John Mara Reportedly Told Scouts To Start Closely Looking At The Top College Quarterbacks In Next Year's Draft

Shit this is what every Giants fan looks like when he/she talks about the last two Super Bowls, huh? I apologize.

ESPN- As their season has spiraled out of control, the New York Giants have begun to prepare for their future by focusing on potential franchise quarterbacks who could be available in this year’s NFL draft. There was a directive given several weeks back by co-owner John Mara to start looking closely at the top college quarterbacks, multiple sources told ESPN. This occurred around the time it became apparent that the Giants’ season was headed nowhere, in part, because wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. would be out with a broken ankle.

My initial reaction to this story:

My reaction to this story after it sunk in:

This is definitely bittersweet news to process. Myself, just like any Giants fan with a brain, loves Eli Manning and will do whatever I can to get to Canton for his Hall of Fame induction. But the fact of the matter is that it is a positive sign that the franchise is ready to move forward instead of treading water. There was lots of talk about how the Giants were hoping to land DeShaun Watson or Pat Mahomes Part Deux on draft day last year but all that obviously didn’t work out. Yeah they used a pick on Davis Webb, but I was fine with it simply because I think you need to keep trying to find that quarterback of the future until you think you got it. But using a pick that will likely be a Top 5 selection on a quarterback at least accelerates the clock for the end of the Eli Manning Era and at most ends it very soon.

And it sucks. It sucks that this team couldn’t find an offensive line combo that works. It sucks that the defense regressed a bit. It sucks that every receiver broke his ankle during the Chargers game. It sucks that we couldn’t ride last season’s wave into this season and compete again. I don’t think Eli has been the problem at all. When he has time to throw and talent to throw it to, he’s played alright. But if you end up with the Top 3 or dare I say Top 1 pick, you have have HAAAAAVE to go with a franchise quarterback if you think there is one out there. That’s just as much a reason the Giants won those last two Super Bowls as anything else. Yeah the defense was great and General Coughlin led the GMen to football’s greatest victory twice. But we have seen countless QB’s have their testicles end up in their throat when facing Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the Super Bowl. Our guy came through twice, whether it was a WILD throw at ended up on David Tyree’s helmet or an incredible throw (that some people think was luck for some reason) that ended up right in Mario Manningham’s bread basket.

I mean there is still a chance the Giants don’t go quarterback. Maybe they don’t like any of the guys at the top of the draft and decide to draft a stud left tackle while running it back after rebuilding their O-Line following the likely departures of Reese and McAdoo. As if McAdoo’s exit wasn’t obvious to anyone with eyes and a brain, this tweet hammers it home.

Always follow the money and the money says Benny is GONZO. Oh yeah and quotes like this are pretty much a death sentence for a coach.

Reese has to be as good as gone unless J Reesey has a J Hammy type hold over John Mara. Luckily if there is upheaval in the front office, the Giants are one of the more stabler franchises around and should feel confident wherever their pick is since I imagine a good chunk of the staff would stick around. I subscribe to every year trying to get a QB. Whether it’s in the first 4 rounds or off the free agent scrap heap. That’s what the Seahawks did. Kept signing or drafting guys until they hit gold with Russell Wilson. I don’t know if Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, or anyone else is that guy. But if this season continues the way it has (and everything we saw on Sunday tells us it’s going to), then we may find one of those guys I just mentioned wearing blue next season. Nonetheless, I’m happy to hear Giants ownership is ready to move on, even if they haven’t yet decided who will be picking the next QB or coaching him.

P.S. This picture isn’t relative to the story at all, but I stumbled upon it while looking for a picture of John Mara and it may be my favorite picture ever.