Giants' Former Stars Shine as All-Pros Elsewhere, Raising Questions About Front Office's Talent Exodus
Paul Riverbank, 1/12/2025The New York Giants' front office faces scrutiny as three former players achieve First-Team All-Pro status with other teams, notably Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney. This development starkly contrasts with owner John Mara's recent praise of GM Joe Schoen's performance, raising questions about the organization's talent evaluation and retention strategies.
In a striking turn of events that raises serious questions about the New York Giants' personnel decisions, three former Giants players have achieved First-Team All-Pro status — just not for the team that originally drafted or developed them.
The Associated Press's 2024 All-Pro Teams announcement has cast a harsh spotlight on General Manager Joe Schoen's decision-making, particularly regarding the departures of running back Saquon Barkley and safety Xavier McKinney. Both players, allowed to walk away via free agency, have now reached the pinnacle of individual NFL recognition with their new teams while simultaneously helping guide those franchises to playoff berths.
The timing couldn't be more awkward for the Giants' front office, coming just days after co-owner John Mara's robust defense of Schoen's performance. "I thought we had a really good free agency period," Mara declared, specifically praising the acquisition of Brian Burns and lauding the team's personnel decision-making process as "better than I've ever seen it before."
Yet the evidence suggests a different narrative — one of missed opportunities and questionable talent evaluation. The Giants' roster, by most metrics, has regressed while watching their former stars flourish elsewhere. Barkley's success with the Philadelphia Eagles and McKinney's impact on the Green Bay Packers serve as particularly pointed reminders of what might have been.
The Giants' current situation appears even more dire when examining their 2024 All-Pro voting results. While four Giants received votes — Dexter Lawrence (24), Malik Nabers (12), Ihmir Smith-Marsette (6), and Casey Kreiter (1) — none managed to secure a spot on either the First or Second Team. Even Lawrence, widely considered the team's standout performer, saw his chances diminished by a late-season elbow injury.
Adding a historical footnote to this tale of departed talent, former Giants kicker Chris Boswell also earned First-Team All-Pro honors — though this particular loss dates back to Jerry Reese's tenure as general manager in 2015, rather than falling at Schoen's feet.
The disconnect between Mara's optimistic assessment of the front office's performance and the tangible results on the field — both in terms of team success and individual player achievement — raises uncomfortable questions about the Giants' ability to identify and retain elite talent. While the organization maintains its faith in the current leadership structure, the All-Pro announcements serve as a stark reminder that sometimes the best talent evaluations come from hindsight — and in this case, hindsight isn't being kind to the Giants' front office.