1) What if they never traded for Eli Manning?
The biggest what-if in Giants history features one of the greatest players in team history. Manning famously said ‘Once a Giant, Always a Giant’, but he was almost never a Giant in the first place.
In the famous 2004 NFL Draft, then Giants’ general manager Ernie Accorsi had his eyes on one quarterback. Alas, he swung a deal to bring him to New York – but according to Reese, his back-up plan was Miami (OH) University’s signal caller, Ben Roethlisberger.
Now, Manning and Roethlisberger each had their own levels of success, each man possessing two Lombardi’s – but could the latter have done it in New York? One of Manning’s greatest strengths was his ability to handle the pressure of the Empire State – Roethlisberger is no slouch, but Pittsburgh also isn’t New York.
One advantage Roethlisberger would’ve had is the draft capital the team traded for Manning would still be in their possession. Accorsi and Reese built a championship caliber roster around their quarterback without it – but an extra first, third and fifth wouldn’t have hurt.
The debate between Manning, Roethlisberger and Phillip Rivers will go on forever, as the three players are forever linked. It’s rare to get a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback – it’s even rarer to see three in the same first round.
While Roethlisberger may have brought the Giants a Super Bowl, there’s nothing that Accorsi, Reese or Manning himself would change about this what-if.