Alex Tanney

New York Giants: Alex Tanney Confident Going Into Position Battle With Lauletta

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New York Giants, Eli Manning

It looks like the New York Giants are going to have a quarterback competition or two this season – but not at the number one spot. Rather, the battle this year is going to be between multiple backup quarterbacks trying to play behind Eli Manning and secure a spot on the roster for the season coming up.

Those quarterbacks include the rookie Daniel Jones, last season’s rookie Kyle Lauletta, and veteran Alex Tanney, who is often forgotten and not included in conversations about the position, as well as Syracuse rookie and multi position player Eric Dungey, who may or may not even enter the competition as a quarterback.

Despite being forgotten by many, however, Tanney isn’t panicking at the new competition being introduced this season. “The role of a backup quarterback is being as prepared, if not more prepared, than the guy who’s playing, never knowing if you’re going to play. I feel like I’ve gotten into good habits and a routine of studying and preparing and putting in the work like I’m going to play. You always have to be ready,” Tanney said to the Pantagraph.

“I feel like we have a great room. Obviously, Eli has so much knowledge and experience and has had so much success. Daniel has been a great addition to the room. I think we do a good job of competing and pushing each other to help our team win,” Tanney continued. “I’m excited for what we have going on in the building here [with the Giants].”

It’s not surprising that Tanney is confident even with Jones being brought in as another quarterback in the backup rotation. Both Lauletta and Davis Webb have been on the roster at the same time as Tanney and yet Tanney has still remained on the roster despite both players being higher rated in the eyes of the media. And depending on how things play out, Tanney could also outlast Lauletta after a poor showing from last year’s draft pick.

The number one spot has already been decided and Eli Manning is going to be the starter. But beyond that? The competition at quarterback is one of the most competitive on the roster right now.

New York Giants: What Will The Giants Do With All Of The Quarterbacks On Their Roster?

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New York Giants quarterback, Eli Manning.

The New York Giants currently have 5 quarterbacks on their roster. The team recently drafted quarterback Daniel Jones with the 6th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He has not yet signed his rookie deal, but once he has, the Giants will have 6 quarterbacks on their roster.

The quarterback was a position of need for the Giants heading into this offseason. Because of this, the Giants made sure to improve their quarterback room. But now the Giants have too many quarterbacks on the roster. The question is, who will stay and who will go?

Who Will Definitely Be On The Roster?

The Giants will definitely hold at least two quarterbacks on their roster. The two quarterbacks locked into roster spots are Eli Manning and Daniel Jones.

The Giants have committed to Eli Manning as their starter for the 2019 season. Manning is a franchise legend heading into his 16th season. But in 2018, Eli posted a career-high completion percentage at 66%, showing that he still has the ability to start in the NFL.

Eli will also have an additional task in 2019. He will need to teach Daniel Jones what he can and help the rookie prepare for the day he becomes the next franchise quarterback. Daniel Jones is obviously a lock to make the roster in 2019.

Daniel Jones was the 6th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The Giants are committed to Daniel Jones being the team’s next franchise quarterback after Eli Manning retires or moves on from New York.

Daniel Jones threw for 2,674 yards, 22 touchdown passes, and only 9 interceptions in his final season at Duke. Jones is a quarterback the Giants need to develop, but they have the next 5 years on his rookie contract to turn him into a franchise quarterback.

Who Might Be On The Roster?

The Giants will definitely hold two quarterbacks on the roster in 2019, but it is possible they carry more than two. Alex Tanney recently signed a two-year contract extension with the New York Giants.

However, the contract is only worth $2,150,000, so the Giants do not necessarily need to commit to Tanney. They could end up cutting him this offseason.

The Giants typically do like to have a veteran backup quarterback so it would not be surprising if they kept Tanney. But the Giants do have younger options if they want to hold three or more quarterbacks on the roster.

Kyle Lauletta was drafted by the Giants in the round of the 2018 NFL Draft. The rookie received a lot of hype from Giants fans but underwhelmed when he got playing time in the regular season. Lauletta went 0 for 5 with 1 interception against the Redskins.

Despite this lackluster performance, the Giants could still see some potential in Lauletta based on his collegiate performance. But if the Giants are ready to move on from Lauletta, he could have a decent trade market.

The Giants also have a darkhorse player that could make the roster at quarterback. But this player could make the roster at another position, too. Eric Dungey is a versatile player who played quarterback in college but could play multiple positions in the NFL, similar to the Saints’ Taysom Hill.

If the Giants want to have a more progressive offense and try some innovative, multi-position players, Dungey would be the perfect option as the third quarterback on the roster.

New York Giants: Daniel Jones Starts Voluntary Workouts Behind Tanney

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New York Giants rookie quarterback, Daniel Jones.

Voluntary workouts might have voluntary in the name, but that doesn’t mean that many teams don’t consider them serious business. Those workouts are the biggest thing to keep an eye on right now for followers of the New York Giants, and it’s also the first chance to see how new players such as Daniel Jones stack up against others on the current roster. Jones is one of the players who showed up to voluntary workouts, but his position so far isn’t quite what everyone expected.

While Jones was drafted to play behind Eli Manning, the Giants are in no rush to put him in that role from the very start. Rather, he finds himself behind Alex Tanney, who bounced between being the team’s second and third string quarterback during the disaster of a 2018 season. Jones is the third player in the rotation according to Dan Duggan, with Manning obviously the number one and Tanney behind him.

Of course, Kyle Lauletta isn’t in the running at all right now, as he is still recovering from injury. When Lauletta is healthy, there’s expected to be at least some competition between him and the other quarterbacks on the roster, most notably fellow rookie Jones, who could be seen as a replacement for Lauletta in the team’s long term plans. The fact that Lauletta is coming off of injury while Jones is healthy doesn’t help his chances to stay in those plans.

Eric Dungey joined the team as an undrafted free agent and is one of the more interesting additions during this offseason because of his versatility and success in college, but currently is working out with the tight ends rather than the quarterbacks. That ability to potentially fit into multiple roles or even positions is one of the reasons Dungey was sought after by multiple teams during undrafted free agency before eventually choosing the Giants.

It’s still early in the offseason and as we approach training camp and the preseason, that order of quarterbacks could easily change. It’s clear, however, that the team isn’t going with a rushed approach with the rookie Daniel Jones.