Why the NY Giants Should Explore Trading QB Ryan Nassib

There is an old saying that the most popular player on a football team is the backup quarterback.

For the New York Giants, that could very well be the case as the 2015 NFL draft draws closer and quarterback-needy teams continue to weigh their options.

Thanks to a quarterback draft class that many draft analysts view as slim pickings this year, players such as Ryan Nassib—the Giants’ fourth-round pick in 2013 and the fourth-highest-rated quarterback out of 107 prospects in that draft class, according to NFL Draft Scout—might be in demand.  

Quarterbacks: The Supply and the Demand

According to NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, who spoke to reporters on a conference call before the combine, this year’s quarterbacks class is thin.  

Here is a look at the top names in this year’s quarterback class and their NFL.com predraft grades:

Quarterback	School	Height/Weight	NFL.com Draft Grade
Jameis Winston	Florida State	6’4” / 231 lbs	6.5
Marcus Mariota	Oregon	6’4” / 222 lbs	6.3
Brett Hundley	UCLA	6’3” / 226 lbs	5.5
Garrett Grayson	Colorado State	6’2” / 213 lbs	5.3

Having touched upon the potential supply of quarterbacks in this year’s class, let’s now look at the projected demand.

Among the teams that NFL.com analyst Gil Brandt listed as needing a quarterback are Tampa Bay, Tennessee, the Jets, St. Louis, New Orleans, Buffalo and Houston.

In addition, the Cleveland Browns, who Nick Shook of NFL.com reported hosted veteran free-agent Josh McCown, have apparently not ruled out adding another quarterback to their roster.

That is a rather large number of teams that appear to have a need for a starting quarterback in a year that the position isn’t widely regarded as one of the deepest. 

Adding to the mix is that there could be some trades made involving veteran quarterbacks already on NFL rosters.

According to Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ Advance Media, there are teams that may have interest in acquiring Nick Foles if the Eagles are willing to part with him.  

Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports also reported that the Bills have been eyeing Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, though, NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling asserts a trade between the two clubs is unlikely to happen. 

What about the other teams who are looking for quarterbacks? Might one want to take a chance on Nassib?

The Case for a Trade

Given their activity in free agency last year, the Giants are unlikely to receive any compensatory draft picks this year, according to a projection by Over the Cap.

The only extra pick the Giants will have is Denver’s seventh-round pick, which they receive as compensation for the Brandon McManus trade last year.

If the Giants can get an extra pick this year on Day 2, that would give them nine picks in the draft. They obviously have the option of using all nine, or they could package an extra pick in a trade to move up if there is a player they really want.

Using Brandt’s list of quarterback-needy teams and factoring in the Browns, here is where each is currently projected to draft in each round (Buffalo does not have a first-round pick this year): 

Team	Pick No. in the Round
Tampa	1
Tennessee	2
NY Jets	6
St. Louis	10
Cleveland	11
New Orleans	13
Houston	16
Buffalo	18

Most of the teams in need of a quarterback are also probably missing several other pieces to the puzzle necessary to become a contender.

If those teams are looking to get back into the hunt, landing a promising prospect like Nassib, whose two years of experience in an NFL system would be an advantage over a rookie just out of college, would be a good way to expedite the process. 

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

What Would Nassib Be Worth in a Trade?

While it’s true that Nassib doesn’t have any regular-season production to show, he has one preseason under his belt played against a variety of first-, second- and third-string NFL players.

In that small body of work, Nassib finished 44-of-74 (59.5 percent) for 588 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions, good enough for a league-best 107.3 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus.

Despite his impressive showing in the preseason—he had the third-most passing yards and tied for the league lead in touchdown passes—Nassib’s opportunities to take regular-season snaps were limited. 

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Head coach Tom Coughlin was asked why that was the case during one of his daily press briefings with reporters in December.

"First of all, we are trying to win, and the players that we have [starting] are going to all have that opportunity," Coughlin said.

Does that mean Nassib can’t get the job done? 

“Ryan has gotten better,” Coughlin told reporters at the combine. 

“If you studied our preseason, there was no doubt that he improved. He is a guy that works very hard below the surface and behind the scenes. He is in the weight room right now, all the time, pretty much four or five days a week. He studies on his own. He is very, very serious about being an outstanding football player and he is willing to pay the price to do it.”

He was then asked if Nassib could be a starter at some point.

“I do,” Coughlin said.

If some team shares Coughlin’s opinion, a package could include a Day 2 pick (probably a third-round pick) and a conditional pick in the following year’s draft that is based on what percentage of snaps Nassib takes for his new team. 

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

The Bottom Line: Should the Giants Trade Nassib?

If the Giants are committed to Manning as their starting quarterback for the next three or four years, it certainly makes sense to consider trading Nassib before his rookie contract is over after the 2016 season. 

However, the problem is that while Manning hasn’t missed a starting assignment in his career, there is always a chance of something happening.

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Unless the Giants have a seasoned backup quarterback waiting in the wings, they could find their season derailed if they were to lose Manning for an extended period. 

The other thing to consider is Nassib’s playing style. Having played in a system in college similar to what the Giants currently run, Nassib’s skill set might offer more options than Manning’s classic pocket passer type. 

Assuming the Giants do not extend Manning’s contract this year, which enters its final season this year, might the Giants decide to move on from their two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback in favor of the younger Nassib?

That would appear unlikely on both accounts, as team co-owner John Mara publicly expressed a desire to see Manning retire as a Giant.

"Yeah, we would like him to retire as a Giant," he said. "We still think we can win a championship with him and he is still playing at a high level. Of course we would like to keep him."

That’s why if the Giants do commit to Manning, they need to explore the market to see what they might be able to get for Nassib while the general supply of quarterback talent isn’t as high as it’s been in recent years.

If they do move Nassib, the Giants can then add either another young prospect or a veteran.

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced. Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.