Nick Foles may want a reunion with Pat Shurmur by signing for the New York Giants, but should the Giants want to name him Eli Manning’s replacement?
In May 2018, linking Nick Foles with the New York Giants was little more than spitballing ahead of the current offseason. Eli Manning was set to turn 38 years old in January 2019. The Philadelphia Eagles have Carson Wentz atop the team’s depth chart and, understandably, aren’t prepared to give up on him. Foles has worked with New York head coach Pat Shurmur in the past. The dots connected via a relatively straight line.
Fast-forward to February 2019, and the questions that existed about Foles potentially joining the Giants this year still exist. What happens to Manning? Isn’t now the time for the Giants to invest in and groom a rookie who will start either later this fall or in 2020? Will the Eagles make landing Foles difficult for a division rival or any other organization? Last but certainly not least; is Nick Foles even all that good, let alone an upgrade for the Giants, and worth the money he will receive on the open market?
Manning’s future inevitably affects whether or not the Giants will be in the Foles business. Simply put, New York isn’t bringing Manning back to participate in training camp while also paying Foles millions of dollars. Salary cap implications aside, such a decision would be a fireable offense for everybody involved, front office and coaching staff included.
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Would Manning make things easier for the Giants and announce his retirement later this month? He hasn’t said anything, since last season, to lead one to believe he doesn’t want to play in 2019.
Perhaps the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins or some other team would trade for the two-time Super Bowl MVP. Is there any chance the same Big Blue ownership struck with guilt over how Manning’s consecutive-starts streak ended during the 2017 campaign would cut him against his wishes?
One need only search the Internet for a minute or so to read hot takes about how the 2019 NFL Draft’s quarterback class isn’t filled with an abundance of over-the-top talent. Ohio State product Dwayne Haskins, the flavor of the month among many Giants fans, may not have been a first-round pick had he entered the league last offseason.
Kyler Murray is probably more polarizing among scouts, observers, fans and general managers than was Baker Mayfield last February. Foles is roughly one month removed from his 30th birthday . Theoretically, the Giants wouldn’t have to think about drafting a successor until the second half of next decade after signing the Philadelphia signal-caller.
Much has been made about the Eagles potentially slapping the franchise tag on Foles before he’s able to reach free agency. Per SNY, one may not want to read too much into that:
"Should they tag Foles without the intent of trying to re-sign him, the quarterback and his agent could file a grievance with the NFL that the franchise tag was not used in “good faith.”They also may have difficulty finding a trade partner because any team that is interested in acquiring Foles would likely want to be assured he would sign an extension if traded. If the Eagles cannot work out a trade by the start of the new league year–March 13–Foles’ $25 million will count against the Eagles’ salary cap and they would be forced to cut ties with multiple players in order to get under the salary cap."
Nothing written here will change your mind on Foles’ abilities. His roller-coaster NFL tenure is well-known. As ESPN’s Courtney Cronin wrote in January 2018, Foles’ best regular season, to date, occurred while he was featuring for the Eagles in 2013 and when he torched opposing defenses to the tune of 27 touchdowns matched with only two interceptions with Shurmur serving as his offensive coordinator.
Obviously, Foles later showed he could win on football’s biggest stages. His tenacity, grit, clutch gene and “it factor” remain undeniable.
Shurmur’s importance to this discussion cannot be overstated. In fact, the final questions asked here go to him. Would Shurmur be willing to risk his job and probably his final opportunity to be a head coach at the highest level on going all-in on Foles? Can Shurmur convince ownership Foles gives the Giants a better chance to win right now than Manning or a rookie?
If he responds “yes” to those, you may have the answer to the question posed in this piece’s title.