The Giants’ persistent curiosity in Aaron Rodgers after signing Jameis Winston signifies there’s a probability they received’t get a quarterback in any respect with the No. 3 general choose.
It means GM Joe Schoen considers it potential, if not probably probably, that the Titans and Browns may choose Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders on the prime of April’s NFL Draft.
And that might imply the Giants taking Colorado nook Travis Hunter or Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter at No. 3, though Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart could be an possibility, too.
In different phrases, if the Giants are persevering with to pursue veteran beginning QBs after signing Winston, it means they’ve saved that draft state of affairs – all draft situations – on the desk.
And it may imply that in an offseason during which the Giants are determined for a quarterback of the long run, they might find yourself solely with skills of the previous on the helm – and maybe a extra developmental rookie down the road in rounds two or three.
Positive, there’s a chance that Schoen and the Giants nonetheless may choose Sanders or Dart No. 3 general even after signing each Rodgers and Winston.
However that asset allocation wouldn’t add up, contemplating the presumed value of Rodgers and the expectation that he would solely signal someplace if he was assured to begin and play in 2025.
It additionally stays unlikely they’ll land Rodgers, who seems to be prioritizing each the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers over them – though it could not be a shock if he visited the Giants’ East Rutherford, N.J., facility earlier than making a choice.
The Giants’ continued curiosity in a dearer, higher-level veteran quarterback, although, is an efficient reminder of how they started the offseason:
They made an aggressive play to commerce main belongings and pay huge cash for the Rams’ Matthew Stafford till Stafford determined he wished to remain in Los Angeles as an alternative.
Going full tilt after Stafford appeared to point that the Giants both didn’t imagine a franchise quarterback existed on this class or that they weren’t absolutely assured their most popular QB could be obtainable to them on the No. 3 choose.
Pursuing Stafford pointed extra in the direction of drafting a non-QB like Hunter or Carter at No. 3 and, frankly, appeared like probably the most environment friendly method to construct a greater workforce in 2025, a 12 months during which each Schoen and coach Brian Daboll are on the recent seat.
So that might nonetheless be an angle the Giants are retaining in play right here: taking a place participant at No. 3 as an alternative. Is it their most popular plan of action? It’s laborious to imagine that.
They spent an inordinate period of time scouting Sanders at Colorado video games and practices final fall. Schoen and Sanders have appeared like a match for months, particularly with Ward being the clear favourite to be the Titans’ No. 1 general choice.
Tennessee as soon as postured as in the event that they supposed to commerce out of the choose. However their free agent exercise appeared to level towards a workforce intent on selecting Ward at one.
The Giants’ downside if they’re eyeing Sanders is that they don’t have a prime two choose. Why not?
As a result of they received a meaningless Week 17 sport towards the Indianapolis Colts to snap a 10-game shedding streak.
Give it some thought: Daboll most likely saved his job by successful a sport to complete the season with 11 losses in 12 video games as an alternative of shedding 12 straight. And within the course of, the victory value the Giants the No. 1 choose.
There have been then some non-public, metaphorical fist-pumps that the Giants strategically discovered a method to lose in Week 18 whereas wanting considerably aggressive towards the Philadelphia Eagles’ backups.
As a result of a minimum of the win over Indy wouldn’t hold them from selecting within the prime three.
That’s the flawed operation that introduced the Giants to this embarrassing and scatter-brained offseason the place they’re throwing free agent visits and public relations messages on the dart board to see what sticks.
They’re not a sexy place to play, they usually don’t have management of their draft future. In order that they’re retaining every part on the desk as an possibility.
As a result of they haven’t any different alternative.
