When Archie Manning tucked the ball and scrambled, there was no telling what he would do. But there was nothing ad-lib about the end-run Manning pulled off this week.
It was perfectly designed, precisely executed, and turned out to be the highlight play of yesterday’s NFL Draft.
The Giants scored big-time, getting themselves Eli Manning, the marquee player in this draft and a quarterback who’s genetically disposed to playing the position. If he’s 80 percent the leader father Archie was, and the quarterback brother Peyton is, the Giants have the cornerstone of their franchise.
The Chargers scored by trading Manning to the Giants for quarterback Philip Rivers, and the Giants’ third-round pick this year and their first and fifth picks in next year’s draft.
Eli Manning scored. Imagine the publicity and endorsements that go with being a star quarterback in New York. Not since Joe Namath has a New York team had such an attraction.
“Pressure, it’s something I’ve been around a long time, having a father and a brother who I’m following in their footsteps,” Eli Manning said. “I’ve dealt with it.”
In a draft in which the wide receiver class was favorably compared to the quarterback class of ’83, a cagey old signal-caller shaped the day’s events. Archie Manning said earlier this week his son would not play for the Chargers and that the family favored the Giants.
“This is a bold move on the part of our family,” Archie Manning said earlier in the week. “But I am not bold enough to try to manipulate this draft. I would not do that.”
That’s exactly what he did. Forget footsteps; Archie Manning’s footprint will forever be etched on this draft.
He spoke to NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and met with Chargers owner Alex Spanos and coach Marty Schottenheimer earlier this week. None could convince him San Diego was a good fit for Eli.
“One of the other things we needed to talk about is, would it be awkward today if they picked Eli?” Archie Manning said yesterday. “Frankly, there were some options. One of them was for Eli not to even show up; not to even be here. But to me, that’s kind of embarrassing to the league, and Eli didn’t want to do that.”
The Jets wanted to pick a cornerback but their hopes were dashed when DeAngelo Hall went eighth to the Falcons and Dunta Robinson went to the Texans two picks later. Without a premier corner, the Jets took the best linebacker in the draft, Miami’s Jonathan Vilma, and might be better off for it.
Little is certain in the draft, but Miami linebackers are close to a sure thing. If Vilma follows in the footsteps of former ‘Canes Jessie Armstead, Dan Morgan and Ray Lewis, the Jets have themselves a game-changing defender.
By the time the Jets used the No. 12 pick on Vilma, three receivers – Larry Fitzgerald of Pittsburgh, Roy Williams of Texas, and Reggie Williams of Washington – had been taken. A record seven would go in the first round.
After the first 15 picks, the uncertainty of the draft was underscored by eight trades for a total of 10 in the first round. The Cowboys traded out of the first round but got the running back they wanted in the second by taking Notre Dame’s Julius Jones.
The Giants found protection for Manning or Kerry Collins by choosing Boston College lineman Chris Snee with their second-round pick. Snee is new coach Tom Coughlin’s kind of player: physical and relentless.
