Dave Gettleman Wants Eli Manning To Stay
Just as they were 14 years ago, the Giants are in a position to select another potential franchise quarterback with their first-round pick. However, the new GM isn’t ready to abandon the incumbent just yet.
Dave Gettleman wants Eli Manning to stay with the Giants this coming season and be the 2018 starter, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com reports. The two had a meeting Gettleman described as “great” earlier this week, and Manning confirmed as such to ESPN.
Pat Shurmur will have a major say in the franchise’s choice here, and the man tabbed as the next Giants HC offered a favorable impression of Manning in his interview, Mortensen reports. However, Gettleman explained to Manning during the powwow the team has yet to fully dig in on the 2018 draft class or come to a consensus on Davis Webb.
Manning has said all along he would like to be a Giant through the conclusion of his career, and he reaffirmed his desire to remain with the team in 2018 — regardless of what Big Blue does with its No. 2 overall pick. That selection is expected to be used on a quarterback.
The Giants ended Manning’s historic start streak this season but botched the handling of the benching so badly it ended the tenures of Jerry Reese and Ben McAdoo early. Gettleman was a high-level Giants executive during both of the Super Bowl runs Manning piloted and was also around when Ernie Accorsi made the deal with the Chargers to acquire Manning in 2004. Accorsi jettisoned previous starter Kerry Collins quickly but added Kurt Warner as a stopgap.
Manning would likely be the stopgap in the upcoming scenario, but Mortensen notes the 37-year-old passer is confident enough in his abilities to compete with whoever the Giants choose at No. 2 — if they, in fact, select a quarterback. Gettleman told Manning during the meeting he wants the team to make a bigger commitment to fortifying its offensive line, which is an area the Giants have struggled mightily with the past two seasons.
Probably the best quarterback in this franchise’s storied history, Manning is under contract through the 2019 season. He’s set to count at $22.2MM and $23.2MM against the Giants’ next two salary caps. While the Giants could fit a rookie signal-caller’s contract on their payroll, they have several other needs that may be difficult to fill if they still have Manning’s salary on the books.
East Notes: Giants, Collins, Cutler, Jets
A day after referring to Eli Apple as “a cancer,” Landon Collins has attempted to walk that back. While that might be difficult, the All-Pro Giants safety issued an apology (on Twitter) today and confirmed he did so in person in a meeting with Apple and Steve Spagnuolo. The interim HC confirmed the meeting, via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (on Twitter).
“I met with Coach Spags and Eli this morning and I apologized for the things I said yesterday,” Collins said. “I never stop supporting my brother/teammate Eli and the rest of my teammates as we move forward. Just want him to know I’m always here for him.”
On Tuesday during a radio interview, Collins said Apple “needs to grow up.” Wednesday’s apology marks the latest chapter in a weeks-long saga involving the two defensive backs. Earlier this month, Collins said he’d talked to Apple — who has taken a step back this season — and told media the cornerback’s issues were mental and that he was dealing with “significant” personal struggles. Apple then denied Collins spoke with him, and the third-year safety — according to NJ.com — had to be restrained by teammates as he attempted to confront the second-year corner. Apple has not been suspended like Janoris Jenkins or Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie were, but he’s been benched and reportedly nearly left the Giants’ facility because of a harsh film-room session earlier this season.
Here’s the latest out of the Eastern divisions.
- Josh McDaniels remains linked to Patriots exec Nick Caserio regarding GM/HC arrangements, but Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports the New England OC could also be interested in pairing up with Louis Riddick as a GM. Riddick interviewed for the Giants’ GM job last week, although Dave Gettleman is viewed as the favorite. McDaniels and Caserio were a sought-after tandem last year, with the 49ers having shown interest in bringing them to the Bay Area.
- Adam Gase said Wednesday he has not spoken to Jay Cutler about him returning to the Dolphins in 2018, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. Jackson adds the Dolphins remain committed to having Ryan Tannehill return as their starter next season, but he reported last week the Fins would be open to Cutler coming back as the backup. Cutler will start this weekend’s regular-season finale against the Bills.
- Davis Webb will rise to the Giants‘ No. 2 quarterback role and take Geno Smith‘s place as Eli Manning‘s backup, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It will be the first time Webb suits up as an NFLer. Smith will be inactive Sunday, and Webb could see time off the bench in the game under the format Ben McAdoo broached with Manning upon benching him earlier this year. Spagnuolo, however, said (via Schwartz, on Twitter) there are “no guarantees” the third-round rookie makes his NFL debut against the Redskins.
- The Jets are likely to land a pick in the lower part of the top 10, and Brian Costello of the New York Post ranked the most- to least-likely scenarios involving offseason quarterback plans. Most likely is a setup where the Jets draft Josh Allen with their first pick and re-sign Josh McCown to continue his better-than-expected stopgap work. Costello notes the Jets’ top competition for the Wyoming passer could be the Broncos. John Elway trekked to the Potato Bowl in Boise, Idaho, last week to observe Allen in person. The Jets, though, have put in the most work on Allen to this point. Gang Green’s No. 2 scenario? Kirk Cousins, whom Costello recalls the team showing interest in after Smith was sucker-punched in 2015.
East Rumors: McDaniels, Bridgewater, Martin
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe and Phil Perry and Mike Giardi of NBCSports.com take a look at some of the potential landing spots for Patriots OC Josh McDaniels should he depart New England for a head coaching gig this offseason. The NBC scribes suggest that some of the coaching opportunities may not be as desirable as they were earlier this season — given the increased concerns over Andrew Luck‘s shoulder and the mess that the Giants recently made of their quarterback situation — but both pieces suggest that now might be as good a time as any for McDaniels to make his second run as a head coach (and for director of player personnel Nick Caserio, who is typically marketed along with McDaniels, to get his first crack at a GM job).
Now for more rumors from the league’s east divisions:
- In the same piece linked above, Perry and Giardi suggest that Patriots corner Malcolm Butler — whose play has suffered this year and who has generally been a “pain in the butt” — foreclosed any chance of a return to New England in 2018 when he retweeted a Pro Football Focus graphic showing Dolphins QB Jay Cutler‘s success against the Patriots’ blitzes in the aftermath of the Pats’ loss to Miami last week.
- The Jets have been frequently connected to impending free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins and to some of this year’s top collegiate signal-callers (i.e. Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen), but Manisha Mehta of the New York Daily News suggests that current Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater could also be in play for Gang Green. After all, Bridgewater — who will also be a free agent at season’s end — is younger than current Jets starter Bryce Petty, he could be had for a reasonable multi-year deal, and he managed to win in Minnesota without much of a supporting cast. This is just an opinion piece, but as Mehta suggests, a Bridgewater signing could be a low-risk, high-reward move that would not necessarily preclude the cash-flush Jets from also pursuing a QB in the first round of the draft.
- The Cowboys and guard Zack Martin were deep in extension talks over the summer, but they could not get a deal done before the unofficial late August deadline that the two sides set for themselves. However, they are expected to revisit those discussions this offseason, as Martin is only under club control through the 2018 campaign (via the fifth-year option of his rookie contract). Hardik Sanghavi of OverTheCap.com looks at Martin’s case in excellent detail and projects a six-year, $84.6MM deal for the Notre Dame product.
- James Kratch of NJ.com says the Giants‘ handling of Davis Webb makes no sense, and that New York should start the rookie quarterback over the last few games of the season. After all, if he plays poorly, it won’t ruin his career, and the 2-11 Giants actually stand to benefit from losing out. If he plays well, obviously that would be good for the team, and even though the talent around him is poor, he can still be evaluated, which Kratch says the Giants owe to their new regime. Kratch makes a number of good points, but it sounds as if Eli Manning will remain under center for the duration of 2017, which Kratch says smacks of a desperate campaign to appease Manning.
NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Jones, Giants, Webb
A look at the NFC East:
- When speaking to reporters at Wednesday’s meetings, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hinted that he wants to dial back the power of the commissioner’s office (Twitter link via Ben Volin of The Boston Globe). “There’s nobody that doesn’t see the need for changes in the NFL in several areas. … One of it is an antiquated constitution, an antiquated situation as to the power of his commissioner,” Jones said.
- Giants interim GM Kevin Abrams says he would like to see rookie Davis Webb get some playing time down the stretch (Twitter link via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post). However, he added that “you can only play one quarterback at a time” and said that interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo will have the final call on the team’s QB situation.
- Several teams have failed to lure Cowboys senior director of college and pro personnel Will McClay in the past, but there is a feeling that he might be interested in the Giants‘ GM vacancy, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv writes. McClay is in charge of the Cowboys’ drafts and they have had a strong track record in recent years. McClay is among the Fritz Pollard Alliance’s recommended minority candidates for GM jobs this offseason.
NFC Notes: Webb, Niners, Skins, Packers
From benching Eli Manning for Geno Smith to the firing of head coach Ben McAdoo, there hasn’t been much stability with the Giants in recent weeks. The team does know one thing, however — rookie quarterback Davis Webb is not in the team’s plans for the foreseeable future, Newsday’s Tom Rock writes.
This should have been evident when the team didn’t tab the Cal product instead of Smith. Interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo also said there would be no change to Webb’s snaps at practice. He also added, “I’m not sure what would be gained other than if something happened to the starting quarterback that he goes in . . Is it that much more of an advantage to have him standing on the sideline as the second than there is having him standing on the sideline as a deactivated player?”
Obviously Webb is not in the plans for this season, which has led to speculation the Giants will use their rare high first-round pick next season on a quarterback like Sam Darnold or Josh Rosen.
Here’s more from around the NFC:
- 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan does not expect a new contract with Jimmy Garoppolo to be hammered out before the end of the season, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Twitter link). After amassing 627 passing yards in his first two starts, Garoppolo is almost assuredly the team’s answer under center for the foreseeable future. He is sure to cash in this offseason.
- Packers defensive back Davon House suffered a transverse process fracture in his back, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rappoport (Twitter link). He also noted that most players have come back from the injury in a week or two. House has started all 10 games he has played this season, registering an interception and a sack.
- Redskins linebacker Chris Carter will need surgery to repair a broken fibula in his right leg, ESPN’s John Keim reports (Twitter link). Just a few weeks after a broken fibula left running back Chris Thompson on IR, the injury comes back to bite Washington with one of its top special teams performers.
East Rumors: Jets, McCown, Giants, Redskins
Wide receiver Quincy Enunwa will be a restricted free agent next spring, and though he missed the entire 2017 season with a neck injury, the Jets will likely still offer him a RFA tender, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. The 25-year-old Enunwa broke out for 58 receptions, 857 yards, and four touchdowns a season ago, so New York is apparently comfortable tendering him despite his recent injury history. Given those health questions, however, Enunwa will likely receive only an original round tender, which should be worth roughly $2MM next year. If he is re-signed, Enunwa will add another dimension to a Jets receiving corps that also includes Robby Anderson and rookies Chad Hansen and ArDarius Stewart.
Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:
- The Jets have been open about their willingness to re-sign quarterback Josh McCown, but the veteran signal-caller hasn’t officially decided if he’ll return for another NFL season, according to Bob Glauber of Newsday. McCown, 38, has four children who don’t live in the New York area, meaning family concerns will play a role in McCown’s future. Given that he’s arguably posting the best season of his career, McCown is expected to start the Jets’ remaining games even though the club has several younger options on the roster. For what it’s worth, New York offensive coordinator John Morton has been vocal his desire to continue working with McCown, writes Daniel Popper of the New York Daily News.
- Rookie quarterback Davis Webb‘s status with the Giants is now uncertain following the firing of general manager Jerry Reese and head coach Ben McAdoo, especially given that Webb was considered “McAdoo’s guy,” tweets Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. McAdoo reportedly “pushed for [Webb] in every round” of the 2017 draft, and New York ultimately selected Webb in the third round. The Giants turned to veteran backup Geno Smith in Week 13, but will apparently start Eli Manning for the remainder of the season, leaving open the question of whether Webb is in the club’s long-term plans.
- Former Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan‘s arbitration hearing against the team will begin next week, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com, who adds owner Daniel Snyder, team president Bruce Allen, and head coach Jay Gruden could be required to testify. Washington will reportedly attempt to use McCloughan’s history of alcohol abuse as a fireable offense, while McCloughan will argue that he rarely drank while employed with the Redskins.
NFC East Notes: Giants, Manning, Cowboys
In theory, Eli Manning could be back in New York next year. But former Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride doesn’t see that happening.
“It is hard for me looking in from the outside seeing that happen just knowing the guy,” Gilbride told PFT. “I know he comes across and people look at him like he’s an ‘aww, shucks’ country boy, Huckleberry Finn-kind of guy, but I can assure you that beneath that facade lies the personality of a warrior. He’s going to compete and fight and do everything he can to play at the very highest level and represent himself at the very best and so that’s an investment of tremendous personal sacrifice and time and all that goes into being ready to play the game at the NFL level. So to do that, you’re a prideful guy — and he is — and so his pride has been attacked. I’m sure anything can be repaired but, boy, it would be very very difficult. . . . I don’t see it happening.”
Where could Manning go next? Gilbride, like many, is envisioning a reunion between Manning and Tom Coughlin in Jacksonville.
Here’s more out of the NFC East:
- Manning might not be the only star leaving the NFC East this offseason. Longtime Dallas beat writer Charean Williams of PFT believes that the Cowboys will have a hard time justifying Dez Bryant‘s salary in 2018. She rightly notes that Bryant hasn’t played up to his contract, which calls for a $12.5MM salary next year with a $16.5MM cap number. The Cowboys may ask Bryant to take a pay cut, but Bryant – who is regarded as one of the league’s most talented wide receivers – may not be on board with that. So far this year, Bryant has 58 catches for 639 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games, putting him on pace for roughly 72 catches, 799 yards, and six TDs. Those numbers aren’t quite on a par with his best work from 2012-2014.
- The Giants have a plan for increasing rookie quarterback Davis Webb‘s reps and getting into a game, coach Ben McAdoo tells reporters (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan). However, McAdoo declined to share the details of how and when he intends to get Webb involved. What we do know is that Webb will not be the QB1 or QB2 this weekend when the Giants face the Raiders in Oakland this weekend.
- The Redskins should consider using the non-exclusive franchise tag on Kirk Cousins, one beat writer opines.
- There’s still no timetable for Eagles cornerback Sidney Jones to take the field.
- The Cowboys could be without cornerback Orlando Scandrick for a bit.
Eli Manning Not Planning To Retire
Eli Manning does not sound like he’s ready to retire after this season. The 14th-year quarterback still wants to play and believes there are “several” destinations out there for him next year, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports.
This would throw a big name onto the quarterback market, one that could also include the likes of Kirk Cousins, Alex Smith and the Vikings’ passers. Graziano reports Manning has been hit “pretty hard” by this demotion, and while adding the caveat of this being too soon to know for sure how the Giants icon wants to proceed, the feeling is he doesn’t want his career to end like this.
Teams like the Jaguars and Broncos come to mind as otherwise well-stocked outfits with glaring holes at quarterback, with the Cardinals — who could observe a Carson Palmer retirement — profiling as such as well. Mike Jurecki of ArizonaSports.com, however, doesn’t see the Cards having interest in bringing in Manning (Twitter link). The Vikings have generated plenty from Case Keenum this season, but the defensively geared franchise does not have a quarterback under contract for 2018.
This would certainly point to Manning being willing to waive his no-trade clause in hopes of facilitating a trade to a logical team. Two years and more than $40MM remain on his deal, one that’s largely non-guaranteed. He has a $5MM roster bonus due March 14.
Manning will turn 37 in January. He’s two years removed from a Pro Bowl season that featured 35 touchdown passes. He threw 26 TDs last season. Saddled with a skeleton-crew receiving corps and an offensive line riddled with injuries, Manning has 14 TD passes and seven interceptions through 11 games in 2017.
Manning said earlier today he wasn’t thrilled with the Giants’ original plan. He found Giants management’s idea of letting him start games before being pulled at halftime as a phony way of going about this succession strategy, Graziano reports.
The Giants are not planning to keep Geno Smith in the starting lineup for long, either.
Graziano reports Davis Webb is expected to make the bulk of the starts down the stretch, perhaps beginning that run as soon as Week 14. The Giants didn’t feel it was right to throw the third-round rookie into the fray this week after receiving scant practice reps this season. But the current power structure wants to see what the rookie has before this rough season concludes.
Giants To Start Geno Smith On Sunday
The Giants announced that Geno Smith will start at quarterback on Sunday against the Raiders. The move will allow the Giants to evaluate their younger quarterback in what has become a lost season. 
“Geno will start this week,” coach Ben McAdoo said in a press release. “Over the last five games, we will take a look at Geno, and we will also give Davis [Webb] an opportunity.”
It’s a historic move for the G-Men given that Eli Manning has started 210 consecutive regular-season games. It is the second-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history, second only to Brett Favre’s 297. According to the press release, Manning was given the option to continue his streak, but declined.
“Coach McAdoo told me I could continue to start while Geno and Davis are given an opportunity to play,” said Manning, who has started every Giants game since Nov. 21, 2004. “My feeling is that if you are going to play the other guys, play them. Starting just to keep the streak going and knowing you won’t finish the game and have a chance to win it is pointless to me, and it tarnishes the streak. Like I always have, I will be ready to play if and when I am needed. I will help Geno and Davis prepare to play as well as they possibly can.”
The Giants will be re-evaluating every area of the team in the offseason, including the quarterback position. Manning isn’t necessarily being forced out, but the Giants are expected to look towards the future as his 37th birthday comes in January. McAdoo & Co. are about to find out whether the former Jets bust is a potential option. Meanwhile, they’ll have to decide on Manning’s future before he collects on a $5MM roster bonus on the fifth day of the 2018 league year in March.
Smith played in 33 regular-season games with 30 starts for the Jets, but he has not started a game since October of last year. His stint in green was defined by poor play, injuries, and a locker room brawl that left him with a major jaw fracture.
Heading into the season, the Giants believed that Manning, Odell Beckham Jr., and free agent pickup Brandon Marshall would power them into the playoffs. Unfortunately, injuries to OBJ, Marshall, and scores of other key players have taken them out of contention. The Giants are 2-9 with no mathematical chance of reaching the postseason.
“This is not the way it should be, but unfortunately, it’s where we are,” McAdoo said. “Our number one priority every week is to go win a game, but we owe it to the organization to get an evaluation of everybody on the roster, and that includes at the quarterback position. I’ll say it again, I have the utmost respect for Eli and everything he has done for this organization throughout his career. He is the consummate professional. He doesn’t like the position we are in, and neither do any of us. Eli has had to deal with a lot this season. Through it all, he has done everything we have asked of him in getting that unit ready to play. He has been steady, just like he has always been.”
New York Notes: Jets, Giants, Darnold
The misdemeanor assault charge against Jets outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin has been dropped, as Darryl Slater of NJ.com writes. Mauldin was said to have punched a 22-year-old man in the face, but New York authorities did not find enough evidence to move forward with the case. Still, Mauldin faces a civil suit and league discipline is still possible even though he is in the clear, legally speaking.
Mauldin, a third-round pick in 2015, was in the mix for a starting job this season. Instead, he lost the entire season to a back injury. Next season is slated to be his final year with the Jets and that may mark his final opportunity to make a good impression on a regime that did not draft him.
Here’s more out of the Meadowlands:
- Who will be the Jets‘ starting quarterback in 2018? Ralph Vacchiano of SNY profiled some candidates, including incumbent Josh McCown and top draft prospects Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen. The Gang Green beat writer gives top odds to McCown (5-1) while dismissing chances of middling prospects Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, or Baker Mayfield being the guy (500-1). At 25-1, he’s perhaps more bullish on the Jets landing Kirk Cousins than anyone else.
- Speaking of Jackson, Manish Mehta of the Daily News hears that the Jets do not believe that Jackson can thrive as an NFL quarterback. Other teams may be higher on the Louisville product, but Mehta cannot envision the Jets investing a Round 2 or 3 pick in him.
- In the interest of equal time, Vacchiano looks at the candidates for the Giants‘ starting job. The odds remain strong that Eli Manning will be the Week 1 starter, but Vacchiano does not completely rule out Rosen, Darnold, or in-house options Geno Smith and Davis Webb. In related news, Vacchiano hears from multiple team sources that there are no plans to play Webb the rest of the way.