EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The New York Giants will have their players reporting to training camp July 27th. The expectations for this season are high, as New York will seek retribution for their 13-38 playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers. The Giants caught a lot of people by surprise with their (11-5) record last season. Few teams will make the same mistake this season.
Training camp is the first step of the championship push for New York. It is assumed barring injury, that Eli Manning will start under center for the Giants. Manning will be entering his 14th season for New York, and still has three years remaining on his contract. With Manning being 36 years old, the Giants need to start thinking about their future. New York did draft a quarterback this year in Davis Webb, but he likely will not be ready to assume a #2 back-up role.
One of the main battles to watch for during training camp, will be the back-up quarterback position. The Giants have two interesting options in Geno Smith and Josh Johnson. Johnson last played in the NFL back in 2013, and has less than 200 passing attempts in his career. Smith had a tumultuous career with the Jets, that was highlighted by many frustrating performances.
Smith can really use this opportunity to resurrect his career, by showing that he still has a useful skill set. With how little game experience Johnson has, Smith should have the slight advantage entering training camp. The battle between Johnson and Smith will determine not only the back-up quarterback, but will give us an idea of what the Giants will be looking for beyond Manning.
Barry Holmes is a Senior Writer for PureSportsNY.com. Follow him on Twitter @BHO732
(Featured Photo Credit: Julio Cortez/AP)