Now that the Giants are officially interested in trading up for the No. 1 pick in the draft and selecting Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning, Kerry Collins is officially on notice: His days as the Giants' quarterback could be numbered.
A day after Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi confirmed he had reached out to Chargers GM A.J. Smith about the possibility of moving up to the No. 1 spot, Collins said he must prepare himself for the uncertainty of what lies ahead.
"No question," he said Thursday after completing an early-morning offseason workout. "But I think in a situation like this, you put the team first. You don't want to just get through something like this, either. I take pride in the way I play, this organization has treated me very well, and I've still got a lot of fight left in me."
Collins said he doesn't blame the Giants for freezing negotiations on a long-term contract, because it's uncertain what will happen in the draft.
"I think they're just going to wait and see what happens on draft day," Collins said. "If they're not completely sold on me as their quarterback, I would probably do the same thing [by not negotiating a new contract.]"
If the Giants had their way, they'd trade up and take Manning as their quarterback of the future and let Collins play out the final year of his contract and turn the team over to Manning in 2005.
But it's no lock the Giants will take the pick, especially if the Chargers demand a package of draft choices and/or players they believe is too high. Accorsi and Smith did not discuss specific parameters of any deal; Tuesday's phone call was more like a feeling-out process. But the talks doubtless will heat up in the coming days, and the Giants will know then if there's a more realistic chance of moving up.
The Giants also are considering a move up to the third overall pick, now owned by Arizona, with the possibility of selecting Miami (Ohio) quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald or Iowa tackle Robert Gallery. They could also remain at No. 4 and take one of those players, although they will have to consider the possibility of other teams moving up ahead of them. For instance, the Browns are known to covet Gallery and could move up to third.
But there's also a scenario where the Giants could move down to No. 6 and take Roethlisberger if he's still on the board. The Redskins, with the fifth choice, do not need a quarterback, which means the Giants could move to Detroit's No. 6 and still get Roethlisberger.
Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, a long-time Collins loyalist, hopes it doesn't come to that.
"Kerry's a great quarterback," Strahan said. "There's no doubt he's a Super Bowl quarterback. He's proven that by getting us there. I definitely believe he can get us there and win it. He's got a lot of good years left."
http://www.newsday.com
A day after Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi confirmed he had reached out to Chargers GM A.J. Smith about the possibility of moving up to the No. 1 spot, Collins said he must prepare himself for the uncertainty of what lies ahead.
"No question," he said Thursday after completing an early-morning offseason workout. "But I think in a situation like this, you put the team first. You don't want to just get through something like this, either. I take pride in the way I play, this organization has treated me very well, and I've still got a lot of fight left in me."
Collins said he doesn't blame the Giants for freezing negotiations on a long-term contract, because it's uncertain what will happen in the draft.
"I think they're just going to wait and see what happens on draft day," Collins said. "If they're not completely sold on me as their quarterback, I would probably do the same thing [by not negotiating a new contract.]"
If the Giants had their way, they'd trade up and take Manning as their quarterback of the future and let Collins play out the final year of his contract and turn the team over to Manning in 2005.
But it's no lock the Giants will take the pick, especially if the Chargers demand a package of draft choices and/or players they believe is too high. Accorsi and Smith did not discuss specific parameters of any deal; Tuesday's phone call was more like a feeling-out process. But the talks doubtless will heat up in the coming days, and the Giants will know then if there's a more realistic chance of moving up.
The Giants also are considering a move up to the third overall pick, now owned by Arizona, with the possibility of selecting Miami (Ohio) quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald or Iowa tackle Robert Gallery. They could also remain at No. 4 and take one of those players, although they will have to consider the possibility of other teams moving up ahead of them. For instance, the Browns are known to covet Gallery and could move up to third.
But there's also a scenario where the Giants could move down to No. 6 and take Roethlisberger if he's still on the board. The Redskins, with the fifth choice, do not need a quarterback, which means the Giants could move to Detroit's No. 6 and still get Roethlisberger.
Giants defensive end Michael Strahan, a long-time Collins loyalist, hopes it doesn't come to that.
"Kerry's a great quarterback," Strahan said. "There's no doubt he's a Super Bowl quarterback. He's proven that by getting us there. I definitely believe he can get us there and win it. He's got a lot of good years left."
http://www.newsday.com
