Hope for Eli?

There's no question Eli Manning's development has been slower than the director's cut version of Apocalypse Now. This past season was supposed to be his breakout year - you heard it here first- but he actually seemed to take a step back in the second half. Can you count on him in 2007?

Well you probably can't draft him as your starter, at least not in 10-team leagues. Dude's way too inconsistent, and who knows what that offense will be like with Tiki Barber breaking down hot Fall fashions or whatever he'll be doing on network TV next year. But Eli could be a nice sleeper pick as a backup thanks to the hiring of QB coach Chris Palmer.

You may best remember Palmer for a disastrous two-year stint as head coach of the "expansion" Cleveland Browns from 1999-2000. So why get excited for Eli? Palmer is something of a QB guru, and although his time with Tim Couch and Co. didn't work out that well, Palmer has tutored Drew Bledsoe (when he was good), Mark Brunell (when he was good) and David Carr, and he most recently worked wonders with little-known Tony Romo in Dallas. With Palmer tutoring young Eli and newly promoted offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride calling the plays in a make-or-break year for Tom Coughlin's Giants, there is hope for that big breakout statistical season we've been waiting for.

And before we throw in the towel on Manning as an NFL QB at age 26, let's compare his stats (through three seasons) to another No. 1 pick, Mr. John Elway:

ELWAY: 42 games, 47 TDs, 52 INTs, 8,152 yards, 53 pct. passing, 0-2 playoff record
ELI: 41 games, 54 TDs, 44 INTs, 8,049 yards, 54 pct. passing, 0-2 playoff record

Maybe this is just the deluded Giants fan in me talking (OK, it definitely is), but I still believe there's hope for Eli in '07.