Daniel Jones and knows the right path is to put a better offensive line in front of Jones and surround him with better weapons in the passing game. An expensive veteran running back runs crosscurrent to that thinking.

And that is what Schoen did this offseason. He let Barkley walk, signed several veteran offensive linemen, and then loaded up his running back, tight end, and wide receiver rooms with players that fit both the budget and the roster initiatives.

The truth is, the Giants were a nothing burger on offense with Barkley. They finished last with him, maybe they’ll fare better without him using a committee approach at running back.

Since Barkley became a Giant in 2018, the team has never finished higher than 16th in scoring and has been among the bottom three teams three times during Barkley’s tenure.