Joe Schoen can now only watch as his Giants roster has been revamped

The workload is endless and the task is unique: make the team better.

For Joe Schoen, who is entering his third season as general manager of the Giants, there is nothing more important.

“I like the group,” Schoen said on Wednesday after a training session in the sultry late summer heat, adding that he believes the squad has improved in “several areas.” He did not provide any more specific details.

“I don't want to go from position to position,” he said. “You put together the best group possible and hope everything goes well.”

These were Schoen's last public comments until the Week 11 offseason in mid-November, meaning this was the unofficial handoff from the front office to Brian Daboll and the coaching staff.

It was no surprise that HBO's first offseason series, “Hard Knocks,” starred Schoen and gave Daboll a much smaller supporting role. The offseason is the domain of a general manager, and he has one primary job: give the head coach the best possible roster to do his job.

Did Schoen make it? Are the Giants noticeably better now than last season, when they went 6-11?

The offense needs to be better because…it needs to be. Malik Nabers is a weapon this franchise hasn't had since Odell Beckham Jr., and even though Nabers is a rookie, a lot is expected of him. The quarterback trio isn't any better — would you rather have Tyrod Taylor, now with the Jets, or the new backup, Drew Lock? Daniel Jones is healthy, though, and that's encouraging.

Saquon Barkley was taken out of the running back room, so the group cannot be considered more talented, but should be stronger if rookie Tyrone Tracy is as solid as he looks.

Schoen was traded for edge rusher Brian Burns and then paid a lot of money. He will be an impact player – matching the athletic talents of Dexter Lawrence at center and Kayvon Thibodeaux on the other side. At this point, the secondary is of utmost importance, as it seems lacking at cornerback after Deonte Banks and unproven at safety after the return of starter Jason Pinnock.

The verdict? The squad is better, but it is more like a continuation of a rebuild than a nearly finished product.

Schoen avoids and dodges broad questions, just as he hopes Nabers ducks, dodges and runs past cornerbacks. He won't provide any big-picture content, no matter how quickly the questions are fired off.

“Whatever I say, none of it matters,” he said. “They have to go out there and play. The team is the team right now, we have to come together and stick together.”

No GM does everything right. Schoen tried to improve the offensive line in the 2022 draft by adding Evan Neal (first round), Josh Ezeudu (third round) and Marcus McKethan (fifth round), and it looks like he came up empty-handed. Neal, selected No. 7, is headed for the dreaded “flop” label, but he wasn't too high. He was a consensus top-10 pick. Ezeudu hasn't found a position, and McKethan was released. The Giants believe the young offensive linemen weren't well served by their position coach Bobby Johnson, who was fired after last season.

Schoen suffered from those failures and had to pivot. This year, he paid veterans to fill the gaps on offense – signing Jon Runyan, Jermaine Eluemunor and Greg Van Roten. All three will start alongside strong left tackle Andrew Thomas (acquired by Schoen and then re-signed) and center John Michael Schmitz, a second-round pick by Schoen in 2023 who still has a lot to prove after a mediocre rookie season.

The above-average performances in the first year (nine wins in the regular season and another in the playoffs) raised expectations, but the arrow of progress faltered. Co-owner John Mara does not set specific requirements for wins and losses, but recently said he expects “significant improvements” in the third year of the Schoen-Daboll regime.

What does this mean for the man who is supposed to bring about this improvement?

“You asked him, you had the opportunity to talk to him,” Schoen said. “You talked to the most important person.”

Alright, what do these marching orders mean for Schoen?

“Dabes and I don't go into this job without saying we want to go out and win,” Schoen said, his voice a little clipped. “That's why we're here. That's why we work our asses off. That's why we're here all last night doing the waiver cutdown, that's why we're out all spring at Pro Day, that's why we're doing all the work. Not to come here and not win games. That's always going to be the goal. I don't understand — I understand the question, but the goal is to win games, always.”

With that, Schoen and Daboll got up from the table they were sitting behind and walked away. Daboll will soon be heard from again, almost every day for the entire season. Schoen will be out of the public eye, but his work will be on display every week.