Giants GM Makes Candid J.J. McCarthy Admission After Vikings Trade

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) GettyFormer Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy has benefited from the trade to the New York Giants, as he has a passer rating of 95.2 with 495 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in his last two games, per StatMuse.Moreover, this production has allowed McCarthy to take the starting job from backup QB Jameis Winston. Now, there’s a possibility that the former Top 10 pick could lead New York to the postseason in a weak NFC East. In an Oct. 29 video from “Move the Sticks with Daniel Jeremiah,” Giants general manager Joe Schoen explained why they wanted McCarthy and felt comfortable trading a Day 3 pick to the Vikings. “We were able to spend a lot of time with J.J. leading up to the draft and got to know him on a personal level,” Schoen told NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah. “Obviously, we put him through the wringer on the board, the mental part, and the physical part. He had probably one of the best private workouts I’ve ever been around, just in terms of pure arm strength. “That obviously helped lead to the decision when we were looking for somebody. He was third on the depth chart there in Minnesota. Carson Wentz was playing when Kyler was hurt. So we knew there may be an opportunity for a team to trade their third quarterback.”Vikings Were Willing to Get Something Done With GiantsMoreover, Schoen shared the call process that led to the Giants and Vikings having a conversation over McCarthy after New York lost Jaxson Dart for the season due to injury, which eventually led to a deal getting done between the two sides. “At that time of the year, it was early. It was after [Week] 2 when you started making these calls,” Schoen added. “Not a lot of teams are going to give up on their No. 2 quarterback. It’s a long season, and you see the amount of quarterback injuries throughout the league. So it’s kind of a select group of guys that we were targeting, and we called Nolan Teasley. Luckily, we were able to get something done.“… Last year was kind of his first year as a starter. He was 6-4, so you’ve got a 23-year-old kid with a winning record; athleticism, arm strength, and all that stuff was evident. Sometimes these guys just need a fresh start. You’ve seen it with guys like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. You can go on and on. Some of these guys go to different places, get a fresh start, and have some success.”Jason Garrett Believes Fresh Start Has Helped J.J. McCarthyMeanwhile, former NFL head coach Jason Garrett shared what went wrong during the quarterback’s stint with the Vikings and why he’s been able to turn it around since the trade to the Giants. “Sometimes it’s about a clean slate,” Garrett said during an Oct. 30 appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show.” “Oftentimes, these guys go to a place where there’s a lot of expectation, and it doesn’t work out right at the outset. They can never get out from under that experience, and it just kind of builds on itself. People outside the building start saying, ‘We picked the wrong guy. We should have taken this guy.’ “Sometimes, for a young quarterback who really hasn’t played that much football yet, certainly at that level, it’s hard for them to grow and develop the way they need to in that place. Then people in the building start looking around, wondering if they have the right guy or if they should have taken the other guy. Maybe inside, you don’t feel the belief around you that helps you grow and develop like you need to.”This article was originally published on HEAVYThe post Giants GM Makes Candid J.J. McCarthy Admission After Vikings Trade appeared first on HEAVY.