The Giants will invite chaos if they use a high pick on the QB

Paul Schwartz

NFL

by Paul Schwartz

He knew what would happen. He didn't want any part of it so he walked out.

It was April 28, 2004 when it became official. The Giants released Kerry Collins, their No. 1 quarterback — during one stretch he started 67 straight games — when he refused to accept a pay cut to remain with the team. Four days ago, then-general manager Ernie Accorsi made a bold and bold day trade, acquiring Eli Manning from the Chargers. The plan the Giants wanted to enact was to keep the proven veteran Collins as the starter until the rookie Manning was ready to take over.

Collins was 31 years old and not interested in the role of interim quarterback.

“Unless the guy is just a total loser, your days are numbered,” Collins told the newspaper from his home in Tennessee. “When you recruit a guy at that level, everyone is clamoring to see him on the field and see what he can do. They're counting down the days until you're not there anymore and the other guy comes along. That's just the way it is.”

That's not exactly how Daniel Jones would go if the Giants on Thursday night took the quarterback high in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Jones is owed $36 million for the 2024 season and is therefore not cut.

General manager Joe Schoen has repeatedly said that if Jones is healthy — he is coming off knee surgery — he is expected to be the Opening Day starter. But if there's a very popular rookie quarterback on the scene, the starting counter on Jones starts ticking, tick, tick, tick, and sooner rather than later, he's going to expire.

If the Giants go in this direction, they better be prepared for the storm that follows.

There is nothing more distracting for a team than having two quarterbacks on one assignment. Wait for Jones to look rusty in a training camp practice or miss an open receiver in the season opener, or — heaven forbid — throw the ball for an interception. From the moment the Giants hung up after taking a quarterback at No. 6, Jones' ownership of the starting job was on the clock. It's almost always an irrevocable decree: your time is coming to an end.

Not that this would be new or particularly unfair. A case can certainly be made that Jones had five years to prove himself, and for a number of reasons not all of his own making, he failed to do so.

Jones, the No. 6 overall pick in 2019, once took advantage of that dynamic, as the move was made after just two games that season in which Jones was in and Manning was out. Since then, it's been a DJ production, with Jones accompanied by obvious backups in the quarterback room. Colt McCoy. Mike Glennon. Jake Fromm. Tyrod Taylor. Tommy DeVito. Everyone is at the scene to break the glass in case of emergency.

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This dynamic falters if a first-round pick is added to the mix, never mind that the rookie is, initially, third on the depth chart behind Jones and backup du jour Drew Lock. All goes well if the Giants actually trade to get their guy, as giving up draft assets always increases the pressure to get a kid on the field. If that swap turns out to produce Drake May, Jones may also begin exploring whether he can get out of his apartment lease. JJ McCarthy could buy Jones more time.

There will be a lot of quarterback questions asked of Brian Daboll and he won't enjoy the daily bombardment. Jones knows it will start but it won't finish, and it will be difficult for him to be optimistic. The newbie, even if he tries to downplay his presence, will be hounded because everyone realizes he is next in line. Teammates will get tired of having to choose sides or provide analysis for the Miss Newcomer contest.

Collins took the Giants to the Super Bowl, but had no chance of stopping Eli Express. Kurt Warner, with a Super Bowl victory on his resume, was signed to do what Collins hadn't and lasted nine games before the plug was pulled.

After the Giants sent him packing, Collins played eight more seasons in the NFL. Manning was the MVP of two Super Bowl victories, and his 16-year stay put him on the brink of the Hall of Fame.

“Hearing what Ernie said, he felt like Eli was the guy who could do what he did and he was right,” Collins said. “Credit to him for making this decision and credit to Eli for his career.”

However, it stung.

“It's basically saying, 'We don't believe in you anymore, and we're going to bring someone else in,'” Collins said. “I'm sure if it happened that way, Daniel would be a professional and do what he has to do, but he knows he's going to get out of There is at some point. Some point soon.

Warnings of upcoming upsets don't mean the Giants should shy away from riding their quarterback. But they better be prepared to fasten their seat belts.