New York Giants: Examining the quarterbacks

With the preseason underway, it’s time to examine the New York Giants and all of the team’s position group in terms of starters and depth.

It’s a quarterback-driven league. It’s said so frequently, but it’s so true. Teams such as the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, etc. that lack a reliable starter typically struggle.

Luckily for the New York Giants, they have their franchise quarterback. Unfortunately, even with their franchise QB, the Giants have struggled in recent years, failing to make the postseason three straight years.

Things seem to be moving in the right direction, though.

The quarterback position hasn’t been what’s wrong with the Giants. The team has a great starter and a pretty solid backup too, and the organization hasn’t changed too much.

In fact, the last time the Giants used a high draft pick on a quarterback, it was to acquire their current starter and backup. Both players have now had a full year to learn the new, west-coast style of offense, so big things are expected in year 2.

For the 11th year in a row, nothing’s really changing at the quarterback position for the Giants. Love him or hate him, Eli Manning is still the starting quarterback for Big Blue, even with some crazy speculation (as reported by Jordan Raanan of NJ.com last year) that the team was ‘seriously’ considering taking Johnny Manziel in last year’s draft.

Manning, 34, had one of the best years of his career last season, and he seems eager and ready to take things to the next level in Year No. 2 of Ben McAdoo’s offense.

“I’m excited for this upcoming season,” Manning said, according to Dan Salamone of Giants.com. “Last year during the offseason, I was coming off of an injury and getting into a situation with new coaches…This year I feel great about the system. My body feels good. I am excited about coming in and knowing what I need to improve on and make strides in, rather than learning a complete new system.”

Eli cut down his interception total by 13 last year, and he also posted the best completion percentage of his career.

Dec 28, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) reacts after a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

After an abysmal start to the season in which Manning chucked four interceptions in the first two games, the offense started to click, and it would only improve as the year went on.

The offensive line was spotty last year, but it was better than 2013 and it should be better this year. The more time Manning gets, the more lethal the offense will be.

I rank Eli Manning as the 10th-best quarterback in the NFL, and I still think he has the ability to perform at a high level. He has all of the weapons at his disposal. One could even make the argument that this is the deepest group of skill players Manning has ever had.

People like to point to his 2013 season, but I think that if Aaron Rodgers were playing behind that offensive line, he would have set a career highs in interception too.

Still, there are things “Easy E” can improve on. If you need to know exactly what, you can go watch the film from the 49ers game, in which Manning threw five interceptions.

Eli could get in trouble this year because of how comfortable he is with giving his receivers chances to make plays, but I don’t think he’ll be throwing more than 20 interceptions.

Beyond his throwing abilities, Manning is as tough as a two-dollar steak and he’ll start the season continuing his streak of consecutive games started. Even at 34, Manning is still adept at standing in the pocket and taking brutal hits.

Now with a firm grasp on the offense, Manning should take this team to bigger and better things. Behind Eli are two quarterbacks, although one has a much better chance of securing a roster spot. Gone are the days of Jared Lorenzen.

Aug 28, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback

Ryan Nassib

(9) warming up prior to the game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

I’ve said it before, but being a backup quarterback for the Eli Mannings of the world isn’t exactly the most exciting job in the world.

Manning’s backups don’t typically see the field because of injury, but during blowouts guys like Ryan Nassib get a chance to see the field. He made tremendous strides in his second season despite not seeing any significant regular-season playing time.

Sure, the preseason isn’t truly indicative of a player’s abilities, but Nassib cleaned up his play and led the NFC in passing yards last summer. Of course, the Giants did play five preseason games, but Nassib still didn’t throw a single interception.

Nassib actually probably fits the offense a little better than Manning from a physical standpoint. He doesn’t have blazing speed, but he’s mobile enough in the pocket. He has very unconventional throwing mechanics, but he has time to work on them, as the Giants don’t plan on him seeing the field much once September rolls around.

He’s the perfect backup for Eli, as he has a similar “Aw, shucks” attitude about him. I also think he could eventually become the lead man once Eli is no longer with the team.

Behind Nassib is Ricky Stanzi, a 6’4″, 27 year old who spent the early days of his career with Kansas City and Jacksonville. Stanzi has never thrown a regular-season pass and he likely won’t make the final roster, barring a miraculous preseason.

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