The Brooklyn Trolley Blogger: N.Y. Giants: Gettleman Runs To Daylight With Saquon Barkley Selection

Tuesday, May 01, 2018

N.Y. Giants: Gettleman Runs To Daylight With Saquon Barkley Selection

From the desk of: DO IT FOR THE DUKE

No Quarterback For You

New York Giants: Dave Gettleman Says He Got His Man. But Did He, Really?

Last season, Eli Manning arguably played every bit like a 36-year old quarterback winding down his fourteen year NFL career. Playing for Ben McAdoo, behind an inept offensive line, and minus Odell Beckham Jr. were largely to blame for Eli's downturn in performance.

But make no mistake, Eli battled with his own episodes of ineptitude, as well. Back in 2008, Manning threw for 3,238 yards. Then between 2009 through 2016, he averaged 4,198 yards per season. Last season he only threw for 3,468 yards.

Moreover, the best quarterback in Giants history just turned 37-years old this past January.

For the record, I want #NYG trading out of second overall pick if they have no intention of selecting QB. #LikeYouCare
— B'klynTrolleyBlogger (@BTB_MikeII) April 26, 2018

Although I believe Eli will continue performing well through the remainder of his contract, I did indeed want Gettleman to draft Manning's potential replacement. Outside of Baker Mayfield, Dave Gettleman could have selected from any one of three quarterbacks taken within the first ten overall selections of the NFL draft, but chose not to. That tells me he is either supremely confident in Eli Manning, or that he wasn't at all enamored with this year's class of quarterbacks, or both, and will thus seek a quarterback replacement next next season.

With the second overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft, Dave Gettleman and the New York Giants selected Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. Gettleman says Barkley was his guy all along. I chalk that up to GM speak. Otherwise, I have zero issue with the selection. There's something to be said for selecting the best athlete on the board which is exactly what most football pundits were saying of Barkley.

Picking a running back that early in the draft, of course, is nothing new to me. Back in the day running backs went high in the draft all the time. Between 1977 and 1986, half of the ten number one overall picks were running backs: Rickey Bell; Earl Campbell; Bill Sims; George Rodgers; and Bo Jackson.

In fact, I grew up when running back performance was still somewhat emphasized over quarterbacks. Along with the aforementioned, include Barry Sanders; Marcus Allen; Chuck Muncie; John Riggins; Tony Dorsett; Eric Dickerson; as well as USFL performers Joe Cribbs; Mike Rozier, Kelvin Bryant, and of course Herschel Walker.

Like Saquon Barkely, former Seattle running back Curt Warner is a Penn State alum, as is the last running back taken with the first overall selection in the NFL draft back in 1995, Ki-Jana Carter.

Previous to the draft it's worth noting one of Gettleman's first acts as general manager back in December was to fire VP of Player Evaluation, Marc Ross.

GIANTS 2018 NFL DRAFT

Round One: Saquon Barkley - RB (Penn State)
Round Two: Will Hernandez - OG (UTEP)
Round Three: Loranzo Carter - OLB (Georgia)
Round Three: B.J. Hill - DT (North Carolina State)
Round Four: Kyle Lauletta - QB - (Richmond)
Round Five: RJ McIntosh - DT - (Miami/FLA)

Where team priorities are concerned, I'm content with every selection except one: Kyle Lauletta/QB. If Gettleman was the least bit inclined to select a higher rated quarterback with the second overall pick, then why waste (and I do mean waste...) a #4 pick on a quarterback? On that note, we know little more about Davis Webb today than we did this time last year. I would have preferred Gettleman use that fourth round pick on another lineman or corner back.

OFF-SEASON TRANSACTIONS

Re-Sign Brett Jones - C
Nate Solder- T
Patrick Omemeh - OL
Cody Latimer - WR
Kerry Wynn - DE
Josh Mauro - DE
Kareem Martin - LB
Curtis Riley - DB
Michael Thomas - S
William Gay - CB
B.W. Webb - CB

Is it possible Dave Gettleman did more to improve the offensive line in one off-season than did Jerry Reese over his last six years? Without a doubt he did. With a full complement of receivers, better pass protection, and Saquon Barkley rushing/receiving out of the backfield, the Giants offense should be an improved unit. However, I still consider Big Blue a rebuilding team. This offensive line still has a ways to go. Meanwhile, Eli is pressed for time.

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