By Dan Duggan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Giants are broken.

There are eight games remaining and Sunday's 51-17 home loss to the Rams suggests things will get worse before they get better for the 1-7 Giants. So, where do they go from here?

Blowing it up looks like the only option right now. Ownership needs to make some drastic moves to get this franchise back on track. Here are the steps that need to be taken:

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Hire a new GM

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Julio Cortez | AP Photo

The Giants won two Super Bowls in Jerry Reese's first five seasons as general manager, but that early success can't result in a lifetime contract. The Giants are 40-48 with no playoff wins in the past five-plus seasons.

There is no evidence that Reese is capable of engineering a turnaround. Last offseason's spending spree on the defense was a band-aid, but years of spotty drafting have left the team deficient at too many positions.

The Giants need to branch out in their search for Reese's replacement. They shouldn't bring back former pro personnel director Dave Gettleman and there's no in-house candidate worthy of a promotion to general manager, although salary cap expert Kevin Abrams is worth retaining. The best way to find Reese's replacement will be combing through the front offices of the league's top franchises and identifying someone due for a promotion.

A more complicated issue will be the status of senior vice president of player evaluation Chris Mara. The Giants are a family business, but owner John Mara can't ignore the fact that his brother has had a prominent role in the front office during the team's decline.

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Let the GM hire a new coach

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Giants can't go halfway. If they're going to replace Reese, head coach Ben McAdoo needs to follow him out the door. The new general manager needs to have input in the hiring of the coach he'll work closely with going forward.

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Find an up-and-coming assistant

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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Forget the coaches-turned-TV personalities like Bill Cowher and Jon Gruden. Forget the retreads like former Falcons coach Mike Smith, who was a finalist when McAdoo got hired. And forget the college coaches like Alabama's Nick Saban.

The Giants' best bet to find a long-term solution is to land an up-and-coming assistant coach. They can't be scared off by McAdoo's failure. Is Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia or Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo the next Sean McVay? Only time will tell. But that's where the Giants should focus their search.

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Clean house on the coaching staff

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Brad Penner | USA TODAY Sports

There wasn't a full makeover when McAdoo replaced Tom Coughlin in 2016, as defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and special teams coordinator Tom Quinn were retained and Mike Sullivan was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator.

The house-cleaning must include the assistants this time. Spaguolo's defense has imploded and last season's success looks more like an aberration compared to his results in recent years. Sullivan has been an awkward fit as offensive coordinator because his schematic background is completely different from McAdoo's. And a change is overdue on special teams after 11 seasons with Quinn.

If there's a position coach the organization likes, he can interview with the new head coach. But the new coach needs to have the freedom to hire his own staff.

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McAdoo not worried about job security

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Find Eil's replacement

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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

With the Giants in contention for a top-3 pick, they need to seriously consider drafting a quarterback. The Giants hope they won't be in this position again for a long time, so if they're convinced USC's Sam Darnold or UCLA's Josh Rosen is a franchise quarterback, they need to pull the trigger.

Regardless of how things play out, Eli Manning should return as the starter next season. But the 36-year-old quarterback is nearing the end of the line. The Giants need to take the necessary steps to prepare for life after Manning, and the upcoming draft could be their best opportunity to find a successor.

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Other draft targets

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Jay LaPrete | AP Photo

Drafting a quarterback isn't a slam dunk, however. If the Giants do end up with the third pick, there's a chance the best quarterback prospects could be off the board, especially if Darnold stays in school.

With Manning and Davis Webb in the fold and plenty of other needs, the Giants can't force a quarterback selection. Penn State running back Saquon Barkley could be a game-changer for a rushing attack that has consistently ranked among the league's worst. The offensive line remains a top priority, although there may not be a prospect in this class worth a top-3 pick. The Giants will also have the option of trading back (Reese would have to be gone for this to happen, of course) to acquire more assets.

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McAdoo's halftime message

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What players have to go?

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John Munson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Giants need to determine the scope of their rebuild. As bad as this season has been, a complete gutting of the roster is unnecessary based on the existing talent level. It wouldn't make sense to eat huge sums of dead money to clear some of the big contracts they just signed to players who performed at a high level in 2016.

The house-cleaning will inevitably extend to the roster, however. Aging veterans like wide receiver Brandon Marshall and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will likely be shown the door.

The Giants will also face several tough decisions on their own free agents, including guard/tackle Justin Pugh, center Weston Richburg and linebacker Devon Kennard. They won't be able to keep everyone while also setting aside money for extensions for wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and safety Landon Collins.

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Listen to Odell offers

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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

I'm not advocating a trade of Beckham. Watching the offense flounder without him is more evidence that the talented wide receiver is part of the solution and not the problem.

But if some team is willing to make the Giants a Godfather offer, they might as well listen. Beckham, who will be coming back from a fractured ankle, is going to want a huge payday. It's debatable if any wide receiver is worth the type of contract Beckham is going to be seeking.

Again, I'd keep Beckham. But if some team makes a Herschel Walker-type of offer, the Giants would be crazy not to listen.

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Eli's consecutive snaps streak ends

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Free agent targets

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Kirby Lee | USA TODAY Sports

The Giants didn't make any major moves to bolster their offensive line in free agency last offseason and the position remains their biggest hole. They first have to make decisions on Pugh and Richburg, but then they'll still need to add help from outside. The problem is the tackles set to hit the market are uninspiring.

The Giants won't have the cap space to be big spenders in free agency, so they'll likely be left to bargain hunt to patch holes at spots like linebacker and wide receiver.

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Find leaders

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Danielle Parhizkaran | USA TODAY Sports

There's a leadership void this season despite the presence of many established veterans. It doesn't help that veterans like Rodgers-Cromartie and cornerback Janoris Jenkins have been suspended. But no one has stepped up as things have gone off the rails.

Step 1 should be reinstituting Tom Coughlin's leadership council. There has been a disconnect between McAdoo and the locker room this season, and the Giants can't afford to have that continue.

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Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.