It's safe to say that the best days of the Tom Coughlin/Eli Manning era are behind us. The team has failed to win double digit games every season since 2010. New York is a combined 19-24 since the winning the 2011 Super Bowl. Manning has thrown 54 interceptions in that 43-game span.
Manning garners an unfair amount of criticism originating from his questionable draft situation and the tough market he plays in. But he's also proven incapable of consistently elevating below average teams.
This begs the question: is it time to end the Manning era?
"Some might say that this is the time to trade Manning away because of all these factors, and I can understand that line of thinking, but it would rely on the team having the ability to draft a quarterback in the first round," Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap wrote. "Otherwise what benefit would they have? They just drafted a terrific wide receiver whose talents will be lost playing with a journeyman level quarterback. They will then be stuck with a bunch of failed free agents they signed this year and some additional draft picks while Ryan Nassib plays QB in what will be a lost 2015.
"When you charge the prices the Giants charge for tickets it is very hard to sell that to your fanbase, unless you get an absolute haul in a trade. If the Giants are willing to go this path it means Manning and Coughlin will both be gone, but GM Jerry Reese could remain long term if he was given the green light to do this."
A trade for a veteran starting quarterback with Super Bowl experience isn't unprecedented. The Washington Redskins jumped at the chance to take Donovan McNabb off of Philly's hands (that didn't end well). Carson Palmer has been traded twice. Even Brett Favre exchanged hands before calling it quits. Just because you've won with a certain guy doesn't mean a time will come when a mutual split isn't beneficial for everyone involved.
There are viable trade partners out there should the Giants decide to go this route. The Houston Texans appear to be a competent quarterback away from being solid. The St. Louis Rams have a shiny defensive line that has admittedly underachieved this season, but with a decent quarterback, maybe their defense won't put into so many challenging situations. The New York Jets are probably willing to hand over a bounty of draft picks and the rights to Joe Namath's Super Bowl ring for a steady hand under center.
None of this means the Giants are about to can Manning tomorrow, but it is an option that is becoming ever more likely with each passing pick.
