Tuesday Giantisms: the Giants QB Position
Jun 18, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) answers questions from media during New York Giants mini camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Giants Quarterbacks
Over at the four letter today, analyst Dan Graziano took a GIANT look at the teams QB situation going into training camp in a post titled, Giants roster preview: Quarterbacks:
"Starter: Eli ManningBackups: Ryan Nassib, Curtis PainterGiants likely to keep: 2The contest here is for the backup spot. Nassib, the 2013 fourth-round pick, worked as the No. 2 in minicamp, likely because they already know what Painter is and Nassib needs to get reps in order for them to figure out whether he’s ready to ascend to the backup role. The Giants would like Nassib to win the job, because if he doesn’t, they’ll end up either having to cut bait with one of last year’s draft picks or have to carry three quarterbacks again as they did last year. There is a school of thought that Nassib is better suited to the West Coast-style of offense the Giants will play this year than the offense in which they operated last year and for the nine years before that. But Nassib hasn’t even suited up for an NFL game. So before making him the Week 1 backup, the Giants are going to have to either see something impressive from him in preseason games or be prepared to take a major leap of faith."
Dan Graziano went on to talk about how Eli Manning needs to succeed this season for the Giants to win football games — not a very profound take. For the back-up quarterback spot, the idea that Ryan Nassib would be the Giants “faithful” leap of a future pro pigskin passer if he dogg’d the preseason is kind of silly. Obviously Nassib needs to show the team something in preseason, and knowing who Curtis Painter is insinuates the Giants are aware he’s always going to be the guy that won Indianapolis Andrew Luck by being unfit for the NFL. Ouch. Insinuating is rough sometimes.
Curtis Painter (Click his name for Pro Football Reference Stats)
What’s not insinuated much about Painter is that he’s only has eight NFL starts. His stats are terrible in the NFL, but his opportunities have not been richly afforded. His collegiate experience was different. For the Boilermakers, Painter played in 46 games, he threw 11,163 yards, 67 TDS to 46 INT’s with a 124.6 QB Rating.
It’s true… Curtis Painter didn’t jump in for Peyton Manning and save the season. But he did learn behind Peyton Manning for a year, then he had a chance to see NFL defenses for eight games and had a brutal learning curve. He’s already been sacked 20 times in the NFL, including once with the New York Football Giants:
Credit: NFL Game Rewind (Week 15 vs. Seattle)
Yet, the experience is fascinating. How many QB’s get that kind of production in college and then get tutored by the best brother QB duo in the history of the NFL? The answer to that is not many.
So while Curtis Painter is familiar to the Giants and Ryan Nassib is getting a lot of work in camp, just keep in mind all the things Curtis Painter has already been through in the league. Now, the odds aren’t in Painter’s favor. Logic and football analytics point to Painter joining the ever growing pile of college QB’s to never make it in the pro’s. That said, if anyone has the college career, NFL tutelage and paper perfect scenario for a case study on how to groom an NFL quarterback, Mr. Painter does. First you give him a legendary QB to back up. Then you throw him to the wolves before he’s ready. The you give him to the legendary QB’s legendary brother QB and let him learn until he’s ready.
Will it work?
Well, he’s 29 years old. It’s the longest of the long shots that he’ll find a comfortable place in the league, but looking at in that context sure makes it interesting indeed.