New York Giants: It’s not time for Davis Webb, but it’s time for Josh Rosen
By Sean Dyer
There have been fans who want the New York Giants to bench Eli Manning for rookie Davis Webb. Although it is not time to bench Eli, it is time to draft his true successor.
As the New York Giants’ season gets mercifully closer to an end, fans want to see what they have in third-round pick, Davis Webb. Eli Manning’s career is certainly coming to a close but it is not time to bench him.
What many fans don’t understand is that tanking is not a mindset that exists in an NFL locker room. Ben McAdoo, Jerry Reese, and every player on the New York Giants roster are trying to earn their jobs for 2018. They’re not worried about how high of a draft pick they can get. If the Giants lose out and go 2-14, Reese and McAdoo likely won’t be around to make that top-three selection.
They’re trying to win games and at the very least, be competitive. Eli Manning gives them the best chance to compete.
Fans want to see what the Giants have in Davis Webb so they can decide if they need to draft Josh Rosen or Sam Darnold with their top-three pick in the 2018 Draft. Rosen and Darnold are believed to be future franchise quarterbacks. You don’t pass on these guys because of Davis Webb! You don’t need to see Webb in game action. Just draft one of those guys.
There’s a reason Webb was still on the board in the third round in 2017. He has potential (which is said about every player that’s drafted and even some that aren’t) but he wasn’t ready to step in and play right away.
The Giants see Webb in practice every week and obviously can tell he’s still not ready to play. If they thought there was even the possibility that he was ready, they’d at least have him dress for the games. As it stands right now, even if Manning were to get hurt in a game, Geno Smith is the only quarterback dressed and ready to jump in.
Eli Manning hasn’t been fantastic this season, but he also hasn’t been so bad that he should be benched for a rookie. But it is time to find the Giants next franchise quarterback.
Manning can’t play forever and there are aspects of his game that have already deteriorated. Lucky for New York, there are believed to be at least two potential franchise signal-callers available at the top of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Ahead of the Giants in the draft order right now are the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers traded a second-round pick to the New England Patriots for Jimmy Garoppolo and even though he has yet to play for San Fran, he’s their future at QB. If someone can convince the Browns to give DeShone Kizer more time to develop, the Giants could have their choice between Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold.
Between the two, Rosen appears to be the more NFL-ready quarterback prospect. Rosen has a strong arm, throws a great deep ball, and is a traditional pocket-passer. He’s worked under center which is rare for college quarterbacks and he’s also dealt with losing during his UCLA career.
More from New York Giants
- Caesars New York Promo Code: Win $250 Bonus GUARANTEED on ANY Bet!
- When will the New York Giants’ First Win Come?
- New York Giants Look Horrible in Loss to 49ers
- New York Giants to Play an Injured 49ers Team Sunday
- New York Giants: Breaking Down the Devonta Freeman Signing
Darnold absolutely shredded the Penn State defense in last year’s Rose Bowl but has struggled to follow up that performance this season. He’s shown questionable decision-making which has resulted in more interceptions.
Darnold still has the potential to be a very good NFL quarterback. His weaknesses are all coachable and he has intangibles that are rare but Josh Rosen is the preferred draft prospect in my eyes.
The New York Giants don’t plan on picking in the top-five or even top-ten too often in the near future so they have to take advantage of picking this high this year by drafting their next franchise quarterback. They can’t miss out on such a talented player. The last time they had a top-five pick they drafted Eli Manning and that worked out pretty well.
It is not time to turn to Davis Webb. Eli Manning should finish out the season as the starting quarterback. But when late April rolls around, it will be time to draft Josh Rosen.
Next: New York Giants: 2018 offensive line has potential
Rosen may not even start in 2018 for the New York Giants. Eli could play one last season with Big Blue before either retiring or going to play elsewhere. Then, Josh Rosen would be handed the keys to the kingdom in 2019 to start what would hopefully be a long, successful career.