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Giants’ New General Manager Says Eli Manning Is His Quarterback
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSDEC. 29, 2017

On Friday, in his first news conference as the Giants’ general manager, Dave Gettleman said, “I’m going to do everything in my power to lead this organization back to where it belongs.”

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Vowing to whip the Giants into shape and return them to prominence, Dave Gettleman has taken over as general manager for the reeling franchise.

Speaking at a news conference Friday, less than 24 hours after his hiring was announced, Gettleman declined to say how long it would take to rebuild the Giants, who are 2-13, but said there was plenty of talent on the team, which reached the playoffs a year ago under the recently fired coach Ben McAdoo.

“I’ve been hired to win,” Gettleman, 66, said after being introduced by the co-owner John Mara. “The only promise I can make is I’m going to do everything in my power to lead this organization back to where it belongs.”

Gettleman replaces Jerry Reese, who was fired Dec. 4 along with McAdoo as the team spiraled out of control and fans objected to the benching of quarterback Eli Manning, a two-time Super Bowl most valuable player.

The hiring is a reunion for Gettleman. He worked for the Giants for 15 years before leaving in 2013 to become the general manger of the Carolina Panthers. He helped them reach the Super Bowl in the 2015 season. He was fired after the team missed the playoffs last season.

Gettleman wants his teams to run, stop the run and pressure the passer. He said Manning, 36, would be his starter for next season based on what he had done against Philadelphia less than two weeks ago, throwing for 434 yards and three touchdowns.

Gettleman’s first major task will be to hire a new coach. He would not identify any candidates but he said he wanted someone with intelligence, leadership ability and vision, equating the job with that of a chief executive.

Mara said the Giants wanted their new coach to have N.F.L. experience, either as a head coach or a coordinator.

The interim coach and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has been promised an interview. The Panthers defensive coordinator Steve Wilks also has to be considered a candidate.

Talking with a rich Boston accent, Gettleman described himself as inveterate film watcher. He said he planned to build the team through every avenue possible: draft, trade, waiver wire, free agency. He insisted that a team could never have too many great players at one position, noting that the Giants’ victorious Super Bowl teams in 2007 and 2011 were loaded with good defensive linemen.

Gettleman scoffed at the idea that, because of his age, he would be a caretaker general manager.

He said he wanted to foster communication, collaboration and honesty in handling issues.

“The biggest mistake a G.M. can make is to close their door and work on their own,” he said.

Gettleman also indicated that he wants a good offensive line, saying he believes in the “hog mollies.”

He said the former Giants coach Tom Coughlin had told him that big men allow a team to compete.

Gettleman is the Giants’ fourth general manager since 1979, following George Young, Ernie Accorsi and Reese, who held the job for 11 seasons that included the two Super Bowl victories.

The Giants interviewed four men for the job, including the interim general manager Kevin Abrams, the assistant G.M. for 16 years; Mark Ross, their vice president of player evaluation; and Louis Riddick, a former N.F.L. personnel executive and current ESPN analyst.

Gettleman originally joined the Giants in the spring of 1998 as pro personnel director Tim Rooney’s assistant. He was promoted to pro personnel director the following year upon Rooney’s retirement.

In his four seasons, Carolina was 40-23-1 and won three consecutive N.F.C. South titles. In 2015, the Panthers finished with an N.F.L.-best 15-1 record and reached Super Bowl 50.

Gettleman has been a part of seven Super Bowl teams, including three winners. He was with Buffalo in 1990 and 1991; Denver in 1997; the Giants in 2000, 2007 and 2011; and the Panthers in 2015. The 1997 Broncos and the 2007 and 2011 Giants won championships.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/29/sports/football/giants-general-manager-dave-gettleman.html?