Why the Giants should trade Eli Manning

The party's over for the New York Giants. What started out as a season of tremendous promise and Super Bowl aspirations has turned into a nightmare. Now it's time to salvage what you can from the season and look towards the future. Part of that plan should be to consider trading quarterback Eli Manning, both for team's own good and his as well.

Eli Manning has been playing behind a bad offensive line since 2013, which ironically is the last time the Giants started the season 0-5. They would go to 0-6 before Eli head coach Tom Coughlin would rally the troops to finish 7-9.

It's time for Eli and Coughlin to get together again, Coughlin's Jacksonville Jaguars are 3-2 on top of their division with a quarterback Blake Bortles who is not having a good year. It's so bad that Bortles threw only one pass in the teams 30-9 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. They need a quarterback! Enter the Giants who have one of the best.

Eli Manning to Jacksonville would reunite Tom Coughlin with the quarterback that won him two Super Bowls. Manning would be behind a stout offensive line, great running game featuring Leonard Fournette, and a defense that could become one of the best in the league and could be the missing link to a magical playoff run. The Jaguars need him. What a perfect trading partner!

Eli Manning is not part of the future here. He's 37 years old and next years draft is loaded with good quarterbacks. It would be interesting to see what an Eli Manning could bring in a trade. Ironic that the man who refused to get him protection Giants general manager Jerry Reese could actually be protecting him best by getting him out of here. Of course with the way the team is playing this year, Reese may need to make a great deal to save his own job.

Sometimes fate dictates when it's time to turn the page, like it did with the Indianapolis Colts in 2012 and the Giants in 2004. In 2003, the Giants were coming off a playoff year where they lost to the 49ers, then they got wiped out by a rash of injuries that enabled them to get high enough in the 2004 draft to make a deal to acquire number one pick Eli Manning.

Eli has been (and continues to be) a good soldier for the Giants. He constantly takes the fall for a line that's been causing that fall game after game. He's a stand up guy that his line can't keep standing. He deserves to finish his career with a winner like his brother did.

The Indianapolis Colts unveiled a statue of Peyton Manning last Saturday. Manning would leave Indy to go to Denver and win another Super Bowl. Eli should be given the same opportunity.

We will never forget Eli Manning and will be telling his story for years to come. Eli will definitely be back to have his number 10 retired and maybe even a statue. But now could be the time to strike with the trade deadline approaching and a viable partner. Better to get something back then let him go for nothing when the time comes. Eli Manning wouldn't be the first Jersey guy to head to sunny Florida.

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