A New York Giants Draft Rebuild On the Fly
Giant Draft Decisions
The New York Giants had a nightmarish 2017-18 season. Now it’s up to a new front office to reshape the team roster quickly. Owner John Mara, GM Dave Gettleman, and Head Coach Pat Shurmur want to rebuild as they play winning football. The Giants were beset by injuries (again), fired ineffective head coach Ben McAdoo, and benched their two-time Super Bowl-winning QB Eli Manning for the first time during his run as a starter. The bonehead decision ended a league-leading 210 consecutive game playing streak. How the organization handled the Manning fiasco shined a huge spotlight one of Big Blue’s major dilemmas this off-season. As the New York Giants prepare for the draft, is it time to finally move on from Manning? Second, what do they do with their enigmatic Pro-Bowl wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr?
In Manning They Trust
With less than a month before the NFL Draft, Giants ownership has given every indication they intend to keep Eli Manning as the team’s starting QB for at least one season. The first steps of the rebuilding process have already begun around him. On offense, Dave Gettleman acquired former Carolina RB Jonathan Stewart, signed free-agent OT from the Patriots Nate Solder and G Patrick Omameh to fortify the offensive line. On defense, the team traded DE Jason-Pierre Paul, signed CB William Gay, and traded for the talented LB Alec Ogletree to lead the defense.
The Giants have a big organizational decision to make in April. Will Big Blue use the second pick in the draft to select their next franchise quarterback? Several mock drafts and pundits predicted the Giants to pick UCLA’s, Josh Rosen. But, as Rosen’s draft stock has dropped, the Giants are weighing their options. The Giants are bringing in the top five rated players in the draft for interviews this week. Big Blue could pick Wyoming’s Josh Allen (QB), go defense with Bradley Chubb or select Penn State’s, RB Saquon Barkley. Barkley wowed NFL talent evaluators at March’s NFL combine. The choice will reveal a great deal about the team’s direction for the next three to five seasons.
The Giants Headache Known as OBJ
Obnoxious sideline antics, embarrassing postings on social media, and a personality to match the size of the city on his helmet. Those are Odell Beckham Jr.’s negative traits. The positive, OBJ is hands down one of the most explosive offensive targets in all the NFL. Welcome to the New York Giants’ conundrum. Beckham is entering the final year of his rookie contract and according to early reports, he wants $18-20 million a year in his new deal. Right now, the Giants are evaluating if they can afford to sign Beckham to a long-term contract. It’s not a question of money. Beckham may be too risky to commit to.
Beckham is threatening to hold out of optional team workouts, training camp and potentially the regular season to get the contract he wants. However, the Giants may have played their hand by committing to Eli Manning. Manning and the offense need OBJ’s game-breaking ability to be effective. What’s left to be determined is whether the Giants will franchise Beckham or continue to negotiate with their star receiver. That means intense media speculation, potential holdouts, threats, and bad feelings on both sides. Stay tuned.