New York Giants: Eli Manning Trade the Only Way Out
By Erik Lambert
As the days pass it’s feeling more and more like 2016 was the end of an era for the New York Giants. Their last true shot at a Super Bowl.
They seemed to have the pieces. The defense was upgrade and flying around. Odell Beckham was a superstar and Eli Manning was having one more good run. Then it all came crashing down in Green Bay. Now the Giants are crashing to earth like a plan that stalled at too high an altitude. It’s hard to tell who will survive. One thing is clear, not everyone will.
Among those whose future needs pondering is Manning himself. It’s clear there is nothing he can do now for what has become a badly depleted offense. At 36-years old he’s no longer capable of carrying an average team on his back like he did in 2011. If he’s to be effective he needs help and New York isn’t in a position for that anymore. That leads to a pondering question. Is it time to move on?
Manning trade value won’t last much longer
The NFL trade deadline is October 31st. That means the Giants have less than six days to make a decision. Manning will be 37 on January 3rd next year. The odds of being able to fill the roster holes that have popped up of late in time to make one last run are remote. On the other hand they could get a head start on the next era by trading him elsewhere for a decent draft pick. This would effectively tank the season, putting them in position to select a replacement next April.
Would there be takers? Almost certainly. Jacksonville of course springs to mind. They more than any team look like they’re a quarterback away from contention. They have a great defense, solid offensive line and effective power running game. Manning might be able to give them that extra oomph in the passing game they lack. Denver is also a possibility. They’re famous for squeezing titles out of aged quarterbacks. Eli’s brother can attest to that.
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Trevor Siemian is struggling and the other options don’t look much better. How fitting would it be if Denver made another run with another Manning? This may not sound appetizing to Giant fans, but business is business. Eli has had a tremendous run, but he deserves a chance to go out on a high note.