The call has not yet been made for Kyle Lauletta to start warming up in the bullpen. But he should be getting loose.
The record of 1-6 and the trades the past two days of cornerback Eli Apple and defensive tackle Damon “Snacks’’ Harrison are clear signs the Giants are looking beyond this miserable season and rebuilding for the future. Coach Pat Shurmur will try to win every one of the remaining nine games, of course, but will do so with a diminished roster and an eye toward who can help the cause down the road.
This means that, unless there is a dramatic turnaround — do not bet on it — Eli Manning cannot and will not remain as the starting quarterback for the entire season. This means Lauletta will get a start — multiple starts — much sooner than anticipated.
“I can get myself ready, there’s no excuses for me not to be ready,’’ Lauletta told The Post on Wednesday. “I prepare hard and work hard every day to try to get myself better. I’m gonna be ready if my number’s called.’’
This new regime has already made a ton of personnel mistakes and struck out in thinking this was a playoff contender as the roster was reshaped on the fly. Seven games into the grand plan, general manager Dave Gettleman admitted the error of his ways, not by his words but by his deeds. At some point this season, there will be a discussion with Shurmur, and there will be a determination as to the right time to get the rookie quarterback onto the field.
The Giants face the Redskins on Sunday at MetLife Stadium — won’t that be a festive atmosphere? — then get a Week 9 bye, a good time to reassess. The expectation is Manning will remain as the starter coming out of the bye for a Nov. 12 game at San Francisco. The Giants do not need to see nine starts out of Lauletta to determine what they have. But they do need to see him start games.
Nothing Manning can do will ever diminish his standing within an organization that adores him. After he is through playing, he will be hailed and welcomed whenever he returns. This is eating at him. He showed some emotion standing in front of his locker Wednesday as the questions about trades and tanking and his future filled the air, as much as Manning tried to redirect the conversation to football and the Redskins.
He says he is not thinking about a Giants plan moving forward without him.
“No, my focus and my worries are on Washington and getting prepared to play each game this season,” Manning said.
Of course. This is Eli Manning, stoic. But he is also human.
Would he consider playing for another team?
“Just not something I’m thinking about,’’ he said. “I’m thinking about playing for the Giants this week against the Washington Redskins. That’s the mindset. I haven’t brought myself to think about another scenario.’’
He did put a no-trade clause into his most recent contract language.
“That’s just kind of agent stuff, I guess,’’ Manning said.
It is management’s job to look ahead. This uncomfortable transition will be handled less clumsily than last season’s Geno Smith-for-Manning maneuver, but it will be painful to Manning — who is 37 years old and is operating one of the NFL’s least effective offenses, despite having Odell Beckham Jr., Sterling Shepard and Saquon Barkley as weapons. Lauletta is a fourth-round pick from Richmond, and Shurmur is intrigued with his instincts.
The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, and Manning is not going anywhere. But sentiment must be removed from the process. He threw for 399 yards with no interceptions and compiled a passer rating of 113.8 Monday night in Atlanta. Yet the Giants had six points through three quarters in a 23-20 loss. Manning has one year remaining on a contract that will count $23.2 million on the 2019 salary cap. It is far more likely this is his final year with the Giants than it is he will return and the Giants will absorb that salary-cap hit on a fading 38-year old.
“You just have to see how everything unfolds,’’ Lauletta said. “We’re still gonna fight like hell to win the division, and Eli’s the quarterback for now. I’m gonna support him and help him. We’re still trying to win games, and coaches feel Eli’s the best quarterback and gives us the best chance to win, so until that clock hits zero he’s gonna be the guy.’’
Next up for Shurmur is to find the rookie practice reps with the starting offense, then determine the right time and place for him to make his debut.
The Giants are headed for a high pick in the 2019 draft pick, and if Oregon’s Justin Herbert declares, he could be next in line. Until then, the Giants need to know what they have. The future is not Eli Manning.