Good thing the Giants' QB situation is totally handled, or else this would be super depressing.
For some reason that I legitimately cannot figure out, we're relitigating the Giants' QB moves this morning. One of the NFL's premier Content Days was quite literally yesterday, and instead of talking about any of that, we're rehashing what happened before the draft. It's a lot of fun!
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This is all, of course, thanks to ESPN. They know how to play the hits. In a new profile about the offseason, ESPN dives into how the Giants went from no QBs to four QBs, like all good teams often do. A lot of the details aren't entirely new or interesting – Russell Wilson wanted to move to NYC, Jameis Winston didn't expect to be the starter, they didn't like Shedeur Sanders, etc – but there is, unfortunately, some Matt Stafford reporting buried in there that'll serve as a nice, depressing way to start your morning. But at least they have Jaxson Dart!
Matt Stafford trade attempts confirmed in latest ESPN report on Giants' QB outlook
"The Giants had inquired about Stafford prior to the trade deadline this past season, per multiple sources within the league. The Rams were fluttering around .500 at the time and there were whispers about the veteran's future. It was more a check-in to see where the situation stood than a serious inquiry ... It's why they re-engaged in February when the Rams gave Stafford's agent, Jimmy Sexton, permission to speak with other clubs because they were at an impasse about his salary. It led to a five-week dance where the Giants tried to pry Stafford from the Rams. They were willing to offer in the range of $50 million per season, a source with knowledge of negotiations told ESPN at the NFL scouting combine in early March."
Five weeks! That is an awfully long time to not be able to pull of a trade for a QB who was pretty open to leaving the Rams for the right scenario. And in hindsight, Stafford was probably never leaving the Rams – he certainly wasn't leaving the West Coast – so it's not like the Giants let him slip through their fingers or anything.
Still, the piece serves as an eye-opening read into just how hard the Giants pushed to land Stafford, and just how equally hard he had no interest whatsoever. Turning down $50 million a YEAR is a tough look for New York. At least it wasn't Aaron Rodgers?