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Jordan Raanan
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants‘ search for a franchise quarterback takes them to Indianapolis this week for the NFL combine. It’s their latest opportunity to see and talk to the draft’s top quarterback prospects, beginning with Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
It’s much more than that though. At night, in back rooms and hotel lobbies throughout combine week, conversations will take place on the subject of impending NFL free agents.
When it comes to the Giants’ top priority this offseason, they could go the free agent route, look to the draft or both for the quarterback position. (Only Tommy DeVito is expected to return to the depth chart at the start of the new league year on March 12.)
Multiple league insiders are convinced the Giants have their sights on Sanders, but that would not necessarily keep the team from targeting a more experienced option at the position. The Giants had Super Bowl-winning quarterback Kurt Warner as their starter when they drafted Eli Manning with the No. 1 pick.
Veteran quarterback Jameis Winston has already thrown his hat into the ring for the current Giants gig. The former No. 1 pick made it clear during Super Bowl week he would be open to coming to New York. Hints (in the form of X posts that have since been deleted) were made by Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers while in New Orleans in favor of a different veteran, the Los Angeles Rams‘ Matthew Stafford.
Much would have to be done before any of the aforementioned options could come to fruition.
The Rams are trying to find a financial compromise with Stafford, who is scheduled to make $27 million this season, and retain his services. If that doesn’t happen, a trade to the Giants could become a possibility. The Giants at least inquired about Stafford’s availability last season around the trade deadline, a source told ESPN.
Nabers posted on X the numbers 9 and 10 with a Ram emoji during Super Bowl week. Stafford wears No. 9 for the Rams and likely soon-to-depart All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp is No. 10.
“It’s a pretty good riddle. I don’t know if everybody will solve this one,” Nabers said on the “Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry” podcast. “I’m not giving it away a lot, but I feel like people know what I’m aiming for.”
Nabers went on to fawn over Stafford.
“His arm talent is crazy. His sidearm is crazy,” Nabers said. “The way he throws the ball, his angles, it’s crazy. He knows the defense. He’s a veteran quarterback. He led that team to the playoffs without those receivers he was playing with at the beginning of the season when they were hurt. Then when he got them back, he was able to do a lot of great things. I like the way he throws the football.”
Stafford is one option, albeit not the quarterback of the future that owner John Mara said the team desperately needed after the season. Stafford just turned 37, but he would fulfill Mara’s desire to be more competitive immediately. The acquisition would also theoretically take some pressure off general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll, who need to produce results in the coming season.
Then there is perhaps the most realistic option. The Giants’ plan since the start of last season was to add a quarterback in this year’s draft if it all fell apart with Daniel Jones. Taking a quarterback at the top of the draft remains a strong possibility even if Schoen & Co. add a veteran quarterback in free agency.
This week in Indianapolis, the Giants will get a look at the draft’s top options (Sanders, Ward, Jaxson Dart of Ole Miss, Will Howard of Ohio State and Jalen Milroe of Alabama) both on the field and behind closed doors — though Sanders announced Sunday he would be in attendance but not work out.
New York is scheduled for formal interviews with all the draft’s top quarterbacks in Indianapolis. The Giants did the same last year when they had interest in Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye, who would become picks No. 2 and 3 in the draft, respectively. The Giants bypassed selecting a quarterback and took Nabers instead at No. 6 overall.
After the combine, they will bring the draft’s top quarterbacks for in-person visits in North Jersey. This is part of the Giants’ extensive quarterback evaluation process, which involves trying to maximize touchpoints and face-to-face meetings. Whether it’s during the season at college campuses, at a college all-star game, the combine, a pro day or a top-30 visit at the team facility, the Giants believe a lot can be gleaned from in-person interactions. They want to know everything about these quarterback prospects, including how they handle adversity, pressure and the possibility of dealing with the potential burden of playing in New York.
“When it comes to the quarterback, we treat it like no other position It’s negligent if we don’t,” assistant general manager Brandon Brown said last year.
“We’re going to go through the whole, call it ‘kitchen sink’ approach, whether it’s private workouts, whether it’s live games, whether it’s talking to coaches, whether it’s high school, college, positional, coordinators. … It’s really important you don’t leave any stone unturned because you never know how the draft takes you, and you never want to get caught flat-footed. We prepare for every scenario.”
The Giants spent a good chunk of the fall attending multiple games involving Ward, Sanders, Howard and Dart. It was further proof they are going to explore every avenue at the quarterback position this offseason.
The need for contingencies exists after the previous two seasons of poor quarterback play. It’s why New York is likely to dip into the free agency or trade market and the draft. The belief is that fixing the quarterback position will make the Giants a different team.
“Once you solve the quarterback issue, I think a lot of these other things will improve as well,” Mara said after the season.