As the weekend passes and veteran quarterback, Eli Manning collects a $5 million bonus, it rules out a potential trade the New York Giants were rumored to be interested in.
Arizona Cardinals passer Josh Rosen was thought to be on the trading block for a draft pick this offseason, and the Giants were one of the teams that would’ve been a perfect fit. The team could walk away with not only 2018’s top running back but a potential franchise quarterback from the same draft.
But, Manning collecting the bonus money without any chances of being cut essentially takes a Rosen trade off the table -why? Because it would indicate Rosen sitting behind Manning for a season, wasting away a year off his rookie deal.
Going into his third-year with only two years left on his rookie deal isn’t the right move for the Giants if they plan to build around youth and lower cap deals. Drafting a signal caller in the 2019 NFL draft makes more sense, simply because it opens up the cap for the extended future and keeps them in a good monetary state.
The expected departure of Manning next season will open up $23.2 million in cap and allow general manager Dave Gettleman to appropriate resources towards the defense and secondary. The offense seems to be in good shape after acquiring lineman Kevin Zeitler and slot receiver Golden Tate.
The New York Giants’ offense could change completely:
I expect the Giants’ offense to operate within the boundaries – running the ball with force and utilizing unique routes to confuse defenses. Having Saquon Barkley forces opposing defenses to stack the box and play closer to the line of scrimmage, which will allow the quarterback to make pre-snap reads more efficiently and take advantage of man coverage.
Drafting a player like Kyler Murray would open up an entirely different dynamic, something we’ve never seen before on the Giants. Enabling the read-option with a quarterback that has more speed and better touch than Lamar Jackson could be the recipe for success. The Giants could also take a more traditional route with Dwayne Haskins – pocket passer option with more patience and ability within the pocket.