For the first time since 2004, the New York Giants will not have quarterback Eli Manning under center at training camp. It will be a strange and new dynamic, but it’s an adjustment the team will have to make as the Daniel Jones era is now full steam ahead.
Even with Jones cemented in as the franchise quarterback, the Giants still have a lot of questions at the position. And Jones has a few surrounding him as well.
Here’s a quick preview of what we can expect to see from Giants’ quarterbacks come training camp on July 28.
Daniel Jones
After taking over for veteran Eli Manning in Week 3 of last season, Jones went on to complete 61.9% of his passes for 3,027 yards and 24 touchdowns. However, he also tossed 12 interceptions and fumbled the ball 18 times, losing 11 of those.
Ball security will obviously be a point of emphasis in 2020, which Jones got a head-start on this offseason.
“One of the things I’ve tried to focus on this offseason is my ball security and [holding onto the ball] in the pocket,” Jones said in May. “Being more mindful of that and more intentional on how you hold the ball and how you secure the ball.”
Not only did Jones spend much of his offseason working with quarterback gurus on ball security, he added nine pounds in an effort to be stronger at the point of contact. He will also focus on avoiding unnecessary hits this season, which was a major reason for his fumbling issue as a rookie.
“Ball security is a focus for a lot of guys, but for him, that was the first thing he said,” QB Country trainer Anthony Boone told The Athletic. “Early on, I think I sneaked in and poked one or two out. But now everything he does, you can just tell when it’s in his hands, he’s like, ‘Listen, this thing is secure.’ You can see in his face and the way he’s gripping, you can see his forearms poking. He’s like, ‘This ball is mine. Nobody’s getting this thing out of my hands.’ He’s definitely gotten a lot better at it.”
Meanwhile, with Manning now retired, Jones will no longer be inhibited by that awkwardness. Still, it’s clear he’s taken a page from The Book of Eli and wasted absolutely no time preparing this offseason despite the many pitfalls brought about by COVID-19.
Colt McCoy
When Eli Manning hung them up earlier this year, it was obvious the Giants needed to fill out their quarterback room, and they did so by going out and signing Colt McCoy.
The addition of McCoy certainly wasn’t flashy, but the Giants weren’t looking for that. What they needed was a veteran with experience and someone who could step in and start if need be. McCoy fits that bill however ho-hum it may seem.
Although McCoy’s NFL career has been far from stellar, he was highly decorated at the college level and has a wealth of knowledge — especially when it comes to other NFC East teams.
“Playing in the NFC East, you get a pretty good feel for players and coaches,” McCoy said on Sirius XM Big 12 Radio. “I just looked at it as an opportunity to play for a Giants team that has a new coach and a new system and a lot of guys that I’ve played against, but I don’t really know personally.”
So long as he remain healthy, McCoy should be considered the front-runner to back-up Daniel Jones in 2020.
Alex Tanney
First-year head coach Joe Judge has made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t want “teachers” on his roster, but ultimately, that’s exactly what Alex Tanney is.
A long-time veteran, Tanney worked hand-in-hand with Jones a season ago and was widely credited with helping the rookie develop. The two had solid chemistry and if it’s not broken, why fix it?
That’s clearly what the Giants had in mind when they exercised Tanney’s option in early March, but will Judge accept that? Time will tell, but Tanney’s value to Jones can not be overstated.
“I was told, ‘If you end up there somehow, you have to keep Tanney around because of the job he does with Jones,’ ” an anonymous coach told the New York Post. “Tanney did prep work for Jones. He spent all day with Jones.”
Tanney may compete for the back-up role, but he really seems more destined for the QB3 job.
Cooper Rush
When the Giants claimed Cooper Rush off of waivers from the Dallas Cowboys in early May, it came as a surprise to most. However, the longer the move was sat on, the more clear it became that it was likely spearheaded by offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.
Rush, 26, played at Central Michigan and went undrafted following the 2017 NFL Draft. He spent three seasons with the Cowboys before being waived and hasn’t seen any NFL action outside of attempting three passes at one point during the 2017 season.
So what role could the Giants have in mind? Other than competing with McCoy, Tanney and others for a spot on the roster, it’s difficult to say.
Still, Joe Judge seems pleased with Rush’s addition.
“Like everyone else in the league, we are looking at the waiver wire every day. We are always trying to acquire good football players for our team,” Judge said after Rush was claimed. “The competition in training camp will sort a lot of things out. When we see a good player out there and we think he is someone that can be an asset to our team and come in here and compete, that’s all we’re considering. He was someone that came across the waiver wire that we had known about and some had experience with him. We thought it would be a positive move for our team.”
Case Cookus
The Giants signed Case Cookus as an undrafted free agent and although some will dismiss him as “camp fodder,” you may want to pump the brakes on that line of thinking.
Scott Gorman of the Pro Football Network once referred to Cookus as the “best FCS quarterback prospect since Jimmy Garoppolo,” which is saying something.
Obviously, that may be an extremely optimistic take on Cookus, but there’s clearly some talent there and perhaps the Giants view him as a bit of a project. After all, Joe Judge comes from the New England Patriots, where Bill Belichick & Co. routinely take fliers on project quarterbacks only to turn around and trade them.
Cookus clearly does not project as a long-term option for the Giants given the presence of Daniel Jones, but perhaps they’ll look to stash him on their practice squad for emergency purposes with the long-term goal being to trade him and acquire some additional picks or assets from a team in need.
We pretty much know what to expect from every other quarterback on the roster, but the same can not be said for Cookus. That makes him one of the more interesting players to watch entering training camp.
