Giants' Joe Schoen sounds pessimistic about signing QB Daniel Jones

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen sounds less confident he will sign quarterback Daniel Jones to a contract before this coming Tuesday's deadline for teams to use their franchise tags. 

"You’re starting to feel the time crunch a little bit," Schoen admitted during a Thursday morning appearance on NFL Network, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. "I wish we were a little bit closer on a deal than what we are right now. But again, there’s still time." 

Schoen offered these comments after he previously remarked at the NFL Combine he felt "cautiously optimistic" about signing both Jones and star running back Saquon Barkley to new deals ahead of Tuesday. As Michael Eisen of the Giants' website pointed out, Schoen left no doubt that Jones will remain his QB1 through this offseason one way or another. 

Schoen and the Giants essentially had to start from scratch in negotiations after Jones switched agents and went from CAA to Athletes First. It's been reported on multiple occasions that the 25-year-old's camp wants him to earn up to $45 million per season via his next contract, but NFC East insider Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports said on Wednesday the realistic "sweet spot" for a deal could be closer to $37M per year and an agreement that could allow Jones to reach free agency as early as 2025. 

Using the franchise tag on Jones would cost New York roughly $32.4M in salary cap and cash. Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com wrote Thursday morning that Schoen tagging Jones now "seems inevitable." 

Schoen couldn't refute that take. According to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk, the executive said he and Jones' representatives are "gonna circle back up again today at some point" regarding talks.

Also on Wednesday, Vacchiano tweeted the Giants appear unlikely to offer Barkley more than $12.5M per year even though he may be looking for closer to $14M per campaign. Using the franchise tag to retain Barkley's rights would cost around $10.1M in salary cap and cash, but that option won't be available if Schoen has to tag Jones before Tuesday's deadline. 

In short, Giants fans may want to prepare themselves to see Barkley carrying the football for a different team during summer workouts. The negotiating window for free agency opens on March 13.