New York Giants: Geno Smith should be Eli Manning’s backup for 2017

Geno Smith, not Josh Johnson or Davis Webb, should serve as Eli Manning’s backup and second on the depth chart for the New York Giants in 2017.

All things considered, the New York Giants are relatively lucky on offense compared to a variety of teams around the NFL. New York has a proven franchise quarterback in Eli Manning set to lead the offense onto the field at the start of summer training camp sessions and the preseason. In Manning, Big Blue has a two-time Super Bowl MVP who has dozens of comeback victories on his resume and who is, theoretically, just now entering the twilight of his career. Things could be worse.

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Manning’s durability has been just as important as his on-the-field talent. Manning, knock on wood, never misses a start. He’s been the Seinfeld reruns of NFL quarterbacks since being handed the New York starting job during the 2004 season in that many take him for granted, but he’s there when you need him. One may not always like what he sees from Manning, but he’s a better option than a plethora of others out there.

Every quarterback needs a backup, of course, and that became true for the Giants once the club moved on from Ryan Nassib following the 2016 campaign. A pair of veterans, journeyman Josh Johnson and New York Jets castoff Geno Smith, along with rookie Davis Webb, are all competing for the right to wear headsets during Giants games beginning in September. And the gig truly is anybody’s to win as of the second weekend in June.

Let’s start with Webb, if only because he’s the easiest to dismiss. Webb is a project selected with a third-round pick who shouldn’t get anywhere near the field in 2017, even if calamity strikes. He’s learning the NFL game, not to mention how to take snaps under center, as a newbie. His roster spot should remain safe well beyond the upcoming season, but that doesn’t mean he should play a single down of meaningful football once August ends.

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As ESPN’s Jordan Raanan wrote earlier this month, Johnson versus Smith is, on paper, an easy matchup that has only one winner. Johnson is familiar with Manning, the New York coaching staff and with the playbook. He’s safe. He’s reliable. Nobody will confuse him for being the fastest car in the garage, but he’ll get you to work every morning even if it’s snowing outside.

Smith, on the other hand, is a wild card. He flopped, and flopped badly, while with a Jets franchise that’s routinely treated young quarterbacks like a three-year old handles a new shiny toy he ultimately forgets about after a week or so. He’s also coming off a serious knee injury, one that could sink a career resurrection that hasn’t actually officially begun outside of putting pen to paper on a deal with the Giants.

The problem with viewing the situation as a black-and-white matter is there’s no virtue in the Giants playing it safe regarding Manning’s backup. New York didn’t go out this past March and sign somebody such as Josh McCown or even Colin Kaepernick, the type of flawed quarterback who could win games, so long as he remained healthy and found the right football home. Those running the club obviously planned for Manning to start all 16 games this season.

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You could flip a coin to pick between Johnson and Smith for the backup job. Either way, it will likely be downright disastrous if the injury bug, Father Time or merely bad luck catches Manning at any point this fall and he misses more than a single game. Johnson taking hold of the New York offense, in such a scenario, and guiding the Giants to a Super Bowl would be a sports miracle, the type of story perfect for a future 30 For 30.

There’s no upside in the Giants keeping Johnson around so long as Smith proves he can physically play the position over the next several months. Johnson turned 31 years old in May. We already know what he is, and that isn’t an NFL quarterback. He probably isn’t morphing into Kurt Warner 2.0 while holding a clipboard.

Yes, Smith struggled throughout his tenure with the Jets. He threw way too many interceptions, made way too many poor decisions and seemingly lost confidence along the way. Go back and review his rookie season without any cynicism, however, and you’ll see there were glimpses and hints he could become something greater over time. That it didn’t happen with the Jets isn’t reason enough to expect it never will.

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Smith turns 27 years old in October. He’s not yet reached the peak of his physical skills so long as his knee doesn’t hold him back. Maybe, just maybe, New York head coach and hoped-to-be QB-guru Ben McAdoo and his staff can retrieve whatever is left of Smith’s promise. The hope that could happen is enough reason to install Smith as Manning’s backup so long as the former Jets starter doesn’t fall flat on his face during preseason preparations.