What if the Giants’ Next Quarterback Is Already in the NFL?

What if Dave Gettleman really isn’t interested in any of the QBs in the 2019 draft? A look at four veterans who could become options for Big Blue in 2020...

Giants general manager Dave Gettleman made the rounds on Monday, confronting the Odell Beckham Jr. trade and a few other controversial offseason moves.

By the time he was deep into conversation with local radio show host and melting bleu cheese statuette Mike Francesa, it was hard not to feel bad for the guy. Gettleman has a plan that most of us can’t see and he’s not going to reveal it (who would?). In the meantime, he’s got to defend a move that half the fan base was hoping he would do anyway.

The one interesting thread to come out of his mini-tour, though, was the fact that the Giants aren’t going to let themselves be handcuffed into taking a rookie quarterback. Gettleman is legitimately high on the way Eli Manning played at the end of last season and seems like he’s in no hurry to cut ties with the potential Hall of Famer. Reports also surfaced suggesting the Giants aren’t in love with the one rookie many assume they’ll pick at No. 6 anyway (our Kalyn Kahler tracks down that rumor here).

All of this got me thinking: What if the plan involves a non-traditional replacement at quarterback? What would that even look like?

Not to get too deep into the wormhole, but what if Gettleman is foreseeing an opportunity to nab someone still in their prime once he feels Manning is done? It would rationalize some of the win-now deals he’s made in addition to saving the prime years of Saquon Barkley. Much would be forgiven (and understood). Who might be available?

• Russell Wilson is going into the final year of his contract. Even the franchise tag number is relatively affordable in 2020, when a good deal of the Giants’ cap starts to open up. While it would be hard to imagine Seattle letting him walk (Wilson admitted as much during a recent Late Show appearance), the offer and subsequent extension could be too good to refuse. This is especially true if talks break down between Wilson and the Seahawks before the start of the 2019 season, since he is due a mammoth extension.

• Derek Carr’scontract is wildly enticing on the back end. Let’s say it doesn’t work out this year and Jon Gruden wants to pivot to a hand-picked quarterback while continuing to accumulate draft capital. Carr’s family has a history with the organization and some familiarity with the area. He’d be 29 with three amazingly affordable years remaining on his deal and could be looking for a little more stability amid a move to Las Vegas.

• Marcus Mariota is playing under his fifth-year option in Nashville and the Titans just signed former first-rounder Ryan Tannehill, reportedly to push him a bit. While Mariota has been dinged up, the prospect of playing with a workhorse back like Barkley could be enticing.

• Josh Rosen is still lingering over this entire draft. The Giants have an extra first-round pick and a boatload of middle-round picks they could package together. The Giants did their homework on the UCLA product coming out last year and may decide, closer to draft day, that they want to pull the trigger.

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