New York Giants traded 2 players in 24 hours, and many think Eli Manning should be next

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New York Giants traded 2 players in 24 hours, and many think Eli Manning should be next

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Eli Manning

Steven Ryan/Getty Images

With six days left until the NFL trade deadline, the New York Giants may not be done after trading defensive players Eli Apple and Damon "Snacks" Harrison. Could their 15-year quarterback be the next to go?

  • In a span of 24 hours, the New York Giants traded cornerback Eli Apple and defensive tackle Damon "Snacks" Harrison in what appears to be a fire sale.
  • ESPN's Jordan Raanan reported that sources around the league believed any of the Giants' defensive players are available "for the right price."
  • Fans and pundits are speculating on whether the New York purge extends to longtime franchise quarterback Eli Manning, who has thrown for just seven touchdowns in as many games and led the Giants to a 1-6 start for the second consecutive season.
  • There are reasons to believe Manning won't be traded, including his no-trade clause which allowd him to veto any deal he does not favor.


After starting the season 1-6 for the second consecutive season, the New York Giants' front office has seemingly decided to demolish the team's current roster to prepare for a rebuild.

The Giants first traded cornerback Eli Apple - their first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft - to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a 2019 fourth-round pick and a 2020 seventh-round pick. One day later, the franchise shipped veteran defensive tackle Damon "Snacks" Harrison to the Detroit Lions for a 2019 fifth-round pick.

Giants defensive captain Landon Collins took to Twitter to express his disappointment with these decisions. He tweeted "#Maaaaannnn" after learning of the Apple trade and "#Brrrrrrooooo" after losing Harrison 24 hours later.

He followed those up with a few extra tweets lamenting Harrison's departure:

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Despite the risk of turmoil within the locker room for the remainder of the season, New York may not be done after these two trades. With six days left until the NFL trade deadline and their focus on the future, the Giants are "open for business" according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora.

New York fans and pundits are now speculating whether or not this fire sale could extend to longtime franchise quarterback Eli Manning. The two-time Super Bowl MVP has thrown for just seven touchdowns in as many games and has led the Giants to their second consecutive 1-6 start. Manning ranks 27th among NFL quarterbacks with a 43.1 total QBR, ahead of just the Denver Broncos' Case Keenum, the Miami Dolphins' Ryan Tannehill, and the first four quarterbacks taken in the 2018 NFL Draft.

The fact that New York's roster boasts of two of the most talented offensive players in the league in first-year running back Saquon Barkley and one-handed catching sensation Odell Beckham Jr. just adds insult to injury. Manning's inability to move in the pocket or push the ball downfield has caused much of the Big Blue faithful to turn on him.

On Tuesday, head coach Pat Shurmur attempted to quell rumors that the team would part ways with their 15-year quarterback:

"I think Eli will be our quarterback," Shurmur told reporters during a conference call following Monday night's 23-20 loss to the Falcons, according to Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports. "He has been, and he'll continue to be here."

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For his part, Manning has expressed interest in remaining with the Giants until the end of his career. This is significant given that he has a no-trade clause built into his contract:

"I haven't thought about the trade scenario and hey, this organization is the only team I played for and only thing I know," Manning told WFAN on Tuesday, according to NorthJersey.com's Art Stapleton. "I love the Giants. It's hard to imagine being with another organization."

Those fans still holding out hopes that Giants general manager Dave Gettleman will ship Manning out of New York by the trade deadline may be interested in taking a long look at the information below:

 

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