The NY Giants are looking at signing Josh Freeman or Matt Flynn as a veteran QB option for the spring and now they are heading into the NFL draft with a ton of questions and one of the biggest is about what will happen to Eli Manning in the future after his ankle surgery and that means Jerry Reese could look at Aaron Murray, AJ McCarron, Zach Mettenberger or Derek Carr as potential picks in May.
Manning had ankle surgery last week to deal with an injury he sustained in the season finale against the Redskins and now he will be out for at least six weeks. The Giants are not worried long term, but with a new offensive coordinator coming in and the offseason program starting at the end of April, the team needs a veteran quarterback to handle things until he returns. The team has Curtis Painter as the backup and Ryan Nassib as the third string player, but the team needs more at the position heading into the offseason.
According to Pro Football Talk, Josh Freeman and Matt Flynn are on the market and could be options, as they both will come in and work out with the team. Manning is not an issue long term, but the Giants only have him signed until 2015 and that means the team could have some major decisions to make going forward. Manning has had his ups and downs before, but nothing like this and after throwing for 27 interceptions last season, the Giants are wondering if this is a real decline or something else.
Manning has not missed a start since back in 2004 and that is one reason why the backup position has not been much of an issue, but now that he is in his 30s and is struggling, those questions have to come up. Manning went down in TDs, yards, completion percentage and rating from 2012 to 2013 and he increased his interceptions. While the Giants had a terrible running game and a mess of an offensive line, he still shoulders some blame and now the team has to see how things play out this spring.
Manning is in his 11th season and while the ankle surgery is not a major issue, it is something that has made the Giants think more about their backup QB spot as well as their succession plan for the future. The team has never put much stock in the backup for Eli Manning, as they have no need to since he has started every game since being named the starter in his rookie season and while this injury will not keep him out of the lineup this season, it is making the franchise and GM Jerry Reese wonder about what's next.
The team easily could look at another quarterback later in the draft, as Nassib is not considered and heir apparent, but names like Carr, McCarron and Murray could be different for Jerry Reese. The later rounds should have some quality options and Manning could use a solid backup, as he is likely to miss at least one start over the next few years after getting so lucky earlier in his career with injuries. The Giants aren't worried, but this is their first major question about Manning's health since he has started with the team.
