The New York Giants’ offense has gotten off to a shaky start at training camp this summer. According to the reporters in attendance, starting quarterback Daniel Jones has struggled to maintain his accuracy when throwing the ball downfield during the team’s practices.
Meanwhile, second-string quarterback Drew Lock has hit his downfield targets with consistency. Fans and reporters alike are beginning to wonder whether or not it’s time for Lock to start receiving practice reps with the starters.
Could the Giants start giving Drew Lock first-team practice reps?
The Giants signed Lock this offseason to give themselves some insurance behind Jones as he is coming off a season-ending ACL tear suffered in Week 9 of last season. There was initial concern that Jones would not be ready for the start of the 2024 campaign, however, his recovery time was quick. Jones opened training camp as a full participant and as the team’s starting quarterback.
Unfortunately, Jones seems to be having a tough time knocking off the rust. He has not practiced with the team since November, but his initial practices back have been rather inconsistent. The Giants are aiming to be more explosive on offense this season, but they will only be able to achieve that goal if their quarterback can connect on those deep passes.
According to Connor Hughes of SNY, Jones has “consistently been underthrowing players this summer.” He noted that Tuesday’s practice was “undeniably the worst” for Jones and the starting offense as he finished five of 14 passing with a couple of near interceptions and several inaccurate passes that fell incomplete or left yards on the table by disrupting the intended receiver’s stride.
Meanwhile, Lock has been connecting deep and has looked like a capable signal caller. If Jones continues to struggle, it could only be a matter of time before he starts splitting first-team reps with his new backup.
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Why the Giants need to give Lock reps with the starters in camp
Not only do the Giants need to give Lock starting reps because he’s earned them, but they also need to prepare for the doomsday scenario where Jones suffers another injury. Jones has missed time due to injuries in all but one season of his professional career so far. Two of those injuries have been season-ending.
During an episode of HBO Hard Knocks, general manager Joe Schoen revealed his and the team’s concerns about his quarterback’s health history. They heavily considered drafting a quarterback at the top of this year’s NFL Draft, but pivoted to giving Jones an elite weapon when all of the top signal-callers came off the board.
If Jones were to miss time due to an injury again this season, the Giants would find themselves in a scary situation. Jones has a clause in his contract that protects him by giving him extra guarantees next season if he is unable to pass his physical due to an injury. For this reason, the Giants need to be prepared to pull him from the lineup and place Lock in the starting unit if Jones struggles. That’s why giving him training camp reps to build chemistry with the rest of the starters would be so important.
However, the Giants do need to be patient with Jones as he continues to bounce back from his knee injury. But fans have to wonder how much longer they can wait before seeing what Lock can do in Jones’s place.
