FanHouse Eli Manning

Prior to the 2007 season, when Eli Manning led the Giants to a championship, there were some rumblings that maybe he would never become a franchise quarterback, forget about playing as consistently as his brother.

Those sentiments lingered through most of '07 (rock bottom had to be the Week 17 four-interception effort -- three of the pick-six variety -- in a home game against the Vikings), before it all came together. Manning played like a grizzled veteran during the final weeks of the regular season, and was close to flawless in the run to the Super Bowl.

Last year, Manning was the unquestioned team leader, and if not for an unpredictable Eagles team, the Giants would have returned to the NFC Championship game for the second time in as many years. And now, Manning, who was the first overall pick in 2004, is in line for a new deal.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The most exciting thing that happened at New York Giants minicamp Wednesday was a press conference to announce Timex as the naming-rights sponsor for the team's new training facility here -- the "Timex Performance Center." It's a beautiful complex, but unless you're the ones pocketing $35 million from the deal over the next 15 years, this wasn't exactly the stuff of big headlines.

That's fine with the Giants, who got their fill of headlines at last year's minicamp.

Coming off a Super Bowl championship, the Giants convened last year amid loud, obnoxious Jeremy Shockey and Plaxico Burress contract controversies. Neither of those players was on the team by year's end, but they were here a year ago, and they were making it noisy. This year ... not so much. And Tom Coughlin couldn't be happier about it.

FanHouse's crack squad of savvy fantasy football personnel put our five heads together and amassed consensus rankings for non-keeper, standard scoring leagues. We'll update as the season gets closer, but this is our "incredibly early yet still fun" version.

Was last season the year of the quarterback or what? You still had the old reliables like Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner and Donovan McNabb doing their thing, but a whole new crop of passers have elevated themselves. Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers and Jay Cutler led the way for the youth movement. You could have even waited toward the end of your draft and landed stud QBs in Matt Ryan and Tyler Thigpen (who would have been waiver-wire fodder). Team all that with Tom Brady's Week 1 injury, and we had a really interesting season. Let's see how they fall out presently for 2009.

---

---

Remember when Eli Manning had that dopier-than-usual look on his face after the San Diego Chargers, against his wishes, took him with the first overall pick of the 2004 Draft? Good times.

Will Brinson was Easton-bound and Down for the Gatorade Replay of America's most important high school rivalry.

Eli Manning was kind enough to spend time this past weekend playing the role of "Honorary Coach" for Phillipsburg High School during the Gatorade Replay game in Pennsylvania. And he was even kinder to take time out of his always busy schedule to answer a few questions that FanHouse had to ask. Namely: what's it like to "coach" 30-something high school players, what does he think of the Giants drafting Hakeem Nicks, and did he and Peyton really (and awkwardly) text Matthew Stafford together? Full interview is after the jump.

Will Brinson is Easton-bound (but not down) for the Gatorade Replay of America's most important high school rivalry.

There's something surreal about recapping a game that originally took place in 1993. I mean, even though the game started 15 years ago, it finished on Sunday. I know, because I watched those same football players racing up and down the field. And ultimately the game counted. But for what? Well ... if you asked anyone on either Easton or Phillipsburg, they would tell you "everything."

Gatorade was kind enough to send FanHouse to Easton, Pa. this past weekend for the Gatorade Replay, which was essentially two teams of 30-something-year-old men playing in a high school football game to settle a 15-year tie (in arguably the biggest rivalry in all of high-school football). No, I am not kidding. Yes, Peyton and Eli Manning were involved as honorary coaches. No, it doesn't seem like a plausible way to solve a tie. But, yes it is fascinating and I suggest you read all about it.

1. The Backstory
2. Gatorade Replay: The Trailer
3. The Bonfire and a G-Moment Realization
4. The Peyton Manning Pregame Interview
5. The Eli Manning Pregame Interview
6. The Game Itself

Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.

With the departure of Plaxico Burress, and the failure (unwillingness?) to make an expensive trade for a veteran star, there was little secret how the Giants would attack the NFL Draft. They needed at least one receiver to help out Eli Manning and the unheralded returnees he has to throw to. Instead of settling for one, the Giants picked up a pair.

Instead of trading a bunch of draft picks for either Anquan Boldin or Braylon Edwards, the Giants elected to address the need to replace Plaxico Burress via draft. Nicks is a solid possession receiver and should see the field with regularity in 2009. Of course, the Giants have spent several draft picks on receiver in recent years -- Steve Smith (2nd round), Sinorice Moss (2nd), Mario Manningham (3rd) -- and they also added Domenik Hixon, so it's really tough to tell how everything shakes out as of now.

They'll be hoping Nicks develops into their go-to guy in the future, but the transition to that role in the pros will take more than a season. Let's check out the fantasy spin on the passing game after the jump.

According to a published report, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards will be a member of the New York Giants before the NFL Draft -- which begins April 25.