Literally right on cue after we posted our thoughts on the ‘Reality’ of the Giants current QB situation two days ago, the Giants dropped the proverbial other shoo signing Jameis Winston to a 2Y, $8M contract with incentives. Clearly, Winston comes to the Giants as a bridge QB, but the question is a bridge to 2025 or 2026. Fact is that depending how things play out over the next 12-24 months it could be either. For starters, the path for the Giants to get a potential franchise passer in this year’s draft hasn’t changed a whole lot. The top QBs – Ward and Sanders – still both look like they are headed to Tennessee and Cleveland respectively, again because its what teams that need a QB do when they have a shot at one. The one caveat would we toss out in that regard is that the Browns are reportedly having Tyler Shough of Louisville in for one of their 30 allotted visits which could simply imply that they’re doing their due diligence. Or does it suggest that maybe Shough is in play for them, either at #2 or later which would almost by definition suggest that he could also very well be in play for the Giants. Certainly there is a palpable buzz around the league about Shough, who is a little older guy, but also has the size, arm talent and athleticism to be a viable top prospect for the Giants either at #3 or more likely #34.
However, our first reaction when we heard about the Winston signing was that ‘it’s all about Arch!” Or at least one of the QBs in 2026. The bottom line is that while Winston is a character who will be a team leader with the Giants and will throw the ball downfield, they just aren’t likely to win all that many games with him at the helm. Indeed, he’s barely an upgrade, if at all, over Daniel Jones and maybe even Tommy DeVito. Given the schedule next year, the Giants aren’t likely to win all that many games anyway. And if that is indeed the goal we have been wondering about the efficacy of taking a QB even the Giants second round pick given the rather low probability of a second rounder morphing into a franchise QB. While we would still expect them to take a QB at least somewhere in the mid rounds, we wonder if it would be better to concentrate on building up the rest of the team with those early picks. Of course, there is also no rule that would bar the Giants from taking a QB both at #34 this year and with their #1 pick next year to improve their chances of hitting on a t least one. Again just spitballing here. In the same vein, though, we would also wonder if 2026 is the real goal here that the Giants consider trading down literally whenever possible in an attempt to acquire more future draft capital.
