New York Giants QB Daniel Jones had a very good rookie season. In 12 starts, Jones threw for 3027 yards with 24 touchdowns, but as with most rookies, there were some struggles. Jones had 12 interceptions and led the NFL with 18 fumbles, which was the fifth-most in league history.
Even with the turnovers, Jones gave the New York Giants a lot of hope, and in the offseason, he worked on his body. The 25-year-old Jones, who was 220 pounds as a rookie, came to camp at around 230. Earlier this month, Jones talked about what he did to get bigger and stronger.
“I feel good. I feel like I’m as strong as I’ve been,” Jones said. “I feel like I’m in good shape. I was in Charlotte for most of the offseason and training there. I wanted to get stronger and wanted to gain some weight for what that does for every part of my game, standing in the pocket, running when I need to, and obviously throwing the ball as efficiently as I can using my strength, my lower body. Each piece of that was part of the goal of the offseason in my training.”
Giants wide receiver Golden Tate III, who spent some time working out with Jones in the offseason, is impressed by Jones’ body and how he has performed at camp.
“For one, the guy is ripped now,” Tate said during a video call on Wednesday. “The guy is solid, a very solid guy, I love seeing that. He put on some muscle. DJ is who he was last year. Same person, but he understands the game a little bit more. He is consistent in who he is. He shows up every day; he’s looking for ways to get better. After every play, we are talking about what we can do better, trying to get on the same page. We didn’t have that time in April for OTA’s for that team building. We’ve had to do that offsite or once we got to camp.
“We’re taking it day by day. DJ has always impressed me from the moment he showed up in the building last year when we drafted him. He’s always conducted himself in a very great way. He’s who you want on your side. He’s hungry to be great, and that’s what you want out of the leader of the offense.”
Last season, Tate averaged 13.8 yards per catch, which is his best since 2013, but according to the 32-year-old Tate, the numbers don’t matter. It’s all about winning.
“I would say having opportunities and having a solid offense,” Tate said. “When you have a couple stars on your team like Sterling(Sheperd) and Saquon(Barkley), it definitely opens it up for you. There’s no rhyme or reason to it besides showing up every day trying to work hard and, more importantly, trying to win. That’s always going to be my goal when I step on the field. The personal stats don’t really matter too much to me; I just want to win. That’s what we are trying to do.”
Winning is what the Giants want to do, especially after winning only four games last season, and if with a “ripped” Jones continues to improve, maybe things will be better for New York in 2020.
Photo: Giants.com
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