Media Transcript: QB Eli Manning

QB Eli Manning

Conference Call, April 9, 2018

Q: Can you give us some initial impressions on the new coaching staff?

A: Yeah, well, I think it was good. I thought our attendance was good today. Everybody is obviously excited to get back together as a team and kind of see the direction that we're going. I think (Head) Coach (Pat) Shurmur did a great job of just talking about the focus on getting better and everybody being here together and learning and getting things kind of squared away on playing better football. I think that's the mindset. You saw his enthusiasm, his excitement to have the guys back in the locker room, and I think you felt it with the players also with being here and excited about getting better and winning more football games.

Q: When you say attendance was good, as far as you’re aware do you know if everyone was in attendance?

A: I don't know. I'm not positive. I was kind of there with the offensive guys. I didn't do a head count of every guy, but for the most part it seemed like most of the guys were here.

Q: How important is it for Odell to be here?

A: I think it's important for the guys to be here, especially with a new offense, a new defense going in as well, a new coaching staff -- just to get familiar with everything going on. Right now you can kind of come in and coaches can take it slow a little bit and you're learning. You ask questions and you can kind of all learn it together, which is good. When guys start missing these meetings and these workouts on the field and stuff, you get behind and then you have to re-teach it, you've got to slow things down again for guys to catch up. Obviously I think it's an opportunity for us to start learning this offense, ask the right questions, make sure we have a good idea of what we're doing when we get out there to practice.

Q: Do you consider it an issue that Odell didn’t take part in the Duke workout?

A: No, I talked to Odell and it was just a matter of what he's doing in his rehab to get back healthy and it just wasn't going to make sense for him to kind of make that trip if you can't do all the routes and do everything. He's got his thing through the Giants and what he's doing and they have their plan for his rehab and I didn't want to get into that, so we were on the same page, talked about it and it just didn't make sense. I kind of picked a few guys so that they could get work and then there were a number of guys I could have invited down also, but I only have one arm and I didn't want to overthrow or have guys not get the good work because there is only one quarterback. But we got some good work when we were down there.

Q: What struck you as the most noticeable change when you walked in?

A: I don't know if there was anything that I noticed. You walk in the locker room and I've got a few different locker mates. That's probably the first thing -- they kind of moved some guys around in the locker room. That would probably be the first thing I noticed.

Q: What did you learn about Davis Webb in these last couple months?

A: Yeah, Davis has done a good job. Last year coming in and learning an offense and now coming in and trying to get a new offense and just trying to get a head start watching film. He's been here a bunch in the offseason; we've watched film together of Minnesota film, just trying to learn the offense. You're limited in the discussions you can have with coaches and this and that, so you're trying to kind of figure out things on your own a little bit. But he's done a good job, having questions, asking things and just trying to be as prepared as possible when these first meetings and practices happen.

Q: How much different is this offense?

A: Still figuring that out. We've just got to see. Obviously we haven't had one practice and we've had one meeting, so we'll see what we're going to put in, what's going to be our best personnel and stuff. We'll have to see as things are going on.

Q: What advice do you have for Odell?

A: Odell, he's got to do what is best for him in getting ready to play this upcoming season. I'll talk to him and give my two cents on everything, but he's got to do what he feels is best for him to get ready and play at a high level.

Q: There was a video that surfaced this offseason. Did you talk to him about that?

A: No, I didn't talk to him about that. I don't get caught up in offseason and videos and this or that. I think whatever -- that's this kind of world today. Sometimes things come up. He's got to deal with that, but I think he'll handle that well and hopefully we'll focus on getting back to playing football at a high level.

Q: Were you aware of all this speculation that he would be traded in the last month?

A: I think over the years you just can't get caught up with what's being said on TV or in the news or what people assume is happening. It doesn't help, you don't know where these things get started or where it's going. I think it's important when those things happen to just have great communication with your coaches and with the ownership and whatnot and make sure everyone is on the same page. I never got too concerned with it. We all know the talent that Odell has and what he brings to the football field and I look forward to playing with him this year and for years to come.

Q: What was the response when you talked to people like coaches and ownership when you asked them about it?

A: Well, I didn't ask them much about it. I wasn't here during some of that period, so again, they kind of have their job to do and I have my job to do. If it involves me, I might have had a conversation. But when it involves other people, that's obviously not all my business.

Q: Have you had any chance to meet the new offensive linemen and what are your first impressions?

A: Yeah, I got to meet Nate (Solder) today and Patrick (Omameh), two of the newer guys, and I talked with them a little bit. Both seem like good guys and obviously know their talent level on the field. They were easy to talk to, good guys, excited to be here and helping this team. Obviously coming from two successful teams last year and both those guys on playoff teams, so hopefully kind of bring that mentality to the Giants.

Q: You’ve been around a lot of drafts, but never have been around the team when they have had a pick this high. What do you think about the possibility of the Giants adding (Penn State RB) Saquon Barkley?

A: You never know what is going to happen on draft day. The Giants, that's why they have all the scouts and (general manager) Dave Gettleman and the coaches in doing all their work to figure out who is available and who is the best player to kind of help us out going forward. There is no point in speculating who you might draft or what's going to happen here or there, we've just got to wait until draft night and see what happens.

Q: Has anyone in the organization spoken to you about your future beyond the 2018 season?

A: No. This league, it's one year at a time. That's kind of how it goes. I need to go out there and play well this year and that's all I'm looking forward to.