The N.Y. Giants Are Now Officially A Circus

Daniel Jones was selected by the N.Y. Giants last night with the 6th overall pick in the NFL Draft. Jones was a highly-touted college player despite the fact that he played at a basketball school -- Duke. Most people did not expect him to be drafted this high, but scouts liked him a lot and he was definitely going in the first round.

Why is the fact that the Giants selected a good player a problem for the franchise? It's a problem because he is a quarterback, and for the last four months, the Giants organization has been insisting that they have their starting quarterback. Eli Manning was their guy and had the full support of the front office.

What you have now is an immediate QB controversy and it's APRIL, not October -- not even when camps open. The Giants already have a media frenzy on their hands. The front office can say all the right things and they will try, but this is going to be a constant topic of fodder for the N.Y. media and fans alike.

Giants G.M. Dave Gettelman is already trying to manage the story by floating possible ways to make this work. The NY Post had an interesting article about it this morning. Apparently reporters had some questions and this is what Dave had to say:

Maybe we’re going to be the Green Bay model where (Aaron) Rodgers sat for three years, Who knows? It’s one of those deals where it doesn’t make a difference what position it is. You can never have too many good players at one position.

Here are the many problems with that quote:

• Comparing this situation (The Giants) to that one (Packers) is not at all fair. When Aaron Rodgers sat for three years behind Brett Favre, Favre was still playing at an high level and they were in contention two of the three years. In fact Favre's last year with Green Bay, he led the Packers to 13 (regular season) wins and a trip to the NFC Championship game where they lost to the Giants. Eli, on the other hand, has not had the Giants in contention for a long time. Since 2011 when the Giants won the Super Bowl, The Giants are 47-65 with him at QB. They made the playoffs once in that time frame. So NO Dave, not the same.
• "It doesn't make a difference what position it is." It doesn't? You sure? It absolutely makes a difference. If you have the confidence in Eli and he is your guy, you don't draft a top QB prospect. You make a plan that he's your guy and the backup is someone, no one has ever heard of. It's the most visible, important, most scrutinized position in all of sports. It's the quarterback in New York. It's media city U.S.A.
• 3 years? Eli has three years in him? OK. Cool story.
• "Who knows?" The GM said to the media, he doesn't know what the plan is. Who knows? YOU. You, your coach and the ownership are supposed to know.

All that said, the Giants needed to move on from Eli, like a year ago, at least. Long term, drafting Jones could have worked and been handled better. They could have said to Eli, we need to move on, draft Jones, get a veteran backup for some security and away you go. Short term, you have a media/fan zoo on your hands.

What I am saying here is an opinion that you may disagree with. If you disagree with me that means you think the Giants will start the season 5-0, make the playoffs with ten or more wins and at least go to the NFC Championship Game. If all three of those things don't happen the noise, chatter, calls for the new guy will be deafening ALL YEAR LONG.

Giants start the year 2-2, fans and media will call for the new guy, Giants start the year 1-3, where's the new guy, Giants start the year 0-4, new guy. Giants have a decent start with a six game losing streak in the middle, go 8-8, it should have been the new guy. Fans already want Jones to start, already. It was my Instagram poll this morning.

You don't need to have any experience as a football player, coach, scout, broadcaster or ball boy to know that this situation is not a good one for the Giants. It's a near certainty that Eli's time as the QB for the New York Giants will not end in romantic fashion.

It may not end pretty for Jones either. Whenever he replaces Eli, he won't have to JUST be better than Eli has been. He will have to play so well that fans can forget he replaced a man who took them to two Super Bowl's and beat Tom Brady and the mighty Patriots.

Good luck Eli, Daniel and Pat Shurmur. If any one of you is a N.Y. Giant in two years, I'll be surprised. As for Gettelman (GM), if this season goes how I think it will, he won't be here NEXT season.

VISUAL - I am making the confused, mouth open Eli face RIGHT NOW, just for gigs.

Back after this....DEAD AIR.....Mouth noises.