The time has not yet come for Eli Manning to step down as the starting quarterback of the New York Giants, but it is drawing nearer.
Although general manager Jerry Reese and head coach Ben McAdoo remain committed to Manning this season, it’s become apparent that the 36-year-old Manning is on the downside of his remarkable career. And while many of the team’s offensive struggles can be blamed on a poor offensive line and injuries at skill positions, Manning has not been without fault.
Even after the conclusion of the 2016 season — a season in which the Giants finished with an 11-5 record — management acknowledged that the search for Manning’s successor had begun. That became even more evident when they selected quarterback Davis Webb in the third-round of the NFL Draft.
But as the situation becomes more dire in New York, the search for the next franchise quarterback intensifies. And on Wednesday, ESPN reported that Giants scouts, under the direction of team ownership, have been instructed to look closely at the top quarterbacks entering the 2018 NFL Draft.
As their season has spiraled out of control, the New York Giants have begun to prepare for their future by focusing on potential franchise quarterbacks who could be available in this year’s NFL draft.
There was a directive given several weeks back by co-owner John Mara to start looking closely at the top college quarterbacks, multiple sources told ESPN. This occurred around the time it became apparent that the Giants’ season was headed nowhere, in part, because wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. would be out with a broken ankle.
Vice president of player evaluation Marc Ross, who runs the Giants’ draft, personally went to scout UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen in recent weeks, sources said. Rosen is among the nation’s top prospects at the position.
With a record of 1-7 entering Week 10, the Giants are in a race for the top pick in the draft alongside the winless Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers, who they will visit on Sunday. So if things continue down this path for Big Blue, they will be in a position to go out and land their next potential franchise quarterback.
What that means for Manning in 2018 remains to be seen, but he still has two years remaining on his current deal.
