Getty Former Bills QB Tyrod Taylor.
All signs point towards Daniel Jones being the New York Giants‘ starting quarterback come Week 1 of the 2021 season. While the former No. 6 overall pick didn’t exactly take a sophomore leap this season, he showed enough development towards the latter end of 2020, namely as a decision-maker, to warrant another crack at proving he can be the guy under center for Big Blue.
However, behind Jones, things quickly get murky.
Veteran Colt McCoy served as the primary backup to Jones this year and by all means, proved serviceable. The Texas Longhorns legend started two games at quarterback in Jones’ absence this season, going 1-1, including an upset victory over the Seattle Seahawks. With that said, McCoy is an impending free agent and will turn 35-years-old before the start of next season. While he’s clearly earned some fans in the locker room, he’s not much more than an extra coach on the field.
More importantly, McCoy doesn’t deliver the same skillset as Jones does, which limits the playbook in the latter’s absence. Prior to Jones’ first lower-body injury of the year (Week 12 vs. Cincinnati), the quarterback flaunted near-elite dual-threat abilities, averaging nearly 40 yards rushing over his first 10 games of the year, including five performances of 45-plus yards. Contrastingly, McCoy totaled a whopping five rushing yards on four carries over his two starts.
The Giants did ink the ever-mobile Joe Webb to a reserve/futures contract earlier this month. Yet, he’s more of a gadget/swiss-army-knife type than he is a No. 2 quarterback, evident by the fact that he’s attempted a total of seven passes since 2012.
So how do the Giants add a veteran presence similar to that of McCoy, but with the added skillset to complement that of Jones’? They dip into the 2021 free agency pool of course.
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Tyrod Taylor to the Giants?
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan recently gave an “early snapshot” of what he believes the Giants’ roster could look like next season, tossing out a few notable names as potential answers behind starting quarterback Daniel Jones. Ultimately, Duggan opted for Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
Depth chart: Tyrod Taylor
Jones has missed four games due to injury in two seasons as a starter. The Giants shouldn’t break the bank for a backup but those durability concerns require an upgrade over the limited Colt McCoy. The good news for the Giants is that there will be plenty of veteran options with starting experience available, including Taylor, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andy Dalton and Jacoby Brissett.
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What Taylor Would Bring to the Giants
In 2020 we saw rookie phenom Justin Herbert take the league by storm. Yet, had it not been for a freak accident where a team doctor accidentally punctured Tyrod Taylor’s lung prior to kickoff of the Chargers’ Week 2 game, Herbert may have spent the majority of this past season on clipboard duty.
Named the starter for Los Angeles’ season-opener, Taylor put up modest production, completing 16-of-30 for 208 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. However, Taylor’s output over the entirety of his 10-year pro career shows a serviceable signal-caller with highs of game-changing abilities.
Originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, Taylor has appeared in 92 career games (47 starts) spanning across stints with the Chargers, as well as the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills, the latter of which he earned his lone career Pro Bowl nod with.
Taylor has amassed 9,770 passing yards throughout his pro career, tossing 54 touchdowns to just 20 interceptions. To put that latter number in perspective, Daniel Jones has thrown 22 interceptions over his career. That’s two more interceptions for the Giants starter in 65 fewer games (21 fewer starts).
Furthermore, Taylor chipped in with 1,850 yards and 16 touchdowns as a rusher, including three separate campaigns of 427 yards or more.
While a soon-to-be 32-year-old Taylor may have ultimately seen his days as an NFL starter pass him by, he’d be a rock-solid signing addition to any quarterback room.
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