Giants’ Daniel Jones details his excitement for his most lethal weapons to return

The New York Giants‘ offense struggled to get going during Thursday’s joint practice with the New England Patriots. After starting off 11V11’s with two straight 3-and-outs, the unit bounced back as Jones connected with wide receiver Dante Pettis on a long completion that would’ve been a touchdown in a real game.

Overall, Jones unofficially completed 23 passes on 29 attempts, showcasing one of his better practices of the off-season. However, despite Jones’s success, he’s still working without the majority of his top weapons on offense, barely getting Saquon Barkley involved for the first time on Thursday.

Barkley enjoyed just a few snaps to get his legs moving and a feel for live-action, hauling in several passes. Hopefully, Big Blue activates Barkley more in the receiving game this upcoming season, as, during his rookie campaign, Barkley posted 91 receptions for 721 yards and four touchdowns.

Coordinator Jason Garrett shouldn’t just rely on Saquon as a check-down option, but design plays to get him open in space and active in the passing game. In fact, they should take a look at the New Orleans Saints from last season and copycat some of their plays to mimic Alvin Kamara’s production.

Nonetheless, Jones is ecstatic about the return of some of his weapons, including Barkley and Kyle Rudolph. However, he knows players like Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney are working their butts off to return as soon as possible.

“I know those guys are working hard to get back and are working with the trainers every day to get better,” said Jones. “We’re focused on improving as a group and getting ready for Week 1.”

Rudolph made his first appearance on the football field during Wednesday’s practice after starting the off-season on the PUP list. Rehabilitating from a foot injury, Rudolph spent time before last week’s preseason game against Cleveland catching passes before kick-off. Clearly, he was feeling confident in his foot and is slowly ramping up to live action after missing the past few months of conditioning.

“Good to see him out there,” said Jones. “He’s worked so hard to get back and he’s been behind the scenes a lot helping all of us, helping me, helping the tight ends, and it’s been good to have him out there.”

The Giants’ offense will play the first half against the New England Patriots this upcoming Sunday, but Jones will still be without some of his major pieces. Hopefully, they will be available for him against the Denver Broncos come Week 1 on September 12.