For Giants Reese, Fixing Eli Is Priority Number 1

The new GM of the NY Giants, Jerry Reese, didn't pull the trigger on the trade that brought Eli Manning to New York. That was his predecessor's doing. He was, however, involved in the decision making process at the point and Eli Manning is, like it or not, Reese's problem. So, as 2007 and the Reese era begin, Eli Manning's future success is his number one priority.

Manning is, after all, the future of this franchise. The team may win without a dramatic increase in his productivity, but they'll likely fall short of their ultimate goal, a Super Bowl title. Reese will have his work cut out for him, but there are several things he can do from a player/personnel standpoint that could help immediately.

First, bring in a quarterbacks guru. Someone who Manning will respect and someone who will not only teach him the mechanical aspect of the position and how to read a defense, but also how to be tough. Manning needs to grow a pair of horns and learn to hang in the pocket and take a hit for the sake of making a big completion. He often sacrifices his mechanics to avoid being clobbered and seems to prefer the possibility of turning the ball over taking the aforementioned hit. The apparent promotion of former QB Coach Kevin Gilbride seemed to do the trick, as Manning was elusive in the pocket and absorbed several hits while making crucial completion, during his last 2 games. The question of why Gilbride's guidance didn't work from day 1 still remains and now Gilbride can't be counted on as a full time solution, since he'll be busy we the rest of the offense.

Quarterbacks don't perform well when pressured. That's football 101. When given time in the pocket, however, they're much more likely to step up and make a solid thrown. Use Peyton Manning as an example. He was sacked only 15 times during the regular season in 2006 and finished with 31 touchdowns and only 9 picks. His completion percentage was 65%. During the playoffs, however, Peyton has been erratic. For example he;'s thrown 5 interceptions vs. only 1 touchdown through 2 playoff games this season. He's played tough defenses that have put pressure on him and he hasn't performed. Similarly, Eli was pressured throughout 2006 and threw 18 picks. He was sacked 25 times, which is a consistent ratio to the sacks of and interceptions thrown by Peyton (15/9). The bottom line here is that Reese needs to get Eli better protection. It's good, but needs to be better. He needs to sign C Shaun O'Hara and evaluate the health of LT Luke Petitgout. Both are keys to the line. Reese will need to add a big, solid body to this unit, possibly Leonard Davis.

Lastly, Reese needs to give Eli a few more targets. Amani Toomer is rehabbing his torn ACL and his return to 100% is in question. Sinorice Moss will be entering his second year and likely wont be ready for elite type production. Reese should first contact TE Eric Johnson and give him a workout. Though an injury risk, a healthy Johnson would give the Giants the best pass catching tandem in the league, by far, and open countless windows for the offense. Obviously, there are gret health concerns. Next, Reese should look to sign free agent receivers such as Travis Taylor and/or Keenan McCardell, who should come relatively cheap. Bobby Engram is another option, as he's a team player who runs crisp routes and has sure hands.

Whatever it is Reese does, Eli needs to improve his game. If he doesn't, this franchise may suffer quite a setback.