Why Alex Tanney? Pat Shurmur says he “adds to the room”

There has been much gnashing of teeth in the fan base and the media over the New York Giants decision to keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Especially since the third quarterback is journeyman Alex Tanney and not second-year man Kyle Lauletta, who is now part of the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad.

Coach Pat Shurmur had a straightforward explanation when asked about that decision on Monday.

“I think it makes sense for us to keep three quarterbacks. That’s why we did it,” Shurmur said. “Dave (Gettleman) was in agreement. We felt like that’s the best thing for our (quarterback) room. That’s why.”

Why Tanney, though?

“Having Alex here, who is a veteran, I think adds to the room,” Shurmur said.

My view on what Shurmur said is that he believes Tanney, a future coach who has been in the league since 2012, can assist in the development of Daniel Jones as the team’s quarterback of the future.

Tanney went 24-of-46 (52.2 percent) for 322 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in the preseason. Lauletta went 37-of-62 (59.7 percent) for 453 yards with four TDs and no interceptions.

This is a classic example of how much more than what we see during the four preseason games goes into roster decisions.