By Ryan Dunleavy | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

If quarterback Eli Manning isn't rethinking his plan to play forever after his offensive line and play-calling left him vulnerable to a beating by the Cowboys, maybe it is time for the Giants to rethink their plan of letting him.

The Giants look headed toward another lost season after starting 0-2 for the fifth time in the last six years. The problems are familiar: An offensive line that can't pass protect or open run lanes, and a 37-year-old quarterback who looks like a sitting duck most of the time and whose completions rarely hit his explosive targets in stride.

It was supposed to be easier to grade Manning in 2018 because he was supposed to be out of excuses now that he has running back Saquon Barkley and a remade offensive line. So much for that premise.

The Giants are in danger of wasting the prime years of Odell Beckham and the beginning years of Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram and Barkley because their offense doesn't have the time to make things happen.

Don't Edit

If the Giants are headed toward another 3-13 season, they again will pick at the top of the draft. They again will be expected to target a quarterback of the future. They again might say, "No thanks."

The problems? Well, they used a fourth-round pick on a quarterback in 2018 and a third-round pick on a quarterback in 2017, when an offensive tackle in either spot would have helped.

And the 2019 NFL Draft class of quarterbacks pales in comparison to the 2018 class, which was viewed among the best ever for the first round. The Giants passed on four to take Barkley.

Manning's contract is up after the 2019 season — when he is on the hook for a $23.2 million salary cap hit — so the Giants might actually think about extending his contract if they really believe he has "years" left, as coach Pat Shurmur, general manager Dave Gettleman and co-owner John Mara have said.

Here is a look at where the Giants could find their next quarterback, via free agency or the draft, in 2019 or 2020, starting with looking in-house:

Don't Edit

John Munson | NJ Advance Media f

Kyle Lauletta

It's nearly impossible to groom two young quarterbacks at the same time because there is limited developmental time during the regular season. The Giants made their choice after the preseason ended, going with fourth-round pick rookie Lauletta over 2017 third-round pick Davis Webb.

Like Webb was last year for the previous regime, Lauletta is the third-stringer — behind 30-year-old journeyman Alex Tanney — and hasn't dressed for the first two regular-season games as he is taking zero practice snaps.

If Shurmur wants to play dink-and-dunk football, Lauletta's accuracy and decision-making (strengths) are more important than his arm strength (weakness). In a draft that included four Top 10 quarterback picks, the Giants made Lauletta their sleeper choice.

Don't Edit

POTENTIAL CUTS

Don't Edit

Andy Lyons | Getty Images

Joe Flacco, Ravens

If the Giants want to go from veteran Super Bowl winner to veteran Super Bowl winner, Joe Flacco probably will available after the 2019 season ... if not sooner. The Ravens drafted Lamar Jackson in the first round earlier this year.

Flacco's monster contract includes $16 million in dead money (or a $26.5 million cap hit) in 2019, and $8 million in dead money (or a $28.25 million cap hit) in 2020. But the 33-year-old South Jersey native never has been to the Pro Bowl. He is 93-63 as a starter.

Credit WFAN's Bart Scott for pitching the idea months ago of a Giants-Flacco marriage months ago.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins

Tannehill, a former first-round pick, signed a four-year, $77 million contract through the 2020 season.

The contract includes $13.4 million in dead money (or a $26.6 million cap hit) in 2019, and $5.5 million in dead money (or a $25 million cap hit) in 2020.

After missing all of last season, Tannehill has the Dolphins off to a 2-0 start, improving to 39-40 in his career. He led the Dolphins into the playoffs in 2016.

Don't Edit

2019 FREE AGENTS

Don't Edit

NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Teddy Bridgewater, Saints

We already know Shurmur thinks highly of Bridgewater based off their tenure together with the Vikings.

"Teddy is an outstanding, competitive guy," Shurmur said last month. '"He has a unique charisma. When I was there with him, the whole area loved Teddy. He just had that way about him."

The Saints traded a third-round pick to the Jets to acquire the 25-year-old Bridgewater as a 2018 insurance policy and a possible successor to Drew Brees, but he still needs to re-sign.

Don't Edit

Trevor Siemian, Vikings

The 26-year-old Siemian got to the Vikings after Shurmur left this offseason, spending his first three seasons with the Broncos where he was 13-11 as a starter and threw for 30 touchdowns with 24 interceptions to start his career.

Originally a seventh-round draft pick, Siemian was never in favor with the Broncos, who tried to replace him with Paxton Lynch, Brock Osweiler and now Case Keenum.

Don't Edit

Sam Bradford, Cardinals

Bradford signed a one-year, $20 million contract with the Cardinals, but it is unlikely he will finish the season (maybe not this week) as a starter. The Cardinals look like one of the NFL's worst teams, and first-round pick Josh Rosen is waiting in the wings.

Bradford set a then-NFL record by completing 70.6 percent of his passes in 2016, when he played under offensive coordinators Norv Turner (fired midseason) and Shurmur with the Vikings. The 30-year-old former No. 1 overall draft pick of the Rams also played for Shurmur when he was offensive coordinator of the Rams.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Giants are 0-2: Here is the uphill mountain for making playoffs

Don't Edit

2020 FREE AGENTS

Don't Edit

Mark LoMoglio | AP

Jameis Winston, Buccaneers

Winston was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft and hasn't lived up to the billing, possibly regressing since he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. He is 18-27 as a starter with no playoff appearances.

The 24-year-old Florida State product is suspended for the first three games of the season under the NFL's personal conduct policy, and veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has the Buccaneers at 2-0 with two 400-yard passing games, so it will be hard to bench him this season even if he isn't the long-term answer.

Don't Edit

Marcus Mariota, Titans

Mariota was picked just behind Winston and also hasn't signed a long-term extension. He hasn't played a full 16-game season during his four-year career, including missing last week's game with an elbow injury.

Mariota, 24, looked ready for a breakthrough in 2016 — with 26 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions — but regressed to 13 touchdowns and 15 interceptions as the Titans went to the playoffs in 2017. He has 928 rushing yards and nine touchdowns ... if the Giants ever wanted to try a mobile quarterback.

Don't Edit

Dak Prescott, Cowboys

If Prescott was a first-round pick in 2016, he would be looked at as a possible bust like Winston and Mariota. Because he was a fourth-round pick, he is a steal. But that won't matter when it comes to his second contract.

Prescott, 25, went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie but has proven to be a shaky downfield passer over the last 18 games. He can run to make up for his shortcomings, however.

It's hard to imagine the Cowboys moving on from Prescott, especially if he could end up with the GIants. He has room for improvement.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Case Keenum, Broncos

Shurmur had his greatest success last season with Keenum, whom he turned from a journeyman third on the Vikings depth chart into a Pro Bowler worthy of a two-year, $36 million free-agent contract with the Browns.

The Broncos are 2-0, but the 30-year-old Keenum has more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3). He misses Shurmur, but not as much as Shurmur misses him right now.

Don't Edit

David Zalubowski | AP

Pipe dreams

These quarterbacks are free agents after the 2019 season but forget about it. It's retirement or re-sign:



Tom Brady, Patriots (41)

Drew Brees, Saints (39)

Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (36)

Philip Rivers, Chargers (38)

Russell Wilson, Seahawks (31)

Don't Edit

Giants' offensive line down and now out as Jon Halapio's season ends

Don't Edit

2019 NFL DRAFT

One scout told Bleacher Report's Matt Miller, "I'm terrified of this class. I hope everyone got their guy last year."

Don't Edit

Drew Lock, Missouri

Lock is coming off one of the best performances of his career in a win at Purdue, when the other quarterback on the field (David Blough) threw for 572 yards and still lost because Lock drove his team for the walk-off field goal.

Lock might get compared to Bills rookie Josh Allen, who was the No. 7 overall pick in 2018. While Allen played at Wyoming and Lock is in the SEC, both are cannon-armed quarterbacks with shockingly low completion percentages. Lock's is 55.8 percent for his career. He has 82 touchdowns and 32 interceptions in his career.

Scouts like the 6-foot-4, 205-pound Lock's size and footwork.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Sean Meagher | Oregon Live

Justin Herbert, Oregon

Herbert was the first true freshman quarterback to start at Oregon since 1983 when he took over for seven starts in 2016. He earned eight more starts in an injury-shortened (broken collarbone) 2017.

The 6-foot-6, 233-pounder has prototypical NFL size and is a 64 percent passer through three years, though he has been uncharacteristically off the mark to start his junior season. He moves well for his size, too.

Oregon's quick-strike offense has produced a lot of NFL draft bust quarterbacks over the years, coaching changes aside. The same could be said about USC, and that didn't scare anyone (except maybe the Browns and Giants) away from Sam Darnold.

Don't Edit

Jarrett Stidham, Auburn

Is Stidham a first-round pick? He probably will toe the between area of the middle of the first round and early in the second round.

Stidham's best trait is his consistent accuracy (a close second is his overall athleticism as a former high school receiver and basketball star) but he probably won't put up the monster numbers of Herbert or Lock, whose teams will be involved in more shootouts this fall. That's not the way Auburn plays.

Don't Edit

Gerry Broome | AP

Ryan Finley, North Carolina State

Finley was the second-best quarterback in the ACC in 2017, behind first-round pick Lamar Jackson of Louisville.

ESPN Draft guru Todd McShay had Finley, a Boise State transfer, as his No. 1 quarterback entering the season. He has completed 74.1 percent of his passes through two games as a fifth-year senior.

"He's a pro-style quarterback who's efficient," McShay said of Finley. "He's not great in terms of his physical tools. He's got enough arm strength, he's intelligent, he's played well in tough situations, has a lot of the toughness you look for and he throws with anticipation and gets the ball out on time."

Don't Edit

Who's to blame for Giants' 0-2 start?

Don't Edit

MLive.com

Shea Patterson, Michigan

Patterson transferred from the constant tumult at Ole Miss to be immediately eligible at Michigan to play for coach Jim Harbaugh, but he struggled to move the ball and looked indecisive against Notre Dame. His fumble when displaying poor ball security technique sealed the loss.

The former five-star recruit with a quick trigger was drafted by the Texas Rangers out of high school in the 39th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Will Grier, West Virginia

Mel Kiper started the hype for Grier when he said the West Virginia quarterback will be the 2019 draft's version of Baker Mayfield in terms of a quick riser between the end of the regular season and the draft. Teams that love swagger in their young quarterbacks (not the Giants) will love Grier.

"He doesn't have the ideal height," Kiper said on The Russillo Show. "Going to be a great college quarterback but you wonder about the NFL. Will Grier, I'm going to put him in that top five, top six quarterbacks. Will Grier will be this year's version of what Baker Mayfield became."

Don't Edit

Kyle Shurmur, Vanderbilt

This name should sound familiar.

The three-year starter at Vanderbilt is the son of Giants coach Pat Shurmur, and thus hung around the likes of Donovan McNabb on gamedays in his youth when dad was an assistant coach for the Eagles and the family was living in Philadelphia suburbs and South Jersey.

The younger Shurmur led Vanderbilt to a bowl game in 2016 and nearly sparked an upset of Notre Dame last week. He is completing a career-high 64.1 percent of his passes through three games this season, which is right up his father's alley.

Don't Edit

NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

WATCH: Odell Beckham goes hard in practice

Ryan Dunleavy can be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy.