some people think the Giants should have chosen quarterback Sam Darnold over him in last year’s draft. But he doesn’t know what he can do to change those people’s minds.“If a Rookie of the Year doesn’t sway that mindset White Mark Bavaro Jerseys , I don’t know what will,” Barkley said, via Kimberly Jones of NFL Network.But that’s just it: Nothing will sway that mindset. Because the idea that the Giants should have taken Darnold isn’t about Barkley at all. Criticizing the Giants’ decision was never about doubting Barkley would be a good running back. It’s about doubting that running back can help the Giants as much as Darnold would have.The reality is, in today’s NFL, if you need a franchise quarterback and you have a chance to draft him, and you draft a running back instead, that’s a bad move — even if that running back is Rookie of the Year. There’s a reason that 20 quarterbacks will make more money this year than the highest-paid running back: Quarterback is a far more valuable position.If Darnold develops into a good quarterback, and Barkley develops into a great running back, then Darnold is the more valuable player. It’s not a knock on Barkley to say there’s nothing he can do to help the Giants win as much as Darnold will help the Jets win if he blossoms into a high-quality starting quarterback. It’s just the reality of their positions.Barkley and Darnold will always be linked because they play in the same city and were drafted second and third overall in the same year. And if Darnold becomes an elite starting quarterback Mark Bavaro Jerseys 2019 , he’ll always be the player the Giants should have drafted, and a career full of highlight-reel runs from Barkley won’t change that. The holidays are almost here! With that in mind, let’s open one last Big Blue View mailbag and see what New York Giants fans have on their minds.Hank Gardstein asks: My question is: how do we SUPPOSEDLY know the #17 is not the guy of the future? Surely not the 1 appearance in garbage time and surely not preseason games. Has he shown nothing in practice? The team has so many needs, it seems that we should be damn sure that this kid is not the answer to Q-back, rather than wasting picks and deals on someone who might not be any better. Let’s play him and find out.Ed says: Hank, let’s start with this. I know fans get all uppity because they haven’t seen Kyle Lauletta, expect for one really awful quarter of play. I know fans are still annoyed because Davis Webb never played. Thing is, the decision isn’t up to the fan base and whether or not the fans get to see more of Lauletta isn’t important. Not even a little bit.What is important is what the Giants’ decision-makers — Pat Shurmur, Dave Gettleman and even co-owner John Mara — think of Lauletta. They see him in practice every day. They see him in meetings every day. They see him in the locker room every day. They know his ability level White Michael Strahan Jerseys , his readiness to play, his personality, his work ethic. All of that matters, and it’s different than last year with Webb. Shurmur and Gettleman will be back next season and they know what they have — or don’t have — in Lauletta.If you are actually paying attention to what Shurmur has been saying, he has been telling us that he doesn’t think Lauletta is ready to play winning football at the NFL level yet. He may be after a full NFL offseason, but he’s a fourth-round pick out of an FCS school. He’s not a first-round pick from a Power 5 school. The Giants NOT going out of the way to play him should be telling you something.David Gray asks: While watching the Saints/Panthers game, I was thinking that Drew Brees is clearly a better quarterback (than Eli Manning) and a Hall of Famer; a record-setting quarterback who has his team competing for a playoff spot every year.But I was wondering who would I rather have at quarterback if Brees never wins another championship: the surefire record-setting Hall of Famer who would bring only one championship or a solid quarterback who would bring two championships?Ed says: Well, David you didn’t really ask me a question there. You kind of asked yourself one. I’m going to give you my answer, anyway.Everybody who has followed Big Blue View for a while knows I have always believed in Eli Michael Strahan Jerseys 2019 , and always thought he got more heat for the Giants’ failings than he has deserved. If you think for a second, though, that Manning is or has been close to the quarterback Brees has been throughout his career I’m not sure what you’ve been watching. I’m taking Brees all day, every day.Ed says: Player value in NFL trades is something fans always have a hard time understanding. Why could the Giants only get a fifth-round pick for Damon Harrison? Age and contract are the answers. A fourth-round pick for Eli Apple? The baggage from 2017 and the reality that he was very inconsistent for the Giants are the answers. All things considered, GM Dave Gettleman did well to get a third-round pick for Jason Pierre-Paul last offseason.Point is, there are a lot more deals where the return seems under-whelming than deals like the Amari Cooper one where a team gets a first-round pick in exchange for the player.I think Gettleman will float Olivier Vernon, Janoris Jenkins and maybe a couple of other veteran players in trade discussions and see what the return might be. They might even float Evan Engram’s name, but I doubt they would move him. Nor do I think they should. I think the Giants would love to recoup the third-round pick they forfeited by taking cornerback Sam Beal in the supplemental draft. I’m just not sure they can get that kind of return for anyone they might be willing to move.Ed says: First, you always consider trading players for more picks. Thing is White Will Hernandez Jerseys , the Giants already have nine picks and could get two more compensatory picks if Over The Cap’s projection proves accurate. That’s 11 picks. Sorry, but 11 drafted rookies aren’t making the roster next season. With that many picks, it might be more likely the Giants would use some of them to target specific players and move around the board to get a couple of them.As for what the Giants should target, if you watch games you know the areas of need — offensive line, all across the defense, quarterback of the future. This draft has a a couple of offensive tackles who will probably be Day 1 picks, but not a lot. The quarterback class is considered “meh” by most evaluators. Defensively, though, this draft is considered to be flush with talent. So Will Hernandez Jerseys 2019 , follow the talent and stock up on defense. Find an offensive tackle to compete on the right side somewhere in the first two days of the draft. Don’t force a quarterback pick, but if a guy you really love is their and you believe he can be your guy, make the move.Ed says: Kevin, quite honestly I don’t know. I had never heard of Bo Levi Mitchell until his name was mentioned to me a couple of weeks ago, and I have never seen him play. I know that Mitchell has NFL teams intrigued and that he is working out for several of them. Sounds like teams think he might be a capable backup option. I would have to believe he is in the NFL somewhere next season.