Breaking Down New York Giants' Situation at Quarterback
Over the next few weeks (well, with an exception here and there for some special features I have planned), I'm going to take an in-depth look at each unit on the New York Giants.
For each unit, I'll start with a review of the 2015 season. I'll then look at where the unit can improve, cover some of the pressing questions, and then wrap it up with a look at the key new faces, where applicable.
Let's kick things off with the quarterbacks.
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2015 in Review
Starting quarterback Eli Manning, who unlike a year ago was coming off offseason ankle surgery, entered 2015 fully healthy and armed (pun intended) with a new rest-and-recovery regimen he started last year to help him minimize the wear and tear to his now-35-year-old throwing arm.
As a result, he set new career highs in completed passes (387) and touchdowns (35) while finishing with a career-best 93.6 passer rating in year two of the Ben McAdoo offense.
What's even more impressive, Manning accomplished all this despite having one consistent receiving threat, that being Odell Beckham Jr. and an oftentimes invisible running game.
Signed to a new contract extension last September that, per ESPN's Chris Mortensen includes a "no-trade clause," Manning is assured of finishing his career as a Giant.
Backup Ryan Nassib, meanwhile, also set some new career highs in his very limited opportunities. He completed five of five pass attempts for 68 yards and one touchdown in relief of Manning.
Now entering the final year of his rookie deal, Nassib's role is not expected to change so long as Manning is able to stand up.
2016 Outlook: Where Can this Unit Improve?
Completion Percentage
In 2014, the first year of the McAdoo offense, a rather lofty goal was set for Manning to meet: completing 70 percent of his passes.
It sounds like a lofty goal, and it is. Per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, that goal has only been reached "five times in NFL history, twice by Drew Brees and once each by Ken Anderson, Steve Young and Joe Montana," but many have come close.
Last year, however, three starting quarterbacks came pretty close to hitting that mark.
Washington's Kirk Cousins (69.8 percent), New Orleans' Drew Brees (68.3 percent) and Seattle's Russell Wilson (68.1 percent) all came pretty close to that 70 percent mark, according to Pro Football Focus.
Like Manning, each of those three quarterbacks played in 75 percent or more of their team's snaps.
Speaking of Manning, his 62.6 percent completion rate wasn't bad considering he really didn't have a consistent No. 2 option behind Beckham.
A closer look at Manning's career completion percentage shows the highest he's ever recorded in this category was in 2014 when he completed 63.1 percent of his passes.
Comparing Manning's 2015 body of work to his peers, he was ranked 14th out of 21 quarterbacks. So while 70 percent might be somewhat unrealistic, certainly getting Manning into the top 10—or better yet the top five in completion percentage—can't be viewed as an impossible task.
It certainly would help a lot if Manning's receivers, who combined for 37 dropped passes last year, per Pro Football Focus (tying him for fourth-most with Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and Atlanta's Matt Ryan), did a better job hanging onto the ball.
Interceptions
Two years removed from having thrown a career-high 27 interceptions in 2013, Manning has cut that total down to 14 in each pf the last two seasons, which is the good news.
The bad news? His 14 interceptions last season tied him for fifth-most (with Philadelphia's Sam Bradford) among starting quarterbacks who took at least 75 percent of their team's snaps.
Interceptions are going to happen, but if Manning can get his season total down to single digits, the Giants offense will be much better off.
Questions
How much longer can Manning's durability hold up?
While Manning hasn't missed a start in his career, each week he goes out there, he runs the risk. And in fact, he has had a few close calls over the years.
In 2007, Manning suffered a bruised acromioclavicular (AC) joint in his shoulder—an injury some NFL insiders initially misreported as being a separated shoulder that was supposed to shelve Manning for a couple of weeks.
Manning didn't miss a snap after suffering that early-season injury, and of course he went on to lead the Giants to their first of two Super Bowl championships in the Tom Coughlin era.
In 2009, Manning dealt with plantar fasciitis—a condition that caused him a few missed practices but didn't break his iron-man streak.
He also caught a major break at the end of the 2013 season when against Washington in the regular-season finale, he suffered a high ankle sprain—an injury that was believed to have necessitated a minor surgical procedure in April 2014—that knocked him out of the second half of that game.
The Giants weren't able to add to their offensive line in free agency or the draft, and they apparently seem resigned to moving forward with what they have. Until what they have proves it can consistently protect its statue quarterback, the concerns about Manning's well-being moving forward continue to be real.
What about the succession plan?
The Giants not only traded up in 2013 to get Ryan Nassib, but they have also invested a lot of time and resources to develop his NFL skills, time that also includes his absorption of the playbook.
Unfortunately for the Giants, Nassib, 26 years old, is entering the final year of his rookie deal. While he has not said whether he would be content to continue as Manning's backup, it would be hard to imagine that being the case.
It's still too early to gauge the temperature of the quarterback scene next year, but Nassib will almost certainly want to explore the market and put himself with a team where he has a chance to win a starting job.
If he does depart, then what do the Giants do for a backup quarterback to Manning, who's not getting any younger?
Last year, the Dallas Cowboys experienced what life was like without a competent backup quarterback, with their entire season essentially going down the drain.
While the hope is that Manning will continue to remain durable until his current contract ends, there are no guarantees (even Manning's brother Peyton, who had been durable for the better part of his career, had the years of being hit catch up to him to, causing him to miss time with injuries later in his career).
Eventually the Giants are going to have to start thinking about a quarterback-succession plan. And they better hope Nassib somehow agrees to stick around on a second contract.
2016 New Faces
B.J. Daniels
Daniels attended the Giants' rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, impressing enough to convince the coaches to send Josh Woodrum, whom per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle had received $20,000 of his base salary guaranteed, packing. (Woodrum, by the way, was awarded off waivers to the Indianapolis Colts.)
As for Daniels, who has been with the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and Texas, he has appeared in just eight games with zero starts.
He has completed just one of two pass attempts for seven yards, but he has also attempted to contribute in other ways, such as a runner (six carries for six yards) and as a punt returner (five returns for 25 yards).
Whether Daniels factors into the succession plan remains to be seen. If that is indeed the plan, then don't expect him to be the jack-of-all-trades he was in the past.
Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced. Advanced stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.
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