Giants icon has strong reaction to Drew Lock news

New York Giants icon and CBS Sports NFL analyst Tiki Barber had a stronger-than-expected reaction to learning that 27-year-old quarterback Drew Lock intends to sign a guaranteed one-year, $5M contract to join the club as a backup when the new league year opens on Wednesday. 

"This feels like a non-quarterback year," Barber said during the Tuesday edition of the WFAN "Evan and Tiki" program about the Giants' intentions for the sixth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "They’re not gonna draft a quarterback."

Barber insisted this past Friday that the Giants having "an exploratory meeting" with veteran Russell Wilson before Wilson decided to join the Pittsburgh Steelers showed that Big Blue is "done with" 2023 Week 1 starting signal-caller Daniel Jones after the 2024 campaign. The Giants can escape Jones' contract next offseason, and NFL insider Connor Hughes of SNY essentially confirmed last week that New York general manager Joe Schoen wants an upgrade at the sport's most important position. 

The Giants made a different type of splash during the NFL's legal tampering portion of free agency when they agreed to acquire star pass-rusher Brian Burns via a trade with the Carolina Panthers. Schoen reportedly will sign Burns to a five-year, $150M deal with $87.5M in guaranteed money as part of the transaction. 

New York also came to terms on contracts with guard Jon Runyan and running back Devin Singletary, among others. Schoen let star RB1 Saquon Barkley reach free agency, and he is on track to join the rival Philadelphia Eagles. 

"It feels like they’re building this team core — offensive line, defensive line — they’re gonna go get a skill position player, and they’re gonna ride it with Daniel Jones," Barber added about how the Giants may approach the draft. "That’s what it feels like." 

Earlier in the day, Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com and Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic both suggested the Minnesota Vikings could move up in the draft order from pick No. 11 to the fifth selection so they could grab a quarterback the Giants may want at No. 6. Baumgardner also predicted that New York will trade down and then take Penn State Nittany Lions offensive tackle Olu Fashanu with the ninth pick.