Team president John Mara talks state of the Giants

Mara never makes a preseason prediction regarding how many games he expects the team to win, and he doesn’t demand his coaches lead the team to a postseason berth. But he has high hopes and his standards for success are never compromised.

“I want to walk off the field at the end of the season (and know) we’re moving in the right direction,” he said.

Is Mara okay with the Giants taking “baby steps” toward long-term improvement, or does the team need to finish with a winning record?

“I don’t know how to quantify that,” Mara said. “I want to walk off the field at the end of the season like we’re moving in the right direction, we really are. We’ve got a great foundation here and there’s every reason to be optimistic going forward. I guess about as simple a way as I can say it.”

Mara spoke to reporters two days after the airing of the final episode of “Hard Knocks.” He had long kept the Giants off the training camp version of the show, but agreed to five broadcasts that chronicled the team’s offseason scouting and decision-making about free agency and the NFL Draft.

“I was certainly a little nervous about it going in, but I think all in all it worked out,” Mara said. “It was a pretty honest depiction of what goes on. And I think people appreciated having that kind of access. There were some uncomfortable moments in there and I’m glad it’s over.”

The Giants’ most significant offseason departure was running back Saquon Barkley, who signed with the rival Philadelphia Eagles. Mara wanted to keep Barkley, but ultimately supported Schoen’s decision not to match Philly’s financial offer.

“Every year there’s going to be a personnel decision that I’m not 100 percent in favor of,” Mara said. “But at the end of the day, you let the general manager and the coach, particularly if they have a unified conviction, make the decisions and then you know, (complain) about it later. But that was the decision that they made and no, I wasn’t crazy about it at the time. I didn’t want to lose him, but I understood what their philosophy was, and you’ve got to let them do their jobs.”

Another recurring storyline on “Hard Knocks” was quarterback Daniel Jones, who played in only six games last year because of neck and knee injuries. One year after signing Jones to a lucrative contract, the Giants discussed on the show the possibility of drafting a quarterback in the first round. Schoen spoke to the New England Patriots about trading up to obtain the third choice in the draft to select a quarterback. The Patriots’ demands were too exorbitant, and the Giants selected wide receiver Malik Nabers at No. 6.

“I’m still happy we gave (Jones) that contract because I thought he played really well for us in ’22,” Mara said. “Last year, he got hurt and let’s be honest, when he was playing, we weren’t blocking anybody. So, let’s give him a chance with a better offensive line with some weapons around him to see what he can do.”

Regarding the possibility of a trade, Mara said, “I was nervous about giving up too much to go and get a quarterback, but I was prepared to let (Schoen) do that if that’s what they wanted to do. We made a decision to stay with Daniel and get a weapon for him (Nabers) and I think that’s going to work out.”

Mara said he spoke to Jones during the period of uncertainty.

“I check in with him from time to time,” Mara said. “He’s a real professional, he understands this business and if anything, I’m sure it probably motivates him, and he doesn’t need to be motivated. There’s no harder worker in that building. I think he handled it like the professional that he is, and I expect him to have a great season.”