The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Giants interview in house for GM job
GIANTS AT CARDINALS, SUNDAY, 4:25 P.M. (FOX)
The New York Giants have started the interview process for their vacant general manager’s job with an in-house candidate.
Marc Ross, the team’s vice president of player evaluation, was interviewed by co-owner John Mara and former general manager Ernie Accorsi, who is consulting on the selection process.
The job opened two weeks ago when Jerry Reese was fired along with second-year coach Ben McAdoo with the team reeling with a 2-10 record.
Since the change, the Giants have lost two games under interim coach Steve Spagnuolo, who was McAdoo’s defensive coordinator.
The 44-year-old Ross has been with the Giants for 11 seasons, joining the team in 2007 after Reese was elevated to general manager, replacing Accorsi. The former Princeton receiver has run the scouting department and the draft preparation for the past five seasons. He had spent the previous six years as director of college scouting.
The Giants have had hits and misses in the draft during his tenure. Offensive lineman Justin Pugh, receiver Odell Beckham and rookie tight end Evan Engram have been outstanding choices. But offensive lineman Ereck Flowers and cornerback Eli Apple have not lived up to expectations.
Ross spent three seasons as a national scout with Buffalo before joining the Giants. He has also worked for the Eagles.
Current interim general manager Kevin Abrams also is going to interview for the job. Former Carolina Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman also is expected to interview. He worked for the
Giants from 1998-2012 before moving to Carolina.
The Panthers had a 15-1 record in 2015 and went to the Super Bowl. They fell to 6-10 the following season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2012, costing Gettleman lost his job.
Mara has said he would like to have a general manager in place before a new coach is hired. Spagnuolo will be given a chance to interview for that job.
THERE’S A CATCH
While most of the NFL and its fans have been asking the same question for the past day or so — What is a catch? Giants quarterback Eli Manning said he feels there is very little ambiguity in the current definition.
“I think it is clear what a
catch is, especially when you are going to the ground,” Manning said on Monday. “You have to control the ball the whole time. You have to have it. You’re going to the ground, the ball hits the ground, the ball moves and there is a little loss of contact through the end of the play, it’s going to be an incompletion.”
That was the glaring case on Sunday evening when Ben Roethlisberger hit Jesse James on what appeared to be the game-winning touchdown pass in the final minute of the Steelers’ game against the Patriots. The play was ruled a touchdown on the field, but overturned when replays showed the ball rotating after it hit the turf while in James’ control.
Manning said he was watching the end of that game live, shortly after he and the Giants had lost to the Eagles.
“I had a feeling they were
going to overturn that,” he said. “You hate it. When you’re watching it live you don’t even think about that not being a catch. But hey, when you go to the ground you have to finish with the ball in your hands. If it hits the ground and there is movement . I was like, I think there’s enough evidence to reverse that.”
Some will say it’s easy for Manning to make such a statement. He didn’t lose Sunday’s game because of it. But in Week 3 the Giants had a touchdown nullified on a very similar play when Sterling Shepard caught a pass in the Eagles’ end zone, established himself inbounds with two feet, fell out of bounds with the ball under control, then lost it as he slid across the turf.
“Hey, that is what it is,” Manning said. “It’s called the same everywhere and those are the rules.”
That’s what Manning said he likes about the current
situation. There is clarity. It may not be clarity to the naked eye at full speed, but slow any play down and it becomes fairly obvious whether the ball is moving or not.
“I think there were more questions of whether it was a catch or not before this rule,” Manning said. “It was ‘Well, it looks like a catch.’ What are the exact rules? Then they made it definitive saying these are the rules and it’s going to be called fairly and equally and the same every time.
”They’re the rules. Hey, whether they’re right or wrong, in my mind it’s being called the same everywhere. Those are the rules. Coaches talk about it, players talk about it. Just understand that if you go to the ground, finish the catch. Don’t drop it and celebrate too early, don’t assume anything. You have to finish the play.”