Duke coach David Cutcliffe is expecting Giants quarterback Daniel Jones to take a big step in his second year on the job.
Primarily, that’s because Cutcliffe sees similarities in preparation from Jones to the Manning brothers.
Cutcliffe was Peyton Manning’s position coach at Tennessee, and Eli Manning’s coach at Ole Miss, and remained close to them over the years. So Jones was able to learn from their example while at Duke, and his old coach said Jones was using his offseason time well.
“Trust me, he’s working 10 hours a day on his own mastering this,” Cutcliffe told Steve Serby of the New York Post. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anybody more eager. . . . He’s every bit the worker that Peyton and Eli were their entire careers.
“I think he’s really starting to understand what they’re expecting or what they want to do offensively, and that’ll help him be successful in this transition. He certainly knows what lies in front of him. I do like the fact that he’s been very positive in conversation about the intensity of the meetings with the new staff, the accountability. He feels really good about that.”
Cutcliffe also said he thinks Jones will be a good fit with new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, based on time he spent with Garrett and Tony Romo in the past.
“I know Jason a little bit. I think the world of him,” Cutcliffe said. “He’ll do a great job with Daniel. I think Jason and Daniel are kinda similar people, really smart, analytical people. I think they’re gonna be a good pair.
“I sat with Jason and [Tony] Romo before, and talked football, and I saw his approach to coaching Tony Romo and the relationship they had. That’s why I’m making the assumption that I’ll see a similar relationship between Jason and Daniel.”
That kind of communication will be key in an offseason that lacks actual time to practice, as Jones will need to hit the ground running.