Quote:
Originally Posted by mooby
I'd think that plays a big part in the argument. If you give up a lot of high picks for a quarterback, I think an adequate return on investment would be at least a decade of quarterback stability and recurring trips to the playoffs, as well as 2+ SB trips. Eli has mostly given them that. Now, granted, he hasn't played at an elite level all these years, but he has played like an elite qb this year and this is his second trip to the SB. I don't think he's HOF worthy but I'd say his return on investment has been worth it.
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Well, I think that's an adequate answer to the question "Eli Manning as Giants QB: success or failure?"
And I wouldn't argue otherwise. But what I am saying is if you're going to try to support the idea that trading up for a quarterback can be smart (which I think is sometimes the case, othertimes not), the 2004 SD-NYG trade is not a good example. That was a pretty decisive San Diego win. And you don't really have to look too much further past the career paths of Manning/Rivers/Roethlisberger to prove that.
The truth is that a lot of times, trading up into the top ten for a quarterback hasn't worked. It didn't make Mark Sanchez a better player, it didn't really work for the Falcons with Vick, and the Jags trade to land Gabbert looks questionable at this point.
On the other hand, Shanahan's move to get Cutler in the 2006 draft still looks pretty good right now. That wasn't the top ten, but it was the 11th pick. I think it can work if you play the market right. But if you're grading the Giants trade for Manning, it's tough to argue that they played the market right. They payed a ransom for the second or third best QB in the 2004 draft.