New York Giants: Nick Foles Is The Only Option For The Future
The New York Giants find themselves in a tough situation. Should they continue on with Eli Manning or begin to look toward the future? Now, there’s no denying the impact that Manning has had on this organization over the last 15 years. But still, there comes a time when a team must move on from the past and present and head into the bright light. This is where the Giants stand right now and they must make a decision soon. The only way to go here is Nick Foles.
Who cares about rivalry here? The Giants are in need of a QB to lead them out of the abyss. Manning has put up solid numbers over his career but by all accounts, he has lost the locker room. Say what you want but when has Eli Manning ever shown the ability to be a leader? Two Super Bowls would normally mean a life-long commitment but look what happened to Joe Montana with the San Francisco 49ers and Peyton Manning with the Indianapolis Colts. When it’s time to move on, it’s time to do just that.
But the question the New York Giants must answer is, what’s next?
Nick Foles is the logical choice just because of where the Giants are. By adding a rookie, they will need to hit the jackpot. The Giants have an explosive yet volatile receiver in Odell Beckham. If a rookie is not able to step right into the fold and produce better than Manning, then he may fall victim to Beckham’s outburst. As good as Justin Herbert and Drew Lock appear to be this college season, are they ready to handle the spotlight in NYC? There are other free agent options like Tyrod Taylor or Teddy Bridgewater but what have they done compared to Foles?
Despite their 1-5 record, the Giants are not that terrible of a team. They’re in desperate need of a leader on both sides of the ball but it all starts with the QB. A Giants fan told me after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday, that this team now belongs to Saquon Barkley. I balked at that just because he’s a rookie. But then you look at the roster and the play on the field and realize, he may be speaking the truth. Barkley has given this team hope for the future and he seems to be their most vocal leader.
The Time Is Now For The Giants To Part Ways Ways With Manning
Pairing Nick Foles with Barkley, Beckham, and Pat Shurmur is exactly what this offense needs. Foles pulled off a miraculous run last season by leading the Eagles to their first-ever championship and still has a good 5-7 years left in his arm. Manning, at 37, is on the downside while Foles, at 30 (January) will give them a chance to be competitive in a division where they still have a shot.
For the G-Men fans balking at Foles, here is something to consider. Shurmur took an erratic Case Keenum in Minnesota during their 2017 season and turned him into a quality signal-caller. But he has not been able to do the same for Manning. The reason for that is, Manning no longer sees the field as he once did.
As Shurmur pointed out himself against the Eagles, he asked Manning why didn’t he throw the ball? Manning has taken the safe throws this year with little dump-offs instead of taking shots. I get it, for a QB who has thrown double-digit interceptions in all but one of his seasons, Manning may be over-thinking his approach.
For the New York Giants to win in Shurmur’s offense, they need a QB willing to take those big risk. As we seen during the playoffs last year, Keenum and Foles both have the arm and the guts to do just that. As good as Alshon Jeffrery is, he’s still not on the level of Beckham. The same goes for Jay Ajayi and Barkley. Put Nick Foles in this offense and the Giants would rank higher than 17th in passing yards and 25th in rushing.
But still, moving on from Manning will result in either the Giants cutting him ($6 million Dead Cap) or finding a trade partner. In 2019, Foles will become a free agent and will probably command close to $15-20 million per. Are the Giants willing to take that on or go the rookie route and pray for the best?
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Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
