In my earlier submit, I regarded on the current (twenty first Century) historical past of groups buying and selling up into the highest three within the NFL Draft to accumulate what they hoped can be their franchise quarterback. For probably the most half, it wasn’t fairly for the trading-up workforce. There’s multiple approach to pores and skin a cat, although, should you’re not in place to draft one within the first spherical.

The New York Giants’ historical past of drafting quarterbacks is definitely fairly superb. I’ve been a Giants fan since 1960. Right here is the whole checklist of faculty quarterbacks drafted by the Giants in Spherical 1 or 2 from then till the current (knowledge from Professional Soccer Reference):

1979: Phil Simms
2004: Philip Rivers -> Eli Manning
2019: Daniel Jones

If we increase the checklist to incorporate Spherical 3, we will add Jeff Hostetler in 1984 and Davis Webb in 2017. That’s it. The Giants have hardly ever taken a severe crack at getting a beginning quarterback within the draft of their historical past. Partly that’s the product of a few profitable drafts that put long-term starters in place (Simms, Manning), however quite a lot of it has to do with the Giants’ historic tendency to make use of different avenues for locating beginning quarterbacks.

They’ve solely often signed veteran free agent quarterbacks to both begin long-term or function a bridge to a newly drafted quarterback. Essentially the most notable ones had been Kerry Collins in 1999 and Kurt Warner in 2004. Principally, although, the Giants have made trades to usher in established QBs to start out. That checklist is for much longer: Charlie Conerly in 1948, Y.A. Tittle in 1961, Earl Morrall in 1965, Fran Tarkenton in 1967, Norm Snead in 1972, and Craig Morton in 1974. Nonetheless, it’s been nearly 60 years for the reason that Giants took a giant swing at a premier veteran quarterback in a commerce (Tarkenton). Now, rumors are swirling that Matthew Stafford would possibly conform to a commerce if his contract will not be renegotiated to be consistent with these of different prime starters, and that the Giants is perhaps .

Ought to the Giants do it? What does historical past need to say about whether or not buying and selling for a franchise-caliber veteran QB is a good suggestion? Listed here are some notable examples in recent times, working backward in time:

Aaron Rodgers (Packers -> Jets)

Picture by Elsa/Getty Photos

Price: Two second-round picks, sixth-round choose, first-round choose swap (13 <-> 15)Age when traded: 39

When you lookup the phrase “unmitigated disaster,” this image ought to accompany it as an illustration. It wasn’t Rodgers’ fault that he tore his Achilles tendon in his very first sequence as a Jet. And to his credit score, he took a voluntary lower in pay to present the Jets room to signal different gamers. Statistically Rodgers had a fairly good 2024 season based on conventional metrics. In truth it was nearly equivalent to his final season in Inexperienced Bay:

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

Nonetheless, you possibly can see that in each seasons, he carried out at an above-average however not elite degree – decrease passing grade, fewer yards, fewer big-time throws, decrease ADOT. Mixed with all of the drama off the sphere, not getting it achieved on the scoreboard made this a nasty funding by the Jets, costing Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh their jobs.

Russell Wilson (Seahawks -> Broncos)

Picture by Steph Chambers/Getty Photos

Price: Two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round choose, plus Noah Fant, Shelby Harris, Drew Lock; Seattle additionally obtained a fourth-round pickAge when traded: 33

Talking of disasters, Russell Wilson had a falling out with the Seahawks over their offensive philosophy and his supporting solid. He was traded to Denver, however underneath two totally different head coaches he was by no means in a position to recapture his early profession magic. Wilson was launched after two seasons and signed on a budget by Pittsburgh, however he’s as soon as once more a free agent.

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

You’ll be able to see that Wilson continues to be an above-average quarterback, however like Rodgers in Inexperienced Bay, his final season in Seattle he confirmed indicators of decline, and that has carried over to his Denver and Pittsburgh tenures: fewer yards, TD passes, and big-time throws, and decrease ADOT.

Matt Ryan (Falcons -> Colts)

Jenna Watson-Imagn Photos

Price: Third-round pickAge when traded: 37

Indianapolis, perpetually in quest of a QB since Andrew Luck’s untimely retirement, took a low-risk gamble on getting old Matt Ryan, giving up solely a third-round choose to get him. Ryan was benched by mid-season, returned to beginning, after which retired on the finish of the yr.

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

Ryan was clearly washed by the point he obtained to Indianapolis, throwing nearly as many INTs as TDs, with nearly no big-time throws. You can see it coming, although, as two of his remaining three years as a Falcon had been a notch beneath the standard he had proven beforehand. Once more, fewer yards and a declining ADOT appear to be the smoking gun.

Deshaun Watson (Texans -> Browns)

Troy Taormina-Imagn Photos

Price: Three first-round picks, a third-round choose, and two fourth-round picks; Cleveland additionally obtained a sixth-round pickAge when traded: 26

Presumably the worst quarterback commerce of all time was Cleveland’s acquisition of Deshaun Watson from Houston. By no means thoughts the 11-game suspension for expenses that he was ultimately cleared of and the terrible fully assured contract. The Browns gave up a king’s ransom in draft picks, and Watson has simply been a nasty QB since becoming a member of them along with not taking part in a full season of video games in any of his three years there:

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

The INTs are actually as frequent because the TDs, the ADOT is down in two of his three years there, and solely this yr will the Browns lastly have a choose once more within the first spherical.

Matthew Stafford/Jared Goff (Lions <-> Rams)

Picture by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photos

Price: Jared Goff, two first-round picks and a third-round pickAge when traded: 33

That is totally different from the others because it was a swap of beginning quarterbacks. Arguably it helped each groups. You’ll be able to say that the Lions gained the commerce as a result of the draft picks they obtained helped them construct a powerhouse workforce, and since Goff resurrected his profession with Detroit. Nonetheless, the Rams obtained a hoop from Stafford, which Detroit has not but gotten from Goff, and so they gave the Eagles a harder struggle than every other workforce within the playoffs.

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

Excluding the 2022 season during which Stafford was injured, you would possibly say that he has declined barely in the newest yr from his greatest years simply earlier than and after the commerce. Particularly, his turnover-worthy performs had been up final yr in comparison with his higher seasons and his ADOT was barely down. Nonetheless, his yards and TDs weren’t far beneath a typical season for him.

Brett Favre (Packers -> Jets)

James Lang-Imagn Photos

Price: Conditional fourth-round pickAge when traded: 38

This was totally different from many of the different trades of elite QBs. Favre had simply had his Tremendous Bowl hopes crushed by Lawrence Tynes’ discipline objective within the NFC Championship Recreation the earlier season, and he had tentatively determined to retire. He then modified his thoughts, however with the Packers wanting to maneuver on to Aaron Rodgers, who had been cooling his heels on the bench for 3 seasons, they needed to commerce Favre, getting solely a conditional fourth-round choose from the Jets.

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

Favre was not the identical quarterback his final couple of years in Inexperienced Bay that he had been when he was youthful. He’d at all times been a gunslinger, however the TDs had been down whereas the INTs remained excessive. Favre performed to his more moderen type in his one season as a Jet, although in equity he tore a tendon in his throwing arm late within the season, adversely affecting his numbers in his previous few video games. He determined to retire once more, solely to as soon as once more unretire and signal with the Vikings for 2 seasons. As per the New York Lottery saying, “You never know,” he had an amazing 2009 season, tainted by his terrible interception within the NFC Championship Recreation in opposition to New Orleans. He performed yet one more yr after which retired for good.

Warren Moon (Oilers -> Vikings)

Picture by Give attention to Sport/Getty Photos

Price: Fourth and conditional third-round picksAge when traded: 38

Houston traded Moon to Minnesota as a result of they needed to save cash in 1994, the yr the NFL wage cap was instituted. Although 38 by then, Moon was nonetheless taking part in at a excessive degree:

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Reference

Moon had two glorious seasons with Minnesota however broke his collarbone midway via his third season. The Vikings had drafted Brad Johnson a number of years earlier and needed him to turn out to be the starter in 1997. Moon refused to take a wage lower, so Minnesota launched him. Moon signed with Seattle, had a Professional Bowl season in 1997 and performed yet one more as a Seahawk, after which signed as a backup with Kansas Metropolis earlier than retiring at age 44.

Joe Montana

Picture by JEFF HAYNES/AFP by way of Getty Photos

Price: First-round choose; KC additionally obtained Steve Whitmore and a third-round pickAge when traded: 37

After the Giants knocked Joe Montana out of a potential “threepeat” (figuratively and actually) within the 1990 playoffs, Montana had injury-plagued 1991 and 1992 seasons. Steve Younger, acquired in a commerce with Tampa Bay six years earlier, had been ready within the wings for a very long time. San Francisco thus traded Montana, security Dave Whitmore, and a third-round choose to Kansas Metropolis in return for the Chiefs’ 1st spherical choose.

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Reference

Montana could not have been fairly the participant with KC that he had been with the 49ers (he didn’t have Jerry Rice, in any case), however he was nonetheless an elite quarterback, taking the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Recreation in his first season there and getting them to the Wild Card the subsequent yr. He retired with a yr left on his contract due to the mounting accidents, together with a concussion he’d suffered in his remaining season.

What ought to the Giants do?

The Giants are in a tough state of affairs. Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll can’t afford one other season just like the earlier two. Schoen’s “we’re not far off” declare could also be ridiculous, or it could be legitimate as soon as Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas return to the lineup, *** IF *** they get hold of difference-makers at edge defender, defensive sort out, and cornerback within the draft or free company, and *** IF *** they resolve the quarterback drawback. That’s quite a lot of “if”s.

Relying on what number of “if”s you suppose they’re from contending, buying and selling for an elite veteran quarterback could or might not be a good suggestion. The examples mentioned above present that most of the time, an getting old QB acquired in a commerce doesn’t play as properly together with his new workforce, actually because his age-related decline has already begun. In the meanwhile, Matthew Stafford nonetheless seems to be like a QB that may take a workforce to a Tremendous Bowl. The query is what number of extra years he can maintain that degree of play, as a result of in actuality the Giants are most likely neither as unhealthy as many followers suppose nor pretty much as good as Schoen’s proclamation implies. Of all of the examples mentioned above, Stafford is the one one who introduced residence a title for the workforce he was traded to. That was 4 years in the past, although.

The opposite query is the associated fee. A number of of the quarterback trades mentioned above gutted the draft capital of the receiving workforce, most notably the Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson trades. Denver has recovered properly from their debacle two years later as a result of they lastly did it the old school approach by drafting a quarterback. Cleveland continues to be in quarterback hell, and solely this yr do they make a return look within the first spherical of the draft.

That, to me, is the important thing. If the Giants have to surrender a number of first-round picks for a quarterback like Stafford, I’m out. In the event that they don’t, and so they draft a QB at No. 3 or No. 34 who will get to work with Stafford for one or two years, that may very well be a superb state of affairs. The $50M+ common annual worth that Stafford desires? Not an issue, so long as Schoen embraces void yr philosophy and retains his cap house for signing free brokers to strengthen the remainder of the workforce. That’s the going price for elite veteran QBs nowadays.

If the Rams do resolve to commerce Stafford, ought to the Giants go for it?

Ballot
Would you just like the Giants to make a commerce for Matthew Stafford?

66%

Is determined by the associated fee in draft picks and/or gamers

(307 votes)

2%

Is determined by the dimensions and size of the contract

(13 votes)

464 votes whole

Vote Now

In my earlier submit, I regarded on the latest (twenty first Century) historical past of groups buying and selling up into the highest three within the NFL Draft to accumulate what they hoped can be their franchise quarterback. For essentially the most half, it wasn’t fairly for the trading-up staff. There’s a couple of technique to pores and skin a cat, although, when you’re not in place to draft one within the first spherical.

The New York Giants’ historical past of drafting quarterbacks is definitely fairly wonderful. I’ve been a Giants fan since 1960. Right here is your complete record of faculty quarterbacks drafted by the Giants in Spherical 1 or 2 from then till the current (knowledge from Professional Soccer Reference):

1979: Phil Simms
2004: Philip Rivers -> Eli Manning
2019: Daniel Jones

If we develop the record to incorporate Spherical 3, we will add Jeff Hostetler in 1984 and Davis Webb in 2017. That’s it. The Giants have hardly ever taken a critical crack at getting a beginning quarterback within the draft of their historical past. Partly that’s the product of a few profitable drafts that put long-term starters in place (Simms, Manning), however numerous it has to do with the Giants’ historic tendency to make use of different avenues for locating beginning quarterbacks.

They’ve solely often signed veteran free agent quarterbacks to both begin long-term or function a bridge to a newly drafted quarterback. Essentially the most notable ones had been Kerry Collins in 1999 and Kurt Warner in 2004. Largely, although, the Giants have made trades to herald established QBs to start out. That record is for much longer: Charlie Conerly in 1948, Y.A. Tittle in 1961, Earl Morrall in 1965, Fran Tarkenton in 1967, Norm Snead in 1972, and Craig Morton in 1974. Nonetheless, it’s been virtually 60 years because the Giants took a giant swing at a premier veteran quarterback in a commerce (Tarkenton). Now, rumors are swirling that Matthew Stafford may comply with a commerce if his contract will not be renegotiated to be in step with these of different high starters, and that the Giants could be .

Ought to the Giants do it? What does historical past should say about whether or not buying and selling for a franchise-caliber veteran QB is a good suggestion? Listed below are some notable examples in recent times, working backward in time:

Aaron Rodgers (Packers -> Jets)

Picture by Elsa/Getty Photographs

Value: Two second-round picks, sixth-round choose, first-round choose swap (13 <-> 15)Age when traded: 39

In case you lookup the phrase “unmitigated disaster,” this image ought to accompany it as an illustration. It wasn’t Rodgers’ fault that he tore his Achilles tendon in his very first collection as a Jet. And to his credit score, he took a voluntary lower in pay to present the Jets room to signal different gamers. Statistically Rodgers had a reasonably good 2024 season in response to conventional metrics. In actual fact it was virtually equivalent to his final season in Inexperienced Bay:

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

Nonetheless, you may see that in each seasons, he carried out at an above-average however not elite degree – decrease passing grade, fewer yards, fewer big-time throws, decrease ADOT. Mixed with all of the drama off the sphere, not getting it executed on the scoreboard made this a nasty funding by the Jets, costing Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh their jobs.

Russell Wilson (Seahawks -> Broncos)

Picture by Steph Chambers/Getty Photographs

Value: Two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round choose, plus Noah Fant, Shelby Harris, Drew Lock; Seattle additionally bought a fourth-round pickAge when traded: 33

Talking of disasters, Russell Wilson had a falling out with the Seahawks over their offensive philosophy and his supporting solid. He was traded to Denver, however beneath two completely different head coaches he was by no means in a position to recapture his early profession magic. Wilson was launched after two seasons and signed on a budget by Pittsburgh, however he’s as soon as once more a free agent.

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

You possibly can see that Wilson remains to be an above-average quarterback, however like Rodgers in Inexperienced Bay, his final season in Seattle he confirmed indicators of decline, and that has carried over to his Denver and Pittsburgh tenures: fewer yards, TD passes, and big-time throws, and decrease ADOT.

Matt Ryan (Falcons -> Colts)

Jenna Watson-Imagn Photographs

Value: Third-round pickAge when traded: 37

Indianapolis, ceaselessly looking for a QB since Andrew Luck’s untimely retirement, took a low-risk gamble on growing old Matt Ryan, giving up solely a third-round choose to get him. Ryan was benched by mid-season, returned to beginning, after which retired on the finish of the 12 months.

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

Ryan was clearly washed by the point he bought to Indianapolis, throwing virtually as many INTs as TDs, with virtually no big-time throws. You may see it coming, although, as two of his ultimate three years as a Falcon had been a notch beneath the standard he had proven beforehand. Once more, fewer yards and a declining ADOT appear to be the smoking gun.

Deshaun Watson (Texans -> Browns)

Troy Taormina-Imagn Photographs

Value: Three first-round picks, a third-round choose, and two fourth-round picks; Cleveland additionally bought a sixth-round pickAge when traded: 26

Presumably the worst quarterback commerce of all time was Cleveland’s acquisition of Deshaun Watson from Houston. By no means thoughts the 11-game suspension for prices that he was finally cleared of and the terrible utterly assured contract. The Browns gave up a king’s ransom in draft picks, and Watson has simply been a nasty QB since becoming a member of them along with not enjoying a full season of video games in any of his three years there:

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

The INTs are actually as frequent because the TDs, the ADOT is down in two of his three years there, and solely this 12 months will the Browns lastly have a choose once more within the first spherical.

Matthew Stafford/Jared Goff (Lions <-> Rams)

Picture by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photographs

Value: Jared Goff, two first-round picks and a third-round pickAge when traded: 33

That is completely different from the others because it was a swap of beginning quarterbacks. Arguably it helped each groups. You possibly can say that the Lions received the commerce as a result of the draft picks they bought helped them construct a powerhouse staff, and since Goff resurrected his profession with Detroit. Nonetheless, the Rams bought a hoop from Stafford, which Detroit has not but gotten from Goff, and so they gave the Eagles a harder battle than every other staff within the playoffs.

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

Excluding the 2022 season during which Stafford was injured, you may say that he has declined barely in the newest 12 months from his finest years simply earlier than and after the commerce. Specifically, his turnover-worthy performs had been up final 12 months in comparison with his higher seasons and his ADOT was barely down. Nonetheless, his yards and TDs weren’t far beneath a typical season for him.

Brett Favre (Packers -> Jets)

James Lang-Imagn Photographs

Value: Conditional fourth-round pickAge when traded: 38

This was completely different from many of the different trades of elite QBs. Favre had simply had his Tremendous Bowl hopes crushed by Lawrence Tynes’ discipline objective within the NFC Championship Recreation the earlier season, and he had tentatively determined to retire. He then modified his thoughts, however with the Packers wanting to maneuver on to Aaron Rodgers, who had been cooling his heels on the bench for 3 seasons, they needed to commerce Favre, getting solely a conditional fourth-round choose from the Jets.

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Focus

Favre was not the identical quarterback his final couple of years in Inexperienced Bay that he had been when he was youthful. He’d at all times been a gunslinger, however the TDs had been down whereas the INTs remained excessive. Favre performed to his more moderen type in his one season as a Jet, although in equity he tore a tendon in his throwing arm late within the season, adversely affecting his numbers in his previous couple of video games. He determined to retire once more, solely to as soon as once more unretire and signal with the Vikings for 2 seasons. As per the New York Lottery saying, “You never know,” he had an amazing 2009 season, tainted by his terrible interception within the NFC Championship Recreation towards New Orleans. He performed yet one more 12 months after which retired for good.

Warren Moon (Oilers -> Vikings)

Picture by Deal with Sport/Getty Photographs

Value: Fourth and conditional third-round picksAge when traded: 38

Houston traded Moon to Minnesota as a result of they needed to save cash in 1994, the 12 months the NFL wage cap was instituted. Although 38 by then, Moon was nonetheless enjoying at a excessive degree:

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Reference

Moon had two glorious seasons with Minnesota however broke his collarbone midway by way of his third season. The Vikings had drafted Brad Johnson a number of years earlier and needed him to change into the starter in 1997. Moon refused to take a wage lower, so Minnesota launched him. Moon signed with Seattle, had a Professional Bowl season in 1997 and performed yet one more as a Seahawk, after which signed as a backup with Kansas Metropolis earlier than retiring at age 44.

Joe Montana

Picture by JEFF HAYNES/AFP through Getty Photographs

Value: First-round choose; KC additionally bought Steve Whitmore and a third-round pickAge when traded: 37

After the Giants knocked Joe Montana out of a potential “threepeat” (figuratively and actually) within the 1990 playoffs, Montana had injury-plagued 1991 and 1992 seasons. Steve Younger, acquired in a commerce with Tampa Bay six years earlier, had been ready within the wings for a very long time. San Francisco thus traded Montana, security Dave Whitmore, and a third-round choose to Kansas Metropolis in return for the Chiefs’ 1st spherical choose.

Courtesy of Professional Soccer Reference

Montana could not have been fairly the participant with KC that he had been with the 49ers (he didn’t have Jerry Rice, in any case), however he was nonetheless an elite quarterback, taking the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Recreation in his first season there and getting them to the Wild Card the following 12 months. He retired with a 12 months left on his contract due to the mounting accidents, together with a concussion he’d suffered in his ultimate season.

What ought to the Giants do?

The Giants are in a troublesome state of affairs. Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll can not afford one other season just like the earlier two. Schoen’s “we’re not far off” declare could also be ridiculous, or it might be legitimate as soon as Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas return to the lineup, *** IF *** they get hold of difference-makers at edge defender, defensive deal with, and cornerback within the draft or free company, and *** IF *** they remedy the quarterback downside. That’s numerous “if”s.

Relying on what number of “if”s you suppose they’re from contending, buying and selling for an elite veteran quarterback could or will not be a good suggestion. The examples mentioned above present that most of the time, an growing old QB acquired in a commerce doesn’t play as effectively together with his new staff, actually because his age-related decline has already begun. In the mean time, Matthew Stafford nonetheless seems to be like a QB that may take a staff to a Tremendous Bowl. The query is what number of extra years he can maintain that degree of play, as a result of in actuality the Giants are in all probability neither as dangerous as many followers suppose nor pretty much as good as Schoen’s proclamation implies. Of all of the examples mentioned above, Stafford is the one one who introduced dwelling a title for the staff he was traded to. That was 4 years in the past, although.

The opposite query is the associated fee. A number of of the quarterback trades mentioned above gutted the draft capital of the receiving staff, most notably the Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson trades. Denver has recovered properly from their debacle two years later as a result of they lastly did it the old style approach by drafting a quarterback. Cleveland remains to be in quarterback hell, and solely this 12 months do they make a return look within the first spherical of the draft.

That, to me, is the important thing. If the Giants have to surrender a number of first-round picks for a quarterback like Stafford, I’m out. In the event that they don’t, and so they draft a QB at No. 3 or No. 34 who will get to work with Stafford for one or two years, that could possibly be state of affairs. The $50M+ common annual worth that Stafford needs? Not an issue, so long as Schoen embraces void 12 months philosophy and retains his cap area for signing free brokers to strengthen the remainder of the staff. That’s the going charge for elite veteran QBs as of late.

If the Rams do resolve to commerce Stafford, ought to the Giants go for it?

Ballot
Would you just like the Giants to make a commerce for Matthew Stafford?

66%

Is determined by the associated fee in draft picks and/or gamers

(307 votes)

2%

Is determined by the dimensions and size of the contract

(13 votes)

464 votes complete

Vote Now