DECISION TIME ON ELI
Giants face decisions on Eli Manning, others after missing playoffs
EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J. (AP) >> Things definitely didn’t go the way Pat Shurmur wanted in his first season as New York Giants coach.
The Giants (5-11) finished last in the NFC East for the second straight year. They missed the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons and were among the NFL’s worst teams despite a spectacular rookie season from running back and No. 2 overall draft pick Saquon Barkley.
The bottom line is there are lots of problems to be fixed and major personnel issues to be resolved.
For general manager Dave Gettleman, it starts with what to do with two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, linebacker Olivier Vernon, cornerback Janoris Jenkins and Pro Bowl safety Landon Collins, who finished the season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury that required surgery.
Manning, Vernon and Jenkins all might be salary-cap casualties. Collins is at the end of his rookie contract and might be hit with the franchise tag.
The soon-to-be 38-year- old Manning, who has a $23 mil-
lion cap value, is the biggest decision. The veteran quarterback finished his 15th season and had his ups and downs, in large part because of his lack of mobility and inconsistent play by an offensive line that remains a work in progress.
There is no one waiting in the wings to replace him, and the quarterback class in the draft is not nearly as good as last season’s.
The Giants, who have the No. 6 pick overall in April’s draft, also have a greater need for a pass rusher or an offensive lineman.
After a 1-7 start, New York showed flashes after its bye week. It won four of five, including a win over NFC North champion Chicago. The season ended with a three-game losing streak, the final two games each decided by point.
It’s no wonder players packing their belongings in the locker room Monday showed the optimism of a team reporting to training camp.
“I believe that we’re very close, and to be completely honest, I think what we have here is special,” said Barkley, who finished second in the league in rushing with 1,307 yards, and No. 1 in yards from scrimmage with 2,028 — only the third rookie in league history to crack the 2,000yard plateau.
“I wasn’t here the year before, but we’re not the team that we were when we went 3-13,” Barkley added. “Obviously, we went 5-11 and that’s not the record that we would like, but we’re close. We’re really close, and I believe that’s going to show next year if we continue to believe in each other, continue to work and continue to grind and have that dog mentality that we showed this year.”
Shurmur and Gettlemandid a solid job of turning over last year’s roster. There were fewer than 15 players from the 2017 team on the roster at the end of the season.