We could discuss the royalty that New York Giants‘ Saquon Barkley has become among the fan-base and media world, but despite the silver lining that he is, the most positive aspect of the season isn’t physical, but rather imaginative. Barkley has already surpassed the 1,000 all-purpose yards mark, and we could make the educated guess that he leads the race for Rookie of The Year.
At the end of an all too regularly depressing day following a Giants loss, the only positive thought that crosses my mind is potential. Potential to turn the organization around and establish a direction and ideology that connects the players and coaches. Finding a seamless method of communication to help establish trust and perspective.
These points are usually tasked to the leaders on the team; players like Alec Ogletree, Odell Beckham Jr., Saquon Barkley… But, not Eli Manning.
Manning is a humble sort, patiently waiting for an opportunity to show his leadership through example, but not words. The issue is, the examples he’s shown have been inconsistent, messy, and often lack mental processing. This is in regard to his performance so far in 2018, of course. His off-the-field demeanor is world class, even exemplary for any professional in the NFL.
In this day and age, a team would rather have a personality like Baker Mayfield’s than one of Manning’s. If you can manage to secure a player that’s outspoken and humble, then you’re one of the few lucky ones.
The primary positive for the New York Giants:
Now, I didn’t intent for this to be a Manning rant, but I just keep coming back to the same conclusion. One of the weakest positions on the Giants is at quarterback, and it cannot be avoided any longer. Whether it be 4th round pick Kyle Lauletta who comes to the rescue, or Alex Tanney, a player that head coach Pat Shurmur believes shouldn’t be slept on, somebody has to right the ship.
Every passing loss is painful and frustrating, but if it gets New York a player like Oregon’s QB Justin Herbert, or even Ohio States’ DE Nick Bosa, we have won the battle. The war is a lifetime event, but every battle won is a step closer to planting your flag on the hill above 31 other teams. While having a high pick in the draft is never a good thing, all it takes is one player to change the course of a franchise, and the Giants have already found their conductor in Saquon Barkley.