Surely New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman knows better.
Did the veteran NFL executive really think that his selection of Penn State running back Saquon Barkley would be universally acclaimed? If he did, then that would be extremely naive on his part.
In what amounted the the most interesting NFL Draft first-round in a while, Big Blue’s contribution was the most mundane. Before you blow a gasket, mundane doesn’t equal bad or lousy. Realistically, Gettleman played it safe, and perhaps that’s why he was bit defensive last night.
Per the team’s official website, Gettleman didn’t acknowledge that the running back position was less utilized in the current NFL.
"“You know what I say about [the positional value argument.] It is a crock. At the end of the day, a great player is a great player. [Barkley] is a touchdown maker. He is a threat to take it to the house every time he gets his hands on the ball. I think a lot of that stuff is nonsense. I think it is someone who had decided to get into the analytics of it and went through whatever. Jonathan Stewart is in his tenth year and he has not lost anything. I don’t believe in that. I don’t care who you take, they can all get hurt.”"
So a great tight end is worth as much as a great quarterback? A great nose tackle means as much as a great wide receiver?
It’s a bogus argument. Last time I looked, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger are still throwing passes in the NFL. The best running back in the same draft, Steven Jackson, last played in the NFL in 2015.
New York Giants
Acknowledgement of the obvious needed to be part of the narrative last night. Unfortunately, it sounded too much like former general manager Jerry Reese at the podium.
I have no problem with selecting Barkley or another running back if that’s where the evaluation took the franchise. But don’t dismiss what everyone knows to be true – running backs are not as valuable as they used to be!
It was a disappointing performance to say the least.
Barkley v. Darnold
In addition, nothing said yesterday will change the fact that games are played on the field. The simple truth remains that the New York Jets drafted quarterback Sam Darnold (USC) one pick after the Giants. And Barkley and Darnold will be inextricably linked for their entire NFL careers.
That will be the reality for a long time. Production on the field will determine the answer.
Now it’s entirely possible that both guys have stellar careers. For that to happen, they will have to remain healthy. Hopefully that will occur because it will be good for football in New York.
Back to Gettleman, he needs to step up to the plate over the next two days. For Barkley to be successful, he will need an effective offensive line. Surely, the veteran NFL executive realizes that running backs don’t need unnecessary wear and tear. Effective linemen need to open holes for Barkley to maximize his abilities.
Can Barkley be effective running behind Ereck Flowers and John Jerry?
Work To Be Done
If Will Hernandez isn’t scooped up in the second-round than Gettleman needs to turn off his TV and radio. The refreshing part about Diamond Dave was his previous frank evaluations of the roster. His answers last night mean that he wrapped his own legacy in this draft pick. It’s great to gush about these players, and after suffering through a season like last year, I would love to write only puff pieces about a 14-2 team. But give me Bill Parcells and his candid view any day of the week.
And walk the talk about “hog mollies”.
The fact of the matter is that 100 percent of draftees don’t make NFL rosters. And not 100 percent of first-round picks never make it to a Pro Bowl. As far as Barkley breaking off a touchdown on any play, that’s nonsense.
Can Barkley be a game-breaker? Sure he can. But he isn’t scoring every time he touches the ball. In fact, I feel confident that he won’t rush for over 100 yards in every game next season.
Selecting Barkley makes the G-Men a better football team in 2018. And in fact he may be one of the best players out of the draft in the past ten years. Right now, he had better hope that Barkley is every bit as good as advertised. It was Gettleman who ratcheted up the rhetoric, and he needs to live with that.
If he’s thinking with a clear head tonite, he’ll call out the names of a few offensive linemen tonight.