Getty Images Eli Manning throwing a pass.
The 2019 offseason is undoubtedly going to be interesting for many reasons. While the 2019 NFL Draft hasn’t built up a ton of hype early on, due to the lack of quarterbacks entering the pro’s next season, the free agency market/trade market should be quite interesting. Not only will there be a ton of suspected transactions, but there could be quite a few significant names retiring as well.
There are a few big names that immediately come to mind. Arizona Cardinals’ Larry Fitzgerald, Oakland Raiders’ Marshawn Lynch (again), and maybe even New York Giants’ Eli Manning. Who knows what is really going to happen. But the mystery is making the offseason very exciting, and we’re not even halfway there yet.
2019 will be different. Many teams will be turning pages in their franchises. As we mentioned Eli Manning, there’s pretty much no chance that he returns in 2019 as the starter for the Giants. If he doesn’t want to retire, then he will have to play elsewhere. While it’s tough to assume that Manning will actually suit up somewhere else, there’s probably only one team that he would actually do it for, and that’s the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Say What?
In a recent article from ESPN, Staff Writer, Dan Graziano made 19 bold predictions for the 2019 offseason/season. Two of his 19 suggested changes in the NFL involved Manning, and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. Two guys who are currently underperforming, but may not be ready to hang up their cleats.
For Eli Manning, Graziano suggests that he could very well end up in Jacksonville. Why does it make sense? Because Tom Coughlin is in the picture over there. I don’t believe that I need to further explain. The Jaguars can win games, but Blake Bortles and a few injuries have utterly crushed their motivation to succeed in 2018.
Manning, on the other hand, has been in a toxic situation with the Giants that should’ve ended maybe two seasons ago. At this point, all signs are leaning towards Manning calling it quits after this season, but you truly never know. If the Jaguars coaching staff ask Coughlin to talk to Manning about a potential move, it would literally only take one call, and Manning would be over there in a heartbeat. Let’s be real.
Now, What about Flacco?
Joe Flacco is still under contract until at least, 2021. However, the Ravens can call it quits after the 2019 season, as the final two years of the deal are only options. At this point, we can probably assume that the Ravens will be out on Flacco once 2019 is up, but Graziano suggests that he could be released after 2018.
Right now, Flacco is struggling. He’s not horrendous, but he’s nowhere near playing at an elite level as well. This has been the norm for Flacco over the last couple of years now. With the Ravens slowly starting to utilize their rookie Lamar Jackson, it’s only a matter of time until he wins over the job permanently.
So, if the Ravens do decide to move on from Flacco, ESPN believes that he could end up with the Miami Dolphins, under Adam Gase. Basically, Flacco would come in and compete with Ryan Tannehill for the job. If he wins, he starts. If he loses, he becomes an even better insurance policy for 2019, if Tannehill goes down. Flacco hasn’t been great, but he would probably be an upgrade from the Dolphins current situation with Brock Osweiler under center.