Eli Manning deal was a franchise maker

[JMFP]

Good article.....Dan Graziano pretty much nails it.

 

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-giants/post/_/id/35850/eli-manning-deal-was-a-franchise-maker

 

 

 

 

[JMFP]

Thanks Ernie.

[JMFP]

Text of link below

 

 

 

The quarterback-needy teams at the top of this year's NFL draft are miserable, and justifiably so. No one's sold on this year's top quarterbacks, so taking one with a top-five or a top-10 pick is a frightening proposition. If you spend a resource that valuable on a quarterback and you get it wrong, you've made a franchise-crippling mistake.

Oh, but if you get it right ... well, then, you've made a franchise.

The New York Giants were one of those teams 10 years ago. They held the No. 4 pick in the 2004 draft and needed a quarterback, and the guy they wanted was going to go No. 1. In order to get Eli Manning from San Diego (and he'd made it clear he didn't want to play there), they had to pick Philip Rivers at No. 4 and trade him and a third-round pick to the Chargers. The Giants also would have to send their 2005 first- and fifth-round picks. 'Twas a heavy price, and a difficult one to pay. But pay it the Giants did, because they decided they were sure that Manning was their guy. They were certain they were getting the right quarterback, and that the price to do so was worth it.

Ten years later, in advance of a draft that has no Eli Manning (and no Philip Rivers, for that matter), the Giants' move to get Manning stands as a prime example of getting the quarterback right. Manning hasn't always been perfect, and he's not and never will be his brother. But as No. 1-pick quarterbacks go, he's one who has lived up to the promise and the price.

Could the Giants have won Super Bowls XLII and XLVI with Rivers as their quarterback instead of Manning? Sure, it's possible. Rivers is a fine player who at times during the past decade has been better than Manning. And those Giants Super Bowl teams did have other high-quality aspects to them. It's entirely possible that had the Giants emerged from that draft with Rivers and their 2005 first-round pick, they'd still have won those titles.

But it's not certain, and what is certain is that Manning did deliver those two Super Bowl titles. While Rivers and others who haven't been there continue to carry uncertainty about whether they can be championship-caliber quarterbacks, Manning has been a championship-caliber quarterback. Twice. He was absolutely instrumental in those playoff runs and Super Bowl wins, and to say that Rivers or anyone else would have won those titles with those teams is to presume they'd have played at least as well in those games as Manning did.

The result has been franchise-altering in the best possible way. Think about the difference in the way you perceive the Giants now and the way you'd perceive them if they still hadn't won a Super Bowl since 1991. Think of what having Manning at quarterback has done for the reputations of Tom Coughlin, Jerry Reese ... John Mara, for goodness' sake. These are regarded around the league as men at the absolute top of their profession, the Giants as one of the league's exemplary franchises. Would that still be the case if they were working on a 23-year Super Bowl drought? If they'd only ever won two titles instead of four?

Just as Manning wasn't the only reason for the Giants' past two Super Bowl titles, he's not the only reason the reputations of the men in the previous paragraph stand out. But had they not made the move to get him in 2004 -- or had he not turned out to be the player they believed he would be -- they'd have spent all, or at least a good chunk, of the past decade trying to figure out the quarterback spot. And when you look around the league at teams that wander in that desert, you don't exactly see a lot of stability in the general manager's and coaches' offices. A franchise quarterback is an anchor. Having one makes everything else about your team and your football business seem brighter, all of your problems feel easier to solve. That's what Eli Manning has brought to the Giants since then-GM Ernie Accorsi made the move to get him in the 2004 draft. Because of what Manning has delivered on the high end, not even the low moments or the down years have ever given the Giants any reason to doubt whether they did the right thing.

 

[Mr. P]

Ernie bet his legacy on it, and was right.

[GA4M]

With all the bad rep on Eli, I will never gripe about him......he's getting older, but got it done when it counted.

[Mr. P]

With all the bad rep on Eli, I will never gripe about him......he's getting older, but got it done when it counted.

 

When he was drafted, I said if he wins us one super bowl I'm ecstatically happy. He's won 2. Hes doubled my wildest dreams from drafting him.

[Pizan]

That was one of the worst articles I have ever read. First, he acts as if we were a team that constitently had a top 10 pick. Matter of fact, we were just at a SB 4 years prior to Eli's arrival. It's not like we didn't have Warner, who later took the cards to the SB and Rivers turned out to be an excellent Qb. And I have full confidence we would've drafted players with those lost picks who could have also helped contribute to a SB. And as much as he contradicts himself and tries to cover all his basis in that article he still discredits our defense for what they did against Brady, especially the first time around, and our Coaches.. Especially Coughlin.

 

We just have a well built classy organization that's always been competitive and well respected. It was that way before Eli, with Eli, and it will be that way without Eli.

[fishgutmartyr]

I always had my doubts about Rivers.

 

The fact that he had a team with Tomlinson at his peak along with Gates, a strong line and a weak division and still couldn't get it done is telling.

 

Those San Diego teams last decade should have gotten much further than they actually did.

[Zelmo]

I think this old gem from EA is in order here:

 

Wears left knee brace… During pregame warmup, didn’t look like he had a rocket arm… As game progressed, I saw excellent arm strength under pressure and the ability to get velocity on the ball on most throws. Good deep ball range. Good touch. Good vision and poise.

Sees the field… In shotgun on most plays and his only running option is a draw… his offensive line is poor. Red-shirt freshman left tackle. Eli doesn’t trust his protection. Can’t. No way he can take any form of a deep drop and look downfield. With no running game (10 yards rushing the first half) and no real top receivers, he’s stuck with the three-step drops and waiting til the last second to see if a receiver can get free. No tight end either. No flaring back. So he’s taking some big hits. Taking them well. Carried an overmatched team entirely on his shoulders. I imagine, except for Vanderbilt, his team is overmatched in every SEC game… He’s big, never gets rattled. Rallied his team from a 14-3 halftime deficit basically all by himself. Led them on two successive third quarter drives to go ahead, 17-16. The first touchdown, a 40-yard streak down the left sideline, he dropped the ball over the receiver’s right shoulder. Called the next touchdown pass himself, checking off to a 12-yard slant… Makes a lot of decisions on play calls at the line of scrimmage, but they ask too much of him. They don’t just let him play. This is a guy you should just let play… When he’s inaccurate, he’s usually high, but rarely off target to either side… Plays smart and with complete confidence. Doesn’t scold his teammates, but lets them know when they line up wrong or run the wrong pattern… Threw three interceptions. Two were his fault. Trying to force something both times. He could have run on one of them, a fourth down play. He has a lot to learn.

Summary: I think he’s the complete package. He’s not going to be a fast runner, but a little like Joe Montana, he has enough athletic ability to get out of trouble. Remember how Archie ran? In that department, Eli doesn’t have the best genes, although I never timed mom Olivia in the 40. But he has a feel for the pocket. Feels the rush.

Throws the ball, takes the hit, gets right back up… Has courage and poise. In my opinion, most of all, he has that quality you can’t define. Call it magic. As [former Baltimore Colts defensive back] Bobby Boyd told me once about Unitas, “Two things set him apart: his left testicle and his right testicle.”… Peyton had much better talent around him at Tennessee. But I honestly give this guy a chance to be better than his brother. Eli doesn’t get much help from the coaching staff. If he comes out early, we should move up to take him. These guys are rare, you know.

Ernie Accorsi

-Z

[Nas]

I think this old gem from EA is in order here:

Wears left knee brace During pregame warmup, didnt look like he had a rocket arm As game progressed, I saw excellent arm strength under pressure and the ability to get velocity on the ball on most throws. Good deep ball range. Good touch. Good vision and poise.

Sees the field In shotgun on most plays and his only running option is a draw his offensive line is poor. Red-shirt freshman left tackle. Eli doesnt trust his protection. Cant. No way he can take any form of a deep drop and look downfield. With no running game (10 yards rushing the first half) and no real top receivers, hes stuck with the three-step drops and waiting til the last second to see if a receiver can get free. No tight end either. No flaring back. So hes taking some big hits. Taking them well. Carried an overmatched team entirely on his shoulders. I imagine, except for Vanderbilt, his team is overmatched in every SEC game Hes big, never gets rattled. Rallied his team from a 14-3 halftime deficit basically all by himself. Led them on two successive third quarter drives to go ahead, 17-16. The first touchdown, a 40-yard streak down the left sideline, he dropped the ball over the receivers right shoulder. Called the next touchdown pass himself, checking off to a 12-yard slant Makes a lot of decisions on play calls at the line of scrimmage, but they ask too much of him. They dont just let him play. This is a guy you should just let play When hes inaccurate, hes usually high, but rarely off target to either side Plays smart and with complete confidence. Doesnt scold his teammates, but lets them know when they line up wrong or run the wrong pattern Threw three interceptions. Two were his fault. Trying to force something both times. He could have run on one of them, a fourth down play. He has a lot to learn.

Summary: I think hes the complete package. Hes not going to be a fast runner, but a little like Joe Montana, he has enough athletic ability to get out of trouble. Remember how Archie ran? In that department, Eli doesnt have the best genes, although I never timed mom Olivia in the 40. But he has a feel for the pocket. Feels the rush.

Throws the ball, takes the hit, gets right back up Has courage and poise. In my opinion, most of all, he has that quality you cant define. Call it magic. As [former Baltimore Colts defensive back] Bobby Boyd told me once about Unitas, Two things set him apart: his left testicle and his right testicle. Peyton had much better talent around him at Tennessee. But I honestly give this guy a chance to be better than his brother. Eli doesnt get much help from the coaching staff. If he comes out early, we should move up to take him. These guys are rare, you know.

Ernie Accorsi

-Z

Thanks for posting this.... Ernie is truly under appreciated.

[Tempest]

Now if only Ernie had a feel for other positions in football...

[Nas]

Now if only Ernie had a feel for other positions in football...

That write of manning was spot on.

[Zelmo]

That write of manning was spot on.

 

 

He means to say that Ernie drafted Elway and Eli, and clearly had a great sense for QB's, but he didn't necessarily possess the same sense for evaluating talent at other positions.

 

 

 

-Z

[Nas]

 

 

He means to say that Ernie drafted Elway and Eli, and clearly had a great sense for QB's, but he didn't necessarily possess the same sense for evaluating talent at other positions.

 

 

 

-Z

I know.