How this Season can be a Saving Grace for Giants' and Chargers' Futures
The New York Giants are 0-5. The Los Angeles Chargers are 1-4. Two teams destined to make the playoffs this year yet are rudderless through the first 5 weeks of the season and it only seems to be continuing in that direction moving forward. Last year the Giants were one of the best teams in the league and entering this year were looking to make the same impact, if not more, after bring in WR Brandon Marshall and drafting TE Evan Engram but that is not the case. New York’s offense is lost right now and after the loss of WR Odell Beckham to injury along with injuries to Marshall and second year standout Sterling Shepard, QB Eli Manning may be looking down the barrel of a disastrous season that may result in a below .500 record or worse.
Over on the West Coast, the Chargers looked to be on the rise behind veteran QB Philip Rivers and star RB Melvin Gordon but since the start of the season, Rivers has looked off tis game and the offense does not seem to be running on all cylinders. Rather than fight for a division title in the AFC West, Los Angeles is on the outside looking in behind Oakland, Denver and Kansas City which is something not expected considering the Chargers great play in the preseason.
While both teams seem to be stuck in the bottom third of the NFL this season and fighting for draft spots rather than playoff spots, there is a silver lining to this situation and it comes by way of the NFL Draft. Back in 2004, New York and San Diego (now Los Angeles) were in need of their next franchise QBs, so what did they do? The Chargers drafted Manning #1 overall, who was eventually traded to New York which sent Rivers to the Chargers after being draft #4 overall. Both teams got their QBs in the same draft and since then, the Giants won two Superbowls and the Chargers got one of the most productive QBs over the last decade. Well, it’s 2017 and both teams may once again be drafting in the top 5 of the 2018 NFL Draft, and with Manning and Rivers reaching the end of their careers ( Manning, 36 & Rivers, 35), New York and Los Angeles may have no choice but to find their next franchise QB like back in 2004.
Now some may argue that Manning and Rivers are not the biggest concerns for their teams and it is true that both QBs may have one more year left in them, but this year may be a blessing for both franchises. Back in the 2011 season, Indianapolis lost Peyton Manning for the season and while he was still a great QB in the league, the Colts knew it was their best chance to get the next QB to takeover for Manning. So what did the Colts do? They ended the season with the worst record in the league, secured the #1 overall pick and draft Andrew Luck. Not only did the Colts get the best QB in the draft that year but they also did not have to forfeit any future draft picks and were able to make a smooth transition at QB from Manning to Luck.
The 2011 Indianapolis Colts are a prime example of how a team can turn bad luck into a saving grace and that is exactly what the Giants and Chargers need to consider for the remainder of the season. Now I’m not advocating for either team to “reach” for a QB in the draft if they don’t have any of the top available QB’s ranked high on their boards, but if both teams end up with top 5 picks and both teams can secure their next Eli Manning or Philip Rivers, I say go all in. Not only would it allow the rookies to sit and learn behind future Hall of Fame QBs but it would provide both New York and Los Angeles with something that can’t be measured on a score board or a stat sheet, and that’s hope.