Second-Guessing

With the 2018 NFL Draft a little over a month away, the New York Giants will have the second overall pick and many sources indicate they will indeed draft a quarterback. Or would they? In a previous story I did about a month ago, I touched on the fact that due to his age and the team having that second pick, quarterback Eli Manning has perhaps played his last game as a member of the New York Giants. However, when I wrote that piece regarding Manning’s future in New York, the team had just fired Head Coach Ben McAdoo and General Manager Jerry Reese. In comes new GM Dave Gettleman and Head Coach Pat Shurmur. Both Gettleman and Shurmur have given Manning a “vote of confidence” and have gone on record saying they believe he will be the quarterback for “years to come.” Which begs the question, “Who will the Giants draft at number 2?” I’ve narrowed it down to two players.

The logical move for the Giants is to select UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen. With Manning at center stage let’s say for the next 2 years, you give a young Rosen to hold a clipboard and learn from a 2-time Super Bowl-winning champion. I mean, after all, it paid off quite well when Aaron Rodgers learned from the great Brett Favre in Green Bay. It would not be a situation where Manning would be benched and you are throwing a 21-year-old rookie into a potential lion’s den. Rosen stands at 6-foot-4 inches tall and 218lbs. He has a great frame and a heck of an arm to go with it. Option two for the G-men can be Penn State’s Saquan Barkley. Barkley, 21, had quite the season in his last year at Penn State and opened eyes at the NFL combine. Barkley became only one of three players 230 pounds or more to run the 40-yard dash at 4.4 seconds. He followed that with 29 bench reps and a 41-inch vertical leap. If the Giants decide to go with Barkley at number 2, it may very well be the beginning of something dangerous. The team will then be set with a three-headed monster of Manning, Barkley and, let’s not forget, they still have Odell Beckham, Jr. The Giants will have a proven quarterback with receivers he can throw to and rely on, to go along with a now-revamped running attack with Orleans Darkwa already in the fold, and now Saquan Barkley.

The Giants are a team that can afford to pass on a quarterback with Eli Manning still having the ability to win big-time games and play quarterback at an “Eli-te” level. If Manning were to be ineffective, the team has Davis Webb, who the organization is pretty high on as far as life after Manning goes. I’d roll the dice and select Barkley with the second pick. We’ll see what the Giants decide to do. Regardless of who it will be Rosen or Barkley, the Giants should get a franchise-type of player that can be productive for the next 10 years!

Sports Notes: (Baseball) Spring training has begun. E-mail me at Castroeddie714@gmail.com and hear what players I think will have breakout seasons for both the Yankees and Mets. My answer just might surprise you.