Hour 5: Big Mac: J.J. McCarthy is not the answer for the Giants

Chris McMonigle (0:00)

All right, 606 McMonigle here with you on the last stop of The Carton Show, taking you till 7 o'clock, when Monday Night Football comes your way. Eagles bears tonight. And obviously, a lot of the talk today, JJ. McCarthy has been traded to the Giants for a fifth round pick. And it's not so much, you know, that doesn't, it's not that the fifth round pick is some sort of heavy price tag that, you know, that you're going to kick the Giants for dealing. It's just, I don't know, I don't know what he is, right? So yeah, sure, could he, we talked about this a lot, when even before they got JJ. McCarthy about, well, do you take a shot on Shador Sanders? Do you take a shot on JJ. McCarthy? And JJ. McCarthy, without question, it is too early to just proclaim him as some sort of failure quarterback who will never play well, who can't play well, who's unequipped to play in the NFL. I think 10 starts with his, and he is injury-prone, obviously, with a lot of injuries over the last handful of years that has limited it to 10 starts. But with 10 starts, I can't make that definitive claim. But again, his coach is an offensive coach. His coach is a quarterback-friendly coach. His coach has now picked Sam Darnold over him, turned out to be right, won 14 games in last year, won a Super Bowl at Seattle this week with a lousy pick six.

You know, not included, obviously the right call. Then they bring in Kyler Murray. He wins the job in camp. I guess it was up for debate which guy they were going to pick. But you bring in Kyler Murray and you assumed he was going to win the job in camp. He did. Then Kyler Murray goes down with a concussion and they go to Carson Wentz.

O'Connell is an offensive coach and a quarterback whisperer, guru, whatever your choice is on what word to describe one of those quarterback coaches.

He went to Carson Wentz before he went back to JJ. McCarthy. Carson Wentz. Now, does that mean he can't play or that O'Connell is 100 percent right and you can never go against what O'Connell thinks when it comes to quarterbacks? No, but I think nobody knows him better than this coach and he decided to pass on him. And to bring him in here and give up, yeah, fifth round pick when you could have got other quarterbacks for nothing. I think it's an indication on truly how they feel about Jameis Winston because if they really did believe what they're saying about rolling with Jameis Winston and Jameis Winston's their quarterback, like, yeah, on the surface level, it's real simple, right? Like starting cam schliller game one, it's what you do. Easy peasy, don't overthink it. This was the best quarterback available in any scenario. They went out and got the best quarterback they could get any way they could. Free agent signing, trading, whatever the case may be. This is as good as they could have gotten and gives them a legitimate chance. If Jameis Winston goes down, then you could replace him with JJ. McCarthy. I'm all for having the best quarterback available, right? As much as I'll scream the season's dead, I don't expect them to act that way. They have to give themselves the best chance to win. And maybe JJ. McCarthy is. But it is hard to get, there's no real downside to it other than the 5th round pick as opposed to just signing Jimmy Garoppolo and just have it be money. Ultimately, the issue is, I don't think he's any good. And now you're bringing in a quarterback that there's going to be an expectation to play. In fact, I think this is an indication they don't believe in Jameis Winston. And what we've seen from Jameis Winston not only troubles the fan base, but clearly troubles the New York Giants and JJ. McCarthy is likely to play. And we'll find out what he is, I suppose. I don't think there's a real downside to it. I'm not upset about it. But it is hard to look at a quarterback who was drafted in the first round, who was given up by the organization and coach that drafted him, and has now done everything in their power to play anybody else. And let's be honest, even if he plays well, I say he plays well and they managed to win a handful of games with him. Okay, maybe you up his value and can get back more than a fifth. And then you say, hey, you help the season all along a little bit, and you've upgraded from a fifth to a fourth. Like, what are they going to give you for JJ. McCarthy if he plays well? And it's not like he's got a chance where you, like you're not in a position because of where they are with Jackson Dart. You're not in a position where you bring him in, and if things click, you're looking at, like, the possible future quarterback to the New York Giants. Not going to do that. That's not what he is. I mentioned it earlier to Craig and he immediately dismissed it that, well, it is his third year. You have to make a decision on year five. Well, that's ridiculous. Nobody would do that. Absolutely nobody would do that. But if he plays well enough, like these are the kind of players you take a chance on when you don't have a future at the quarterback position. If the Jets were to take a chance on him, for example, only because they play here. Like if the Jets take a chance on him, if Gino goes down and you say, hey, if something clicks with McCarthy, he could be the future, they're not going to do that with the Giants.