Kevin Zeitler

New York Giants: How Saquon Barkley will elevate his game in 2019

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

Starting off a career with 2,000 all-purpose yards and offensive rookie of the year accolades is impressive, a statistical production that most veterans are seeking, yet New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley earned it in one season.

Elevating his level of play spells trouble for any defense in his path, and that’s exactly what we should be expecting in the year ahead, but why?

The sophomore slump is certainly a thing, but Barkley has the ability to skip right over the dreaded season and enjoy another successful year. The reason he will — the improvement of the offensive line.

The New York Giants invested heavily in rebuilding the O-line:

A line consisting of Nate Solder in a new system and injured, rookie Will Hernandez, backup Spencer Pulley, a joke in Patrick Omameh, and a turnstile in Ereck Flowers isn’t something to write home about. In fact, it’s more of an embarrassment, or rather the start of a transition to a line worth talking about.

Now, it is built on a solid duo on the left side including Solder and Hernandez, a capable Jon Halapio returning from injury, a top-5 guard in Kevin Zeitler, and a much improved right tackle in Mike Remmers over Flowers and Chad Wheeler.

This line will open up holes big enough for Barkley to swim through, something he surely didn’t experience in 2018. However, Barkley led all 47 running backs with 100-carries in breakaway percentage at 54%, according to PFF. His production was reliant on his ability to break into the secondary and pick up big chunks of yardage, and that’s not a bad thing. Making up for two short runs with a long touchdown carry is acceptable at the professional level.

He gained 54% of his total 1,307 rushing yards on 20 carries he took for 15-plus yards in his rookie year. Adding better offensive lineman will only increase that statistic and allow him to work with more space on the line of scrimmage. I imagine two-yard runs will become four and his breakout potential will remain the same.

The offensive line is the catalyst for a dynamite 2019 for Barkley, and we will be able to witness his greatness.

 

New York Giants: How The Upgraded Offensive Line Will Help Daniel Jones

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The New York Giants‘ offense has been rebuilt over the past two seasons. Dave Gettleman came in last year and vowed to rebuild the offensive line. That is exactly what he has done.

The Giants offensive line was one of the league’s worst for years. But now, in 2019, things are starting to take shape. New York signed left tackle Nate Solder to a record-breaking contract last offseason, then drafted guard Will Hernandez. In 2019, the Giants traded for Kevin Zeilter, one of the best pass-protectors in the NFL, and upgraded the right tackle position.

What is a great offensive line without some offensive playmakers? The Giants went ahead and made big splashes on offense in the 1st-round of the 2018 and the 2019 NFL Drafts. They drafted Saquon Barkley with the 2nd overall pick in 2018. Barkley went on to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Saquon will benefit greatly from the Giants’ upgraded offensive line in 2019, but he is not the only one.

The Giants’ 1st-round splash in the 2019 NFL Draft was quarterback Daniel Jones. Big Blue took the controversial quarterback prospect with the 6th overall pick. The Giants have exhibited how quarterbacks struggle behind weak offensive lines for years now, which is why Daniel Jones will benefit greatly from the upgraded offensive line.

How Rookie Quarterbacks Play Behind Poor Offensive Lines:

Daniel Jones dodged a bullet in the 2019 NFL Draft. He could have ended up in Washington with Ereck Flowers as his starting left tackle. He is also lucky to be joining Big Blue in 2019 and not 2018. Dodge the Flowers bullet twice.

The Giants cut Ereck Flowers in 2018 after years of poor play. Daniel Jones is lucky he does not have to play behind a poor offensive line as a rookie. Here is how other young quarterbacks have fared behind poor offensive lines:

In 2018, the Arizona Cardinals had the worst offensive line in the league. Unfortunately, they also had a new 1st-round quarterback starting with Josh Rosen.

The once-promising prospect never found a groove behind the league’s worst line. Josh Rosen threw only 11 touchdown passes with 14 interceptions in 14 games, and was then traded the following offseason.

Jared Goff is a perfect example of how an offensive line can affect a young quarterback’s confidence and performance. Goff played in 7 games in his 2016 rookie campaign and only threw 5 touchdowns with 7 interceptions.

The following season, the Rams signed All-Pro tackle Andrew Whitworth, rebuilt their offensive line and coaching staff, and saw Jared Goff blossom.

In 2017, Jared Goff became one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. His touchdown total soared up to 28 touchdown passes, and his interception number stayed stagnant at 7 despite playing in 15 games.

Jared Goff and Josh Rosen serve as perfect examples of how an offensive line affects a young quarterback’s play. Daniel Jones will step into an offense that features the NFL’s best pass-blocking guard in Kevin Zeitler, which will help him tremendously.

Daniel Jones will benefit from Nate Solder’s reliability on his blindside. The veteran leadership provided by Solder, Zeitler, and Remmers will also keep the line consistent for Jones. Up-and-coming left guard Will Hernandez will also play a big part in keeping Daniel’s confidence high.

The New York Giants have perfectly reconstructed their offensive line to better themselves for the future. The future franchise quarterback was drafted with perfect timing. Daniel Jones will step into an offense full of exciting playmakers (such as Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram) and a solid offensive line.

New York Giants: Eli Manning Will Be Better In 2019 Thanks To The Improved Offensive Line

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New York Giants, Eli Manning

The New York Giants finished a disappointing 5-11 in 2018. This record rewarded New York with the 6th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. With this pick, the Giants selected quarterback Daniel Jones from Duke University.

This draft pick signifies the end of an era for the New York Giants. Eli Manning has been the franchise quarterback for the last 16 seasons. The Manning Era is now officially coming to an end sooner than later.

Daniel Jones will take over for Manning within the next couple of years (if not this year). Eli Manning had a decent statistical season in 2018, posting a career-high 66.0% completion rate. However, advanced analytics seem to indicate that he struggled more than people realize.

According to Pro Football Focus, Eli Manning has failed to grade above 70.0 in each of the last four seasons, and his 94 turnover-worthy plays over the previous four years are eight more than the next closest quarterback in that span.

Despite this, there is still reason to believe Eli Manning will be a better quarterback in 2019.

How The Improved Offensive Line Will Help Eli Manning:

Eli Manning has been forced to endure atrocious offensive line play for years. Eli was sacked 47 times in 2018, which was a single-season career high for the veteran. The line started to improve in 2018, but it was still below average on the season as a whole.

The Giants finished 2018 with the 21st ranked offensive line in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Great news for Eli Manning and the Giants: the offensive line is one of the most improved units in the league after the 2019 offseason.

PFF even agreed that the Giants’ offensive line is one of the five most improved lines in the NFL after free agency. The addition of pass-protecting extraordinaire Kevin Zeitler will help Eli Manning stay on his feet in 2019. Eli is a much better player when he has time to survey the field and is not having pressure shoved into his face.

Manning was a much-improved player in the second half of the season. The Giants’ offensive line improved with the acquisition of Jamon Brown in the week 9 bye week. Manning threw 13 touchdown passes in the second half of the season, versus only 8 in the first half.

Eli Manning cut down his turnover rate significantly in 2018. He threw only 11 interceptions, his lowest total since 2008. The improved offensive line and playmakers in 2019 will allow Manning to be a more productive player while he continues to keep an efficient level of play that he has demonstrated over the last two seasons.

New York Giants: What Kevin Zeitler can do for the offensive line

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New York Giants, Kevin Zeitler

On paper, the New York Giants offensive line looks fantastic, but we haven’t seen them perform on the field yet with quality defensive lineman scheming their way into the backfield. Can they handle stunts and delayed blitzes? Will their chemistry be up to par early on in the season?

There are plenty of questions that require answers, but there’s one thing we can conclude – the Giants’ line is far better today than it was one year ago.

On this day last year, the Giants still had Ereck Flowers on the offensive line. While he was featuring at right tackle this time around, he proved to be useless there as well. Not to mention the signing of Patrick Omameh, who was cut after week five. General manager Dave Gettleman made a few bone-headed mistakes, but he was quick to fix them and add a different player to find the right combination.

The left side of the line ended up performing quite well after Nate Solder adapted to his new role protecting Eli Manning. Will Hernandez flashed Pro Bowl potential, and he’s preparing to take a massive jump in 2019. Center Jon Halapio will return from a broken leg suffered early on in 2018, but the biggest acquisition this offseason has been right guard, Kevin Zeitler.

The New York Giants brought in a huge upgrade:

The former Cleveland Brown was acquired in the Olivier Vernon trade, and he will make an immediate impact for the Giants. If you recall, Gettleman claimed Jamon Brown off waivers from the Los Angeles Rams. Brown improved the efficiency and continuity of the line significantly, and he only ranked as the #62 guard in the league.

Zeitler was the #6 overall guard last season, which only indicates the improvement he will bring. The 6-4, 315-pound chiseled lineman looks like a miniature version of the hulk, and he sure plays like it. While we can’t assume he will transform a perennially bad offensive front for the Giants,  we can hope his No. 1 pass-protection grade will help Manning exponentially.

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The 29-year-old didn’t expect to be traded from the Browns, but he’s “excited” to be in Blue now, stating:

“A big surprise,” Zeitler said, according to the New York Daily News. “I didn’t see that coming. I’m glad to be here. I know the Giants are a big historical organization with a lot of success with Super Bowls. No matter what anyone says, we have to put the work in once the season rolls around.”

He further commented on Saquon Barkley and his role in helping him succeed at an even higher level in 2019:

“There is no limit to what we can do,” Zeitler said. “We have a long way to go and a lot to do. We’ll see what happens once the actual season rolls around … You see (Barkley’s) highlights from the year before. I think anytime he has a chance to touch the ball, there is a chance he can break it. So it’s on us to get it done so we can do that more often.”

The offense clearly starts up front for the Giants, as Manning’s inability to escape from the pocket forced the line to be more than adequate. Hopefully, they can reach that potentially become a force in the NFL, something the Giants haven’t had in quite some time.

New York Giants: Grading the offseason acquisitions

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The New York Giants acquired Jabrill Peppers in the Odell Beckham Jr. trade.

The New York Giants made various impactful offseason moves to help bolster the team in terms of talent and cap space. The cap-space factor won’t kick in until the 2020 season, but several players were added to help elevate the quality of play for the foreseeable future.

Trading away Olivier Vernon and Odell Beckham Jr. played a big part in the turnover of the team and the securing of several new players. We will grade and evaluate all new players with the exemption of draft picks.

New York Giants: grading the acquisitions

1.) OLB Markus Golden

Contract: 1 year, $4.75 Million

The Giants brought in Golden to help supplement the loss of Vernon at the outside linebacker position. Three years ago, Golden recorded 12.5 sacks under defensive coordinator James Bettcher, so the hopes are that he can replicate that same production in 2019.

Coming off a significant knee injury, it’s fair we limit our expectations for the former Cardinal defender, but there’s plenty of value to be had.

Grade: B

2.) WR Golden Tate

Contract: 4 years, $37 Million

The Giants locked up the top receiver in the NFL in the yards-after-catch category this offseason. Tate is a stellar pass-catcher with trustworthy hands, however, his contract is certainly bloated. He was brought in to fill Odell Beckham Jr.’s role, while at a much lower level.

Tate will be a good player on the field and in the locker room, which elevates his value. At 30-years-old, the Giants are investing a lot in a player that will end his career in Blue at 34.

Grade: B-

3.) SS Jabrill Peppers

Contract: 2 years remaining, $3,280,452

The Giants secured Peppers in the Beckham trade with the Cleveland Browns, bringing in a defender that has immense potential. Peppers will cost a fraction of what Landon Collins was asking for in free agency, and he has the skill-set to be even more impactful.

Peppers is a New Jersey native so he will be returning to his home town. What I like most about Peppers are his diverse abilities that range from coverage to stopping the run. He has a similar frame to Collins but is much faster and has better hands. He’s not the type of defender that will fill be a force in the run game, but he can do everything at an average to an above-average level. I imagine Bettcher will utilize him in various different ways in 2019.

Based on his potential, this was a great acquisition for the Giants.

Grade: A-

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4.) RG Kevin Zeitler

Contract: 3 years, $32 Million

The Giants brought in right guard Kevin Zeitler to fill a role on the offensive line that was inhabited by Jamon Brown mid-way through the 2018 season. Brown was a major addition that saw the Giants take a massive jump offensively, especially in the run game. Let’s keep in mind, Brown was ranked as the #62 guard in the NFL last season.

Bringing in Zeitler will improve the offensive front tremendously. He ranked as the #6 guard in ’18. His influence will be impactful and will help Eli Manning operate at his best level. Saquon Barkley will also reap the benefits of his prowess in the trenches.

I believe this was, in fact, the best addition for the Giants.

Grade: A

5.) RT Mike Remmers

Contract: 1 year, $2.5 Million

The Giants needed to upgrade the right tackle spot this offseason and they did so by means of former Minnesota Viking, Mike Remmers.

Remmers is coming off back surgery but is expected to partake in training camp this offseason. Hopefully, the surgery will return him to his former glory as he attempts to fight off Chad Wheeler for the starting job. I believe he will earn the role, and it will benefit the Giants’ offensive line significantly.

We might finally see Manning protected enough for him to blink twice in the pocket. On a one-year deal, the Giants aren’t giving up much to test the waters with Remmers, especially if they plan on addressing the position with youth in 2020. Nonetheless, a solid signing here.

Grade: B

New York Giants: Kevin Zeitler Is A Key New Addition

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New York Giants, Kevin Zeitler

The 2019 offseason saw the New York Giants let go of many big-name players. The Giants traded away their best player, Odell Beckham Jr., traded away their best pass-rusher, Olivier Vernon, and let their best defender, Landon Collins, walk away in free agency.

With all these losses, the Giants needed to acquire some serious talent to make up for it. Luckily, the Giants got some solid compensation for these departures.

The Giants replaced Landon Collins when they received do-it-all safety Jabrill Peppers in the Odell trade. They also signed pass-rusher Marcus Golden and drafted Oshane Ximines to plug the hole Vernon left. But the Giants’ most important acquisition in the 2019 offseason (who will actually start and play in 2019) is Kevin Zeitler.

Kevin Zeitler Stats And Highlights

The New York Giants received Kevin Zeitler in exchange for Olivier Vernon. This was a win-win trade for both teams. Kevin Zeitler was a key component in the late-year success for Baker Mayfield last season. He will also be a key component for Daniel Jones’s future success, as well as Eli Manning’s success in 2019.

Only a small handful of quarterbacks in the NFL can efficiently operate behind a poor offensive line. Eli Manning is not one of those quarterbacks in 2019. He was in 2011-2012, but that was 7 years ago. Manning needs a good offensive line in front of him in order to succeed, but unfortunately, he has not had one in a long time.

Eli Manning was sacked a career-high 47 times in 2018. Kevin Zeitler was the perfect addition to the Giants’ offensive line in order to bring that number down. Zeitler is considered the best pass-blocking guard in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus.

Kevin Zeitler allowed only 11 total pressures in the entire 2018 NFL season. That is an incredibly impressive number. To put it in perspective,  Patrick Omameh and Jamon Brown combined to allow 39 pressures in only 14 games last year.

The Giants’ offensive line is one of the most-improved units in the NFL after this offseason, thanks mostly to Kevin Zeitler. The Giants also signed right tackle Mike Remmers this offseason. This additions of Zeitler and Remmers completed the Giants’ offensive line rebuild that general manager Dave Gettleman promised when he got the job last offseason.

This improved offensive line is not only huge for Eli Manning but for Daniel Jones, too. The Duke offensive line was one of the worst-graded offensive lines in 2018 according to Pro Football Focus. When Daniel Jones gets his opportunity to start for the Giants’ having an excellent pass-blocker in Kevin Zeitler will help him tremendously.

The New York Giants’ Offensive Line Rebuild Is Complete

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New York Giants, Mike Remmers, Minnesota Vikings

The New York Giants have had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL for years. Former Giants general manager Jerry Reese did not have an eye for offensive line talent.

A prime example of this is the Giants 10th overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft, Ereck Flowers. Flowers let up 180 pressures from 2015 to 2018 before being cut midseason by the new general manager, Dave Gettleman.

Dave Gettleman came to the Giants in 2018 and his mission was to rebuild the offensive line. In his second year with the Giants, the offensive line rebuild seems to be complete.

The New Offensive Line:

Left Tackle: Nate Solder

The Giants had issues with Ereck Flowers at left tackle from 2015 to 2017. Finally, during the last offseason, the Giants made a change at the offensive line’s most important position. Dave Gettleman signed Nate Solder to be the highest paid offensive tackle in the NFL in 2018, Gettleman’s first season as general manager of the Giants.

Nate Solder struggled mightily in the first half of the 2018 NFL season. Fortunately, Solder turned it around in the second half of the season. Over the second half of the year, Solder allowed only one sack and 13 total pressures. Solder is the captain on the offensive line. The 31-year-old veteran will need to contribute a few more seasons of the level of play he demonstrated in the second half of 2018 in order to live up to that historic contract.

Left Guard: Will Hernandez

Will Hernandez is one of the most promising young players on the Giants’ roster. The Giants drafted Big Will in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He already looks like a steal of a draft pick who should’ve been selected in the first round.

He made the Pro Football Focus All-Rookie Team for his dependable play. Hernandez earned the league’s second-highest grade for a rookie interior offensive linemen and was only penalized two times across 1,027 snaps.

Center: Jon Halapio

In week two of the 2018 NFL season, the Giants, unfortunately, lost center Jon Halapio to a season-ending leg injury. Halapio was playing solid football at the time he went down. Dave Gettleman himself said that Halapio was playing the best out of anyone on the offensive line before he got injured.

In week one, Jon Halapio had Pro Football Focus’s third-best pass blocking grade (85.2) among centers with at least 50 offensive snaps.

Jon Halapio will likely be the starter in 2019 unless Spencer Pulley is able to outperform him in camp. If Halapio can show that his first week and a half of the 2018 season was not a fluke, he will win the starting job.

Right Guard: Kevin Zeitler

The Giants acquired guard Kevin Zeitler via trade with the Cleveland Browns in the 2019 NFL offseason. The Giants traded their best pass-rusher Olivier Vernon in order to acquire Zeitler. It is never easy to trade away your best pass-rusher, but the Giants got arguably the best offensive lineman on their team in exchange for Vernon.

Kevin Zeitler is one of the best guards in the NFL. He is a highly efficient pass-blocker, allowing only 11 total pressures in 2018. The Giants’ starting right guards in 2018, Patrick Omameh and Jamon Brown, combined for 39 total pressures. Zeitler will be a huge improvement for the Giants in 2019.

Right Tackle: Mike Remmers

After much speculation, the Giants finally signed Mike Remmers on Saturday. Remmers agreed to a one-year deal with the New York Giants worth $2.5 million, with $1 million fully guaranteed and a max value of $4 million through play-time incentives, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source.

Remmers has a strong connection with the Giants’ front office. He used to play for the Panthers when Dave Gettleman was their general manager and he used to play for head coach Pat Shurmur when he was the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings went to the NFC Championship game in 2017 with Mike Remmers at right tackle. He was switched to guard in 2018, suffered an injury and struggled, but returning to his natural position of right tackle with the Giants should lead to better performance.

New York Giants: How Does The New Offense Compare To The Rest Of The Division

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New York Giants, Sterling Shepard, Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants have come in dead last in their division in each of the last two seasons. They have become the least threatening team in the NFC East and have not won the division since 2011.

The rest of the teams in the NFC East have been accumulating young talent for years. The Cowboys have made the playoffs and won the division in two of the last three seasons. Their young core of Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot make them an annual playoff contender.

The Eagles have also been far more successful than the Giants recently. It is painful to say or think about this, but the Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2017 and made the playoffs again in 2018.

The Redskins have placed 3rd in the division for three straight years. But even they have won the division more recently than in 2011. They have won it twice since then (2012 and 2015).

Our beloved New York Giants have fallen behind in recent years and it is time for them to get back on track. The Giants made moves to improve their offense in 2019. Let’s see how their new offense compares to the rest of the division:

Offensive Lines:

The Giants’ offensive line has been bad for years. The Giants finally got rid of Ereck Flowers in 2018, but the unit still struggled as a whole, despite bringing in veteran left tackle Nate Solder.

The other three teams in the division all have above-average or excellent offensive lines (when completely healthy). The Dallas Cowboys had two Pro Bowlers on their offensive line in 2018 with left tackle Tyron Smith and right guard Zack Martin. Left tackle Trent Williams of the Washington Redskins also made the Pro Bowl in 2018. The Eagles also had a Pro Bowler in right guard Brandon Brooks. The Giants are the only team in the division to not have a Pro Bowler on their offensive line.

The Giants are trying to buck that trend. In 2018, they drafted left guard Will Hernandez in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Hernandez showed lots of promise in his rookie year and looks like he can be a Pro Bowl-caliber player in the future.

In the 2019 offseason, the Giants acquired a talented offensive guard via trade with the Cleveland Browns. Kevin Zeitler is one of the NFL’s best pass-blocking guards, allowing only 11 total pressures in 2018.

The Giants’ offensive line is the worst in the division. However, it has the potential to improve mightily in 2019 with the addition of Zeitler, Hernandez progressing in his second year, and center Jon Halapio returning from injury.

Running Backs:

Fortunately, the Giants still have the best running back in the division, though it is a close race. Saquon Barkley racked up more total yards from scrimmage in 2018 (2,028 yards) than any other running back. But Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot was not far behind with 2,001 yards and he also lead the NFL in rushing yards with 1,434 yards.

The Eagles also have a solid group in the backfield. They traded for former Bears running back Jordan Howard this offseason and also drafted Miles Sanders out of Penn State. Howard has racked up 3,370 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns over the past 3 seasons. In 2018, Sanders ran for 1,274 yards and 9 touchdowns at Penn State.

Technically, the Washington Redskins have the “best” running back on their roster, but that is if you are going off of total careers. Barkley, Elliot, and Howard are all young, promising players. But Washington Redskskins running back Adrian Peterson is one of the best running backs of all time.

Peterson is 33 years old now and is well past his prime. However, he was still solid for the Redskins in 2018 with 1,042 rushing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns. The Redskins also have a young, unproven back named Derrius Guice. Guice was electric in college at LSU with 2,638 rushing yards and 26 rushing touchdowns in his final two collegiate seasons. Guice tore his ACL in the 2018 preseason but will look to prove himself as a quality NFL running back in 2019.

The Giants have the best running back in the division and even in the NFL. Saquon Barkley will only get better in 2019. However, the team would be wise to add some more talent behind Saquon to keep him from wearing and tearing.

Receivers And Tight Ends:

The Giants easily had the best receiver in the division over the last 5 years. That changed in the 2019 offseason when the Giants traded away Odell Beckham Jr.

Now the Giants are left with pass-catchers like Sterling Shepard, the newly acquired Golden Tate, and Evan Engram. Still a solid group despite losing their best player.

No one on the Giants’ roster was a 1,000-yard receiver in 2018. Shepard, Tate, and Engram all have the potential to be 1,000-yard receivers in 2019, but there is also a good chance none of them eclipse 1,000 yards, too.

The Eagles have one of the best tight ends in the NFL with Zach Ertz. Ertz had the third most receiving yards out of all tight ends last season with 1,113. He is their best skill player on offense and will remain a consistent player for Philadelphia in 2019.

The Dallas Cowboys struggled to find a receiving threat, post-Dez Bryant until they traded for former Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper in 2019. In only 9 games with the Cowboys, Cooper totaled 725 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. The Cowboys could use some help at tight end, but Cooper is the best receiver in the division now that Odell is in the AFC North.

The Washington Redskins seriously lack playmakers on the outside. Their leading receiver in 2018 was tight end Jordan Reed with only 558 receiving yards. The Redskins did draft a couple of receivers in 2019 with Kelvin Harmon and Terry McLaurin, but it is hard to imagine these two players will make such a vast improvement to the Redskins’ receiving corps in 2019.

The Giants might not have the best receiver or tight end in the division, but they could have arguably the best group of these positions in the division. If Engram, Shepard, and Tate all reach their full potential in 2019, the Giants’ offense could be electric.

Quarterbacks:

Every team in the division has a young, franchise of future franchise quarterback on the roster. The Giants and Redskins were the last teams to acquire theirs but finally did so in the 2019 NFL Draft.

The Cowboys and Eagles have their franchise quarterback starting and winning games for them, but the Redskins and Giants have not seen their young signal-callers in action yet. It is too soon to tell who has the best young quarterback in the division, but right now Carson Wentz is the best quarterback in the division.

Carson Wentz had an MVP-caliber season prior to injuring his knee in 2017. In the 13 games he played in 2017, Wentz threw for 3,296 and 33 touchdowns. This lead the Eagles to an 11-2 record. Carson made the Pro Bowl in 2017 but suffered another injury in 2018. If he can stay healthy, he is the best quarterback in the division.

The other young quarterback in action is the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott. Prescott has lead Dallas to the playoffs twice in three years and has thrown for 3,000 yards and 22 or 23 touchdown passes in all three of his seasons in the NFL. He has been to the Pro Bowl twice and is set to receive a big contract extension from Dallas soon.

The Redskins had a problem at the quarterback position but found their answer in the Draft. Their quarterback, Alex Smith, suffered a gruesome leg injury in 2018 that will probably keep him sidelined for all of 2019. So the Redskins drafted Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins in 2019. Haskins threw 4,831 passing yards and 50 touchdown passes in 2018 at Ohio State. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain a high production level in the NFL.

While the rest of the division will all be starting quarterbacks age 27 or younger in 2019, the Giants will be kicking off the season with 38-year-old Eli Manning at the helm. Manning has been underperforming for the past two seasons, failing to top 21 touchdown passes. Regardless, the Giants are committed to him as their starter in 2019. However, if Eli struggles, it could mean the Giants will move on from him as soon as possible.

The Redskins were not the only team to address the quarterback position in the 2019 NFL Draft. The Giants made the controversial decision to draft Duke quarterback Daniel Jones with the 6th overall pick in the draft. It can be debated whether or not Jones was worthy of that high selection, never topping 22 touchdown passes in 3 years as a collegiate starter. The Giants will be hoping that Jones proves any doubters wrong when he gets his chance.

The Giants’ quarterback position is probably the worst in the division. Their young soon-to-be franchise guy is far from a can’t-miss-prospect, and their current starter is a legend well past his prime. Giants fans need to hope and pray that Daniel Jones shocks the world and proves all his doubters wrong in the future.

New York Giants Save On Zeitler Contract After Restructuring

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New York Giants, Kevin Zeitler

One of the prime enemies of the New York Giants in recent years hasn’t just been the rest of the league, but the salary cap. The team’s cap situation wasn’t great going into the 2018 NFL season and it looks like one of the goals of the front office going into the offseason was to spend their cap space more efficiently.

This was seen in moves such as the trade of Olivier Vernon, whose production didn’t match up with his price tag, and allowing Landon Collins to walk and take more money with the Redskins. And after Odell Beckham Jr. signed a huge deal last year, his trade could be seen as partially a cap move.

The Giants have made another such salary cap saving move recently in the form of restructuring the contract of offensive guard Kevin Zeitler, who they acquired from the Cleveland Browns in the Vernon trade.

According to Field Yates, the Giants moved $7.5M worth of salary into a bonus and will save $5M against the salary cap this year. That won’t turn around the team’s cap problems by itself but it is a good move and based on the current numbers, $5M in salary cap is enough to pay a player such as Kareem Martin, Rhett Ellison, or Antoine Bethea, all of whom have cap hits within that range.

It also helps the Giants reduce their cap problems while still getting what should be an influential player who will start right away with former starting right guard Jamon Brown having moved on already to take a deal with the Atlanta Falcons.

There’s been plenty of things to complain about during the offseason but this isn’t one of them. The fact that the Giants were able to save a further $5M against the salary cap after acquiring Zeitler just goes to show that they won the Olivier Vernon trade with Cleveland.

New York Giants: Kevin Zeitler Speaks To Media Following Trade

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New York Giants, Kevin Zeitler

One of the biggest additions of the offseason for the New York Giants is undoubtedly Kevin Zeitler, who they acquired from the Clevaland Browns in the trade which sent pass rusher Olivier Vernon there. Zeitler is one of the better names at his position, and having a player of that caliber around at guard will be a big change from how the Giants roster has looked during recent years.

However, we haven’t heard a lot from the new guard since the deal was made. That’s now changed, with Zeitler speaking on Friday to Sirius XM Radio. Zeitler went into how he found out about the trade, and surprisingly, it wasn’t via phone call.

“I guess in the NFL, you never know what’s going to happen. But I was in the middle of a lift and for some reason I decided to check my phone and I saw on Instagram about a million people say, ‘Good luck in New York.’ So I ran out of the building, and we started calling people and it’s quite a shock for me and the family,” Zeitler said.

But it wasn’t long, Zeitler claimed, before teammates such as Eli Manning and Nate Solder reached out and made contact. And of course, Saquon Barkley is the star of the Giants offense now that Odell Beckham Jr. has been moved to Cleveland. As a guard, Barkley is the main player that Zeitler will block for other than Eli Manning, and that fact was quickly acknowledged.

“The first thought that popped in my head is like, ‘All right, we got Saquon’. I know he’s a heck of a player so that can only make life more fun for me,” said Zeitler, before speaking about his versatility. “There’s so many different types of players out there, different skill sets, different things they see. So I’ve got a great ability to work with them all, so I know the things that I might have to do a little differently or things I might have to say more, so that’s all going to take care of itself.”

Recently, the Giants have been no stranger to big name offensive line additions not panning out, such as the Patrick Omameh signing last year or the multi-year Ereck Flowers experiment that ended with Flowers making the move to Jacksonville. Could Zeitler be the free agent addition that actually sticks around and makes a positive impact for the team? It’s early, but it’s still looking that way.

And if that’s the case, the Giants can say they definitely won the Vernon trade, decisively.