Why are the New York Giants continuing to play cornerback Deonte Banks?
It’s a valid question and one that was posed to defensive coordinator Shane Bowen earlier this week after Banks, who took just eight defensive snaps in Week 5, surrendered one pass on one target for eight yards, and was flagged for pass interference, negating a Jevon Holland interception.
“It’s a week-to-week thing. We talk about it every week about how we’re going to go in and handle some of the stuff, and based on skill sets, what we’re trying to ask these guys to do potentially, but it’s going to be an ongoing evaluation for us,” Bowen said.
Bowen was then pressed on his ability to make playing time decisions. What he didn’t say spoke louder than what he did say.
“These players earn what they get when they get here. That’s how it is,” he said. “That’s how it’s been. I think us as a staff, it’s something we discuss day in and day out, just how guys are performing, where they’re at, going into a game plan, just what we think is best in terms of match-ups and some of those other things.”
Given multiple opportunities to say Banks’ playing time is his choice, Bowen punted repeatedly. So that begs the question, if the defensive coordinator doesn’t have the final say on snap counts, who does?
The obvious answer is head coach Brian Daboll, but it might go deeper than that.
On the latest edition of the Breaking Big Blue Podcast, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan cited former Giants coaches who say general manager Joe Schoen meddles far more than other GMs around the league.
“I’ve been told by coaches (who) were there in the past that the GM here is more involved in mandating playing time than any other place they’ve been,” Raanan said. “I don’t know for sure that that’s the case here because Daboll won’t really say much. Shane Bowen didn’t say, ‘Yeah. This is my decision. I want him out there.’
“He tip-toed around the answer there. To me, it would seem like — you’re talking about a first-round pick. Trying to salvage something out of a first-round pick.”
As much praise as Schoen has earned for some of his draft picks, there are just as many early busts. Offensive lineman Evan Neal, a first-round pick, has been a healthy scratch all season. Banks is playing poorly, which can also be said about safety Tyler Nubin, a second-round pick.
“They’re trying to salvage draft picks. That’s certainly what it seems,” Raanan added.
If Schoen is meddling with playing time mandates, that’s a large problem in and of itself. It’s made worse when his draft picks, like Banks, continue to cost the team takeaways, points, and potential wins — especially with so many jobs on the line.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Is Giants’ Joe Schoen meddling by implementing playing time mandates?
