NY Post says it looks like Giants will bring Eli Manning back, look to find eventual successor in upcoming draft
The Kansas City Plan.
As in what the Kansas City Chiefs did at quarterback. With Alex Smith still capable the Chiefs traded up to draft Patrick Mahomes in 2017. They let Mahomes sit for a year and learn behind Smith, then moved on to the young rocket-armed quarterback in 2018.
That worked out pretty well for the Chiefs as Mahomes threw 50 touchdown passes and was voted All-Pro as the Chiefs went 12-4.
I have suspected for a while that the New York Giants would like to emulate that plan, and a report Saturday evening by Paul Schwartz of the New York Post confirms that “More and more, this appears to be the scenario about to unfold for the Giants.”
There is a lot to unpack from Schwartz’s report. The upshot, though, is that if Schwartz is correct — and as well-connected as the veteran Post writer is there is no reason to doubt his reporting at all — Manning will be back in 2019. A highly-drafted heir apparent could well be alongside him. If the Giants can find that guy.
Truthfully, this is a scenario I favor. If, of course, the Giants can find a guy they believe can be their quarterback of the future in a weak quarterback draft class.
I continue to believe that the Giants will open 2019 with a veteran placeholder/mentor at quarterback and that if they are going to do that there is no one better-suited to the role than a 15-year starter and two-time Super Bowl MVP.
Schwartz writes:
“Manning is not expected to go anywhere. It is believed Gettleman and Shurmur are convinced the 38-year-old can function as a more-than-competent NFL quarterback, and they greatly value his professionalism, attention to detail, calm demeanor and ability to process information and relay it to his teammates. Upon detailed film study of the entire season, no alarming signs were uncovered to reveal regression in his physical skills, no category of throws he can no longer make.”
Schwartz also writes that the Giants will be undertaking a “high-alert effort to find his successor” and that the search “will be undertaken in the draft, not free agency.”
Again, I favor this approach. No one, pro- or anti-Manning, should be under the impression that whoever opens the season at quarterback in 2019 is doing anything other than keeping the seat warm for the next franchise quarterback. Whether the Giants find that guy in this draft, or have to wait until 2020. Also, let’s not think the Giants are going to find the next Mahomes simply because they appear to be choosing to follow that blueprint. Those guys don’t grow on trees.
Schwartz writes that the Giants are not yet sold on Dwayne Haskins of Ohio State, but that he appears to be “the only quarterback in this draft possibly worthy of the No. 6 pick.”
What about Kyler Murray? Per Schwartz, it “does not appear” the Giants have interest in Murray.
I wrote recently that I would be “shocked” if GM Dave Gettleman were to stake his legacy as GM on the diminutive Murray. This report seems to agree with that line of thinking.
Schwartz indicates that, failing to get Haskins, the Giants might consider a quarterback in Round 2.
In a weird way, you wonder if the odd week experienced at the Senior Bowl by Daniel Jones might put him in the Round 2 discussion for the Giants. Jones had a rough practice week that led many to conclude he could slide out of the first round, then turned around and won MVP honors during Saturday’s game by completing 8-of-11, running for a touchdown and throwing for one.
None of what Schwartz wrote carries the official seal of an “announcement” from the Giants. Still, it appears we are beginning to get some clarity on the path the Giants will choose to take.
Odds ‘n ends
- Some really smart writing from Conor Orr of SI asking whether it’s even possible under the current circumstances for NFL games to to adequately officiated. Orr asks the simple question “have we simply started asking too much out of referees?”
In my view, that is absolutely the right question. The rule book is voluminous. There are degrees to everything. From year to year the league changes its priorities and places various pressures on officials. There is gray area all over the place, with officials having to judge intent.
Here is part of what I wrote on this topic in Saturday’s BBV mailbag:
“Every human being has made mistakes — many of them. It is part of life. You want to train officials the best you can and give them the best chance to succeed — just like coaches want to do with players.
“I don’t believe the NFL has put officials in the best position to get things right. I believe they are asked to do far too much, to judge too much intent, splice through too much minutiae and wade through rules that are far too complex in a game moving at a frenetic pace your television set can’t come close to conveying.”
I hope to have Orr on the ‘Valentine’s Views’ podcast during the week to discuss that and more. Conor is a former Giants beat writer for NJ.com, so we will of course get into some discussion about the Giants.
- It amazes me sometimes that some folks — fans or bloggers — can’t tell the difference between speculation/opinion and real reporting. Dan Duggan of The Athletic opined the other day that it would be “stunning” if the Giants exercised the second year option on veteran running back Jonathan Stewart.
That, of course, led to a myriad of “reports” that the Giants had decided not to pick up that option. Which, of course, has not happened. Even Duggan admitted that his source was “common sense.”
Duggan, of course, is absolutely right. It would be a stunner if the Giants picked up the second year option on Stewart’s deal.
- I’m actually rooting for Tom Quinn to get the special teams coordinator job with the Green Bay Packers, a position for which he has reportedly interviewed. Quinn, fired by the Giants after the 2017 season, did a classy thing by returning to the team last season to help when Thomas McGaughey — his replacement — was forced to miss time due to cancer treatments.
Dates to remember
If you haven’t been following the terrific “A Date to Remember” series you are missing out on chances to reminisce and read stories about some of the great moments in Giants history. BBV contributor Jeff Roberts is doing a great job with those, and we have had a chance to speak with Carl Banks, Osi Umenyiora and Lawrence Tynes to get their personal remembrances. There are still a few posts to come in that series. Don’t miss ‘em!
Podcast stuff
Those of you who listen to our podcasts may have noticed that we switched hosting services. You can now find and subscribe to Big Blue View Radio from its new home page.
You can still find all the shows on our Big Blue View Radio Hub Page.
You can also still find the shows and subscribe to them directly via all your favorite podcast apps. Those include:
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS
Finally, be sure to check out the home page for all of the shows across the expanding Vox Media Podcast Network.
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