The Giants have reportedly hired Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur as head coach. Could Vikings quarterback Case Keenum soon follow?
ESPN, citing league sources, reported last week that "if Shurmur ends up being hired by a quarterback-needy team that he has interviewed with - Arizona and the Giants stand out -- he could bring Vikings free-agent-quarterback-to-be Case Keenum with him."
Just how quarterback-needy the Giants are at the moment is debatable. But there are enough complications on both ends to make it difficult to envision Keenum being part of the Giants' future.
The Giants have 37-year-old Eli Manning under contract for two more seasons, 2017 third-round pick Davis Webb under contract for three more seasons and the No. 2 overall pick in a draft with multiple high-level quarterback prospects. It's hard to see how Keenum, who is due for a huge payday after a breakout season, would fit into the Giants' plans.
If Shurmur, who has earned a reputation as a quarterback guru, wants to build around a young signal-caller, he'll have the opportunity to get a top prospect in the draft. The last time Shurmur worked with a top quarterback prospect was in 2010 when he was the Rams' offensive coordinator and he guided No. 1 pick Sam Bradford to the Rookie of the Year award.
If Shurmur and the Giants want an established quarterback to serve as a bridge until the No. 2 pick is ready, they can just stick with Manning for another year or two. Even though Manning is on the decline, he completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 3,468 yards, 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last season despite a porous offensive line and a cast of no-name receivers.
Even if Shurmur wants Keenum, there are no guarantees the Giants will be able to pry the quarterback from Minnesota. The Vikings can use the franchise tag on Keenum, and that seems like a strong possibility if they're unable to agree on a long-term deal.
Keenum, who bounced around between the Texans and Rams from 2013-16, completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 3,547 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his first season with Shurmur. Minnesota advanced to the NFC Championship Game on Keenum's 61-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs as time expired in Sunday's 29-24 win over the Saints.
A former undrafted free agent, the 29-year-old Keenum is going to want to cash in after signing a one-year, $2 million deal with the Vikings last offseason. The Giants are projected to have just under $30 million in cap space this offseason and those resources need to be directed toward rebuilding the offensive line and filling other holes.
The Giants could cut high-priced players to create more cap space, but Manning isn't an economically viable candidate. The Giants would eat $12.4 million in dead cap and save $9.8 million in 2018 cap space by releasing or trading Manning this offseason.
Keenum would command significantly more than the savings created by getting rid of Manning, and the Giants then would be investing heavily in a quarterback with one good season. That's too much of a risk when the available cap space can be spent on more pressing needs, while Shurmur should be able to make due with Manning, Webb and a top draft pick.
Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.