Let's play a little game. I'll call it the "Would You Trade Eli Manning For ..." game.
Here's how we'll play. I'll name several young quarterbacks who are at roughly the same stage of their careers as Eli. I'll give you my opinion as to whether or not I would trade Eli straight up for that quarterback, then you give me yours.
I'd love to hear from fans of some of those other teams who end up being mentioned, as well as other SB Nation football bloggers.
So, let's get started.
Would you trade Eli Manning for ...
• Tony Romo? No. Romo's star might be shining brighter right now, but I still believe when it's all said and done Manning will be the better player.
• Jason Campbell? No. The folks who follow the Redskins will tell you this guy is going to be a star. There isn't enough evidence yet for me to make this deal.
• Ben Roethlisberger? Yes. Ernie Accorsi should simply have drafted Big Ben instead of trading for Eli. This would fix that mistake.
• Philip Rivers? Yes. Rivers was the 3rd QB in that 2004 draft, and the Giants actually drafted him and traded him to San Diego. Right now, he is better than Eli.
• Matt Leinart? Yes. Leinart is the guy who could finally lead Arizona out of the NFL wilderness. The bright lights of New York would not faze him.
• Vince Young? Yes, in a heartbeat. Young is unconventional, but he's a leader and a winner. He would be electric in New York.
• J.P. Losman? No. The Bills QB is developing, and right now is roughly equal to Eli. I believe, though, that Eli will end up having the better career.
• Jay Cutler? No. I went back and forth on this one. Ultimately, he is in the same category as Jason Campbell. I just haven't seen enough yet to justify trading Eli.
• Rex Grossman? No way. The Bears erratic QB makes Eli look like the model of consistency and accuracy. I think what we see now from Grossman is what we will always see -- some big plays, and lots of big mistakes.
• Alex Smith? Yes. I think the 49ers QB is headed for stardom. I'd be surprised if the 49ers would actually do this.