Monday, February 4, 2008

Did Eli Manning one-up Chargers?


OK, Charger fans; does everybody still believe the Chargers got the better of the draft day trade with the New York Giants in 2004?

After all, the Giants did receive Eli Manning in the trade. And Manning was the MVP on Sunday when the Giants shocked the New England Patriots, 17-14, in the Super Bowl.

You can still make the contention that the Chargers did much better in the trade. In essence, by trading Manning to New York, the Chargers were able to get quarterback Philip Rivers, linebacker Shawne Merriman and kicker Nate Kaeding.

Certainly, a case can be made that the Chargers went from 4-12 in 2003 to the playoffs each of the last two years because of the Manning trade in April 2004.

But what about the Giants? They were also 4-12 in 2003 … and now they have won the Super Bowl with Manning.

There’s no question that the Chargers received plenty of overall talent by trading an unhappy Manning to the Giants within an hour of drafting him in 2004.

Yet until the Chargers win the Super Bowl like Manning and the Giants did, it will be difficult to say they got the best of the trade.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I still say the Chargers made the better trade. But you do make a good point about Manning winning the Super Bowl MVP.

Anonymous said...

I think in the long run the Chargers got the better of the Eli Manning trade. The Giants got hot the last few weeks of the season and made their Super Bowl run but there are still shortcomings in Eli that are apparent and Philip Rivers can still become a good quarterback in the NFL. Merriman and Kaeding are already standouts at their positions. Eli had his day but I think in the long run the Chargers will have better careers but not until they win a Super Bowl.

Anonymous said...

Why can't we just say the trade benefitted both teams and leave it at that. The Giants got the player they wanted and the eventual Superbowl MVP. The Chargers got the best QB they could get (after Manning said he wouldn't play for them) and also managed to get three draft picks in the deal that they used very well.