AROUND THIS TIME every year, Archie Manning places a call to former New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi, who is retired and often watching baseball or immersed in a book. It's sort of a thank you, and Eli Manning will text, too, as thoughts drift back to 2004 and an afternoon at the NFL draft that became prime-time viewing: the day Eli Manning's camp forced a draft-day trade.
The trajectories of three highly touted quarterbacks were put into motion that day by a baby-faced 23-year-old with deep NFL bloodlines. Eli Manning, son of Archie and brother of Peyton, was the presumptive No.