Jones has unwittingly been thrown into an impossible situation — caught between an aging veteran not yet ready to hand over the reins of the franchise, an overconfident general manager determined to prove he’s the smartest man in the room and a fan base that didn’t want him. At least not at No. 6 overall.
Drafting a young quarterback was supposed to stabilize a franchise that has strayed from the gold standard of football operations and devolve into dysfunction and media obsession. But rather than lift the cloud of confusion surrounding the organization, GM Dave Gettleman’s decision to select Jones that high in the draft with so many other pressing needs sent the Tri-State area into a tizzy and raised even more questions about the Giants’ long-term plan, their handling of Manning’s final years and Gettleman’s aptitude for assessing QB talent.