TAMPA — It was always a factor: The Giants wanted Daniel Jones to watch every move made by Eli Manning and, like a sponge, absorb all the tips and lessons a 16-year veteran can bestow on a rookie, simply by observing his work-habits.
This dynamic was viewed through the prism of Jones as the backup watching Manning, the starter. In the background was a different sort of relationship the Giants were counting on as the torch was passed: Once the roles were reversed, the Giants wanted Manning around, in a non-playing capacity, to guide Jones where the coaching staff could not.