When the New York Giants selected Ryan Nassib in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, GM Jerry Reese publicly stated that he hoped Nassib would never have to play. The Giants were, and still remain, committed to Eli Manning at quarterback. Meanwhile, Nassib is entering his final year of his contract, and the Giants should seriously consider trading him for a draft pick.
Nassib, who has appeared in five games for the Giants over the last two years, will almost certainly bolt the Giants after his contract runs out. Manning will still have another three years on his deal, and Nassib will certainly seek out a chance to start. The dilemma for the Giants is what to do with Nassib.
Trading him makes the most sense. Holding on to him and allowing him to walk would mean the Giants essentially wasted a pick in a draft class that might only see them retaining their first two picks beyond their first contracts. In fact, only Justin Pugh and Johnathan Hankins appear destined to get offers of second contracts with the Giants.
The quarterback market is always somewhat hot. Teams are often looking for a backup or starter, and Nassib has shown some flashes that he could be a viable NFL starter. Certainly he could start on several NFL teams right now. The Giants can sign a veteran backup to play behind Manning like they did for the years before Nassib was drafted.
There are too many holes on this roster right now. The Giants currently have 29 free agents of all types and have released three other players leaving them with 32 open roster spots. Trading Nassib could help fill one of the other holes on the team. Reese needs to understand the team will ride or die on Manning’s arm, so having Nassib rather than another veteran isn’t going to make much of a difference for the Giants.
Given Reese’s poor draft history between 2009 and 2013, the Giants are currently faced with looking to fill massive gaps on their roster through this year’s draft, where they only have six picks, and free agency. It is a daunting task, but trading a player like Nassib, assuming there is a taker, makes the most sense rather than losing him for nothing after this season.
