A plan to set up Giants for ’18 & beyond
THIS has been one of the most miserable, trying, ripping seasons of John Mara’s football life. It must seem as if all the king’s horses and all the king’s men have to put his Giants back together again. No one wishes a Mara Christmas and happy New Year for Giants fans more than he does. He and they won’t have one this year. All he has to do to ring in a happy New Year is find the right general manager, hope and pray the new GM picks the right head coach and reach a consensus on Eli Manning. The last time the Giants were this close to rock bottom was the end of the 1978 season, before Pete Rozelle gifted them GM George Young, who hired Ray Perkins as head coach and drafted Phil Simms as his next franchise quarterback. This is that kind of crossroads moment for the franchise. My quick fix: A quarterback succession plan featuring Manning returning as the 2018 starter and Davis Webb as the backup. A GM succession plan featuring Dave Gettleman as the 67-year-old GM with Kevin Abrams as the backup. Knowing the way the Giants operate, it is easy to make the case the fix is in: Former Giants GM Ernie Accorsi touted Gettleman, former assistant under Jerry Reese, as GM to embattled Panthers owner Jerry Richardson in 2013. Mara has an understandable affection for Manning and hasn’t wavered from his wish that he retire a Giant. If Mara feels inclined to influence the next GM on keeping Manning, he’ll show him the tape of the Eagles game. Evidence that if you give Manning a good game plan, if you build a wall in front of him, he can still make all the throws, and he’d be throwing to Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, possibly Brandon Marshall and for certain Odell Beckham Jr.
Young drafted Simms in 1979 because his quarterback was Joe Pisarcik. Eli Manning is no Joe Pisarcik. If the new GM and head coach like Webb as much as I hear he is liked by the current decision-makers, then they must camouflage their interest in Josh Rosen if the Browns draft Sam Darnold so they can trade the coveted pick for a bounty to a quarterback-desperate team (Cardinals, Broncos, Bills, Redskins if Kirk Cousins leaves, possibly the Vikings, Steelers, Chargers and Saints). Don’t expect any deal with the Jets.
Now all bets would be off on that scenario if the new GM is allowed to fall head over heels for Darnold, if he comes out, or Rosen.
Gettleman, of course, is no George Young, but he built a Super Bowl team in Carolina.
I won’t have the benefit of sitting in on the interview process, but I would hope that Mara and Steve Tisch would keep an open mind as the GM search begins.
The Boss had no inkling Brian Cashman would become the crown jewel of the Yankees front office when he hired him to replace Bob Watson in 1998 at age 31.
Eliot Wolf, son of Hall of Fame Packers executive Ron Wolf, is 35 and has been in demand for some time. He has been groomed to succeed Packers GM Ted Thompson.
If he is interested, if he blows them away, if they conclude he has a chance to be the football Cashman, the Giants should think long and hard about not letting him out of the building.
Those who lobby for complete upheaval and new blood would welcome a new vision and new visionary instead of the Same Old Same Old.
Just don’t be surprised or beside yourself if the fix is in.
It just might be a better fix than you think it is.