New York Giants Free Agency: 3 Reasons Why Eli Manning May Be Dropping Ball

The New York Giants have a leader. His name is Eli Manning.

Whether he is shouting out signals behind center or yelling at players on the sideline, Manning is the heart of the Giants offense. That heart, however, has had an irregular beat lately.

While the NFL was frozen in a lockout this summer, Manning was organizing and running walk-through practices with a handful of teammates at a local school.

He has clearly been showing the highly-coveted characteristics of leadership that all sports teams require. He has had the chance to use his standing in the organization to lobby for many things in the past.

When Manning speaks, the organization takes notice, and they begin to pursue whatever option that he has suggested.

In the past week, though, he has not taken advantage of several opportunities to continue that leadership role. He has decided to become inactive in team transactions.

Usually, this is commonplace for your average NFL QB and leader of his team, but this is not the average situation. Manning has to take charge. He has three chances to speak up in the next few days.

Reason No. 1

The first opportunity is the most obvious one. His name is Plaxico Burress.

He is perhaps, the most talked about wide receiver in Giants history and certainly the most discussed player in NFL free agency today.

He had a "discussion" with coach Tom Coughlin last night. All reports state that the conversation was productive.

Burress, then, flew to Pittsburgh for a lunch date with the Steelers brass. The media is swirling the rumor mill whirlwind by adding that the St Louis Rams, New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles, among others, have a good amount of interest in talking to him too.

The most success he has ever had, and Eli has ever had for that matter, was in the 2007 season as part of a Super Bowl winner.

This begs the question: why wouldn't Manning lobby more adamantly about the team reacquiring his former favorite target? Burress has served his sentence for the gun charges from a few years ago, a sentence that was far too hefty if you were to ask many fans.

He has met with the staff of the team in an air-clearing conversation. He has shown the contrite nature that most fans and the organization seems to want from him. Why, then, would his former QB not speak up to advocate his return?

Perhaps it is that the Giants have many options at receiver. Whether it is Hixon, Nicks, Manningham, Smith (eventually) or even one of the several younger option they have like Jernigan, Barden or someone else. The Giants are stacked at wideout.

It may be that Manning feels the team doesn't need Burress. After all, Manning posted more than 4,000 yards passing without him last year. But the team did fail to win a playoff game the next season and failed to make the playoffs the following seasons since that shocking Super Bowl victory. Is there another reason/ Could it be that Manning does not want the media circus that surely will follow the resigning of Plaxico?

Maybe he thinks the locker room has suffered enough recently with the losses of such veterans like Shaun O'Hara and Rich Seubert. An addition like Burress would only add to the myriad of distractions the team already faces as they battle for supremacy in the NFC East. It may be all of the above.

Either way, Manning should be speaking up about the issue more than just giving those "whatever is good for the Giants" rah rah statements. He needs to make it known to the team, the fans and the media where he stands on this issue. It may help clarify the direction of the team.

Reason No. 2

The second opportunity Eli Manning has is to help the defense.

By helping the defense, he helps the team overall. Make no mistake about it, in football, offense and defense are reliant on each other on and off the field.

The Giants are currently in a contract dispute with Osi Umenyiora.

He says the Giants GM Jerry Reese had told him privately a few years ago that if he remained healthy and productive, the team would reward him with a top five type in the NFL contract for his position.

Reese then publicly reneged. This led to a one-day holdout that is reportedly ending this evening during the team's first practice. It may have been the $30, 000 a day fine that persuaded him to report, but he is reporting very disgruntled.

The team is claiming finances as a reason for the delay in his raise. After all, they are an estimated $8 million over the cap before the cuts began this past week. If this is truly the case, Manning should take note from his peers.

Earlier this week, Brandon Jacobs agreed to rework his contract in an attempt for the team to pursue re-signing fellow running back Ahmad Bradshaw, wideout Steve Smith and tight end Kevin Boss, among others. This was perceived as a classy move on the part of Jacobs.

If Manning truly cares about the health of the team, why would he not be considering this move as well? He is the highest paid player on the team, making a little over $15 million per season of a $97.5 million deal for six years, with $35 million of that guaranteed.

How much could the team do if he reworked that down to a $12 million a year deal? That would give the Giants an extra $3 million every year for the next six seasons.

With that, they could have re-signed any one of the several key players that they cut last week or enable them to make an offer to another player on that resigning list previously mentioned.

The classy thing for Manning to do is follow suit and be the ultimate team player by helping to re-sign those around him that made him so productive, and ergo, so wealthy.

Reason No. 3

Finally, Manning needs an experienced backup.

He is not getting younger. He is not going to be as healthy the rest of this season as he is right now. With all that said, the Giants must think about a backup for him. Someone that can handle the role of cleanup duties (at best case scenario) and emergency replacement in the middle of the game (at worst case scenario).

There are several options still available.

The picture shows Chris Simms (son of Giants legend Phil Simms), but he really is not a great option. Though he would be serviceable and it would be great to see the name "Simms" on the back of a blue Giants uniform again, it is probably best that the team go with a better option.

There are names such as Charlie Frye, J.P. Losman, Rex Grossman and (dare I even suggest it) Brett Favre still available after the team cut ties with Jim Sorgi this week. Manning needs to speak up about this and make it known that he needs help.

There is no chance that a healthy Eli Manning will ever have competition from any of those names (even Favre) for his starting spot, but it would be beneficial for him and the offense to have experience in the backup role.

In the past, they have signed players that have very little NFL experience. Names like David Carr and Jim Sorgi have become too synonymous with the philosophy of the team regarding this role.

Sage Rosenfels and Ryan Perrilloux do not exactly ensure confidence in the fans if the team were forced to turn to their backup. Another role of the backup QB on Sundays is to help call signals into the offense and to help dissect what apposing defenses are doing.

I am sure Sage and Ryan were great in college at these roles, but in the NFL, experience is a better option for that. It helps a player like Eli Manning to know that he has wisdom on the sideline during the game to help guide him to the proper adjustments.

It is an often ignored but very important role. A role that effects Eli Manning personally. How could a true leader not speak up about such a gaping hole in the roster as this? It benefits him to do so. He has to for the sake of the team, his job and the fans.

Conclusion

In closing, if the Giants hope to have any chance of being an elite contender and a Super Bowl caliber team this season and beyond, it has to start at the top.

It must start with their leader. If they hope to repeat the glory of the picture you see here, it has to come by hard work off the field as well as on it, honesty with the organization, compromise with ownership and dedication to your teammates.

I, personally, am a big supporter of Manning and feel that he has carried the load for too long without the amount of credit he deserves. However, in this case, he has not led by example, voice or by his wallet in the past week.

When the team has needed him the very most, he has stepped up as if stepping up in the pocket and riffling a laser to pick up a first down.

Now, when the players around him need him the most, will he fumble the snap or will he drive the team downfield to greatness?

He can continue to be the heartbeat this team so desperately needs. The next move is up to Eli Manning. 

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