The New York Giants have found a backup quarterback in free agency. According to a recent report, New York has signed Geno Smith.
At some point in the relatively near future, the New York Giants will be tasked with replacing Eli Manning. Now 36 years of age, Manning is fighting an uphill battle against an undefeated foe: father time.
Unlike the 18-0 New England Patriots, father time will not lose—and, for that reason, the Giants have begun to build for the future.
Manning has 201 regular season and 12 postseason games of NFL experience under his belt. He’s never once missed a game since he took over as a starter in 2005. That’s both an incredible feat and a draining reality.
According to Adam Schefter and Jordan Raanan of ESPN, the Giants will sign free agent quarterback Geno Smith.
Giants expected to sign former Jets QB Geno Smith, per @JordanRaanan and me. Smith and Brandon Marshall teammates again.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2017
Smith will likely step in as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart behind Manning.
Smith was once regarded as a potential No. 1 overall selection, but slipped to No. 39 in the 2013 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons with the New York Jets, accumulating 5,962 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions.
After playing 30 games between 2013 and 2014, Smith appeared in just three games for the lowly Jets between 2015 and 2016.
In his most recent season as a full-time starter, 2014, Smith completed 59.7 percent of his passes and threw for 2,525 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
With Ryan Nassib and Josh Johnson entering free agency, the Giants needed to address the void at backup quarterback. Keith Wenning is signed through 2018, but he’s viewed as more of a project player than an immediate contributor.
The hope in New York appears to be that Smith can realize his potential by studying behind a two-time Super Bowl champion in Manning.
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With a more quarterback-friendly system under head coach Ben McAdoo, it stands to reason that Geno Smith could develop into a solid backup with the New York Giants.