The New York Giants are making drastic moves this offseason, but John Mara supports the current plan of the front office.
This offseason is crucial for the New York Giants. For an organization who’s missed the playoffs six of the last seven seasons, numerous pieces need to be put in place.
However, fans don’t seem to get what general manager Dave Gettleman is doing thus far.
Big Blue recently traded away their 26-year-old star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. They also paid 38-year-old quarterback Eli Manning his $5 million roster bonus for 2019. This confirms that Manning will most definitely be the starter for next season.
The Giants also let go of young All-Pro safety Landon Collins and signed numerous players on the wrong side of 30. This includes safety Antoine Bethea and wide receiver Golden Tate.
So are the Giants rebuilding for the future with their decisions, such as the one to keep Manning? Are they in win-now mode? Co-owner John Mara wants to clear confusion on the topic.
“It doesn’t matter if Eli is going to be around [after this season] or not,” Mara said via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post at the NFL Annual League Meeting. “Is the team going to be better in the long run with these players? You’re always trying to build your team and make it better, whether Eli is part of your team or not.
“I understand what you guys see as conflict,” Mara said. “Are they rebuilding or are they trying to win now? You’re trying to do both. You’re trying to build the team and still remain as competitive as possible. We obviously have a lot of holes to fill, we think we have the draft capital to at least start to address that.
“Whenever you’re building a team, you got to have the right combination of veterans and young players…For me, it’s not a conflict. I understand why you would ask the question and why some of you would perceive that it would be.”
Concerns have arisen over the Giants’ decision to keep Manning. However, there is still a chance that the Giants bring in his successor this year.
The Giants have the No. 6 and No. 17 overall picks in the upcoming draft. They might also have the opportunity to trade for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen if Arizona decides to draft Kyler Murray with the first overall pick. Whether it’s Rosen, Dwayne Haskins or another rookie quarterback, they all could learn a thing or two from Manning.
Mara seems to be behind everything that Gettleman is doing. The question is: Do they know what they’re doing? Giants fans surely hope they do.
