Dave Gettleman: My Giants logic was all wrong, Pat Shurmur discovered Daniel Jones

It took winning only nine games in two seasons and nearly getting fired, but a humbled Dave Gettleman finally admitted his flawed approach to running the Giants.

No longer stubbornly digging his heels in that a NFL team can win and rebuild simultaneously — as the Giants tried to do with a questionable mix of win-now and future moves that was like taking one step left and one step right to end up back at the start — the general manager said he misjudged the situation he took over in December 2017.

“I thought we could do both at the same time,” Gettleman said on “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN Radio, “and I was wrong.”

Just 10 months ago, after trading Odell Beckham Jr., Gettleman said, “You can win while you build a roster.”

Gettleman also appeared on WFAN with co-hosts Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts.

Here are six other things to know from his two revealing interviews:

1. Pat Shurmur discovered Daniel Jones.

Gettleman said he felt comfortable passing on the quarterbacks in the 2018 draft to pick Saquon Barkley because Giants director of college scouting Chris Pettit told him the 2019 class included promising quarterbacks.

But it was Shurmur who initially called Gettleman’s attention to Jones, which makes it all the more surprising that the quarterback-minded coach was fired and Gettleman was retained partially on the basis of making the gutsy call to draft Jones earlier than projected. Gettleman fell for Jones at the 2019 Senior Bowl.

“We looked at all the quarterbacks and right up front Pat was most enamored with Daniel,” Gettleman said on WFAN. “We just kept investigating. You look at Pat’s history with quarterbacks … the young guys and what he’s gotten out of them. For him to be that enamored with him, it certainly made me do my homework.”

2. Giants missed the boat on Ron Rivera

By not firing Shurmur during the nine-game losing streak spanning from Week 5 to Week 15, the Giants cost themselves a chance at hiring new Redskins coach Ron Rivera. Co-owner John Mara “held out hope, quite frankly, for some time hoping things would turn around.”

Fired in season by the Panthers, Rivera previously worked under Gettleman in Carolina.

“Before we could turn around,” Gettleman said on ESPN, “the [Redskins] deal was done.”

3. Ownership fired Shurmur

Rivera already was in Carolina when Gettleman arrived, so the first head coach he ever hired was Shurmur. And it sounds like Gettleman wanted to give more time to his handpicked choice, but ownership disagreed.

“Came from above,” Gettleman told ESPN of the decision.

Mara, Steve Tisch, Gettleman and vice president of football operations Kevin Abrams all are in on the coaching search.

4. Eli Manning’s career

One reason the Giants are in this position is because they tried to squeeze two more years out of Eli Manning’s career, after the fired Ben McAdoo and Jerry Reese benched him in 2017.

The Giants wasted $23.2 million in cap space (better spent on a pass-rusher or right tackle) on a backup quarterback in 2019 — unless you buy the team-friendly narrative Manning was worth that sum as an insurance policy and mentor for Jones. Did Gettleman feel forced to make one last run with the two-time Super Bowl MVP?

“The Cliffs Notes answer is no: There was never that pressure,” Gettleman told ESPN.

Shurmur benched Manning for Jones after just two games.

“Going to Daniel was the correct decision,” Gettleman said.

5. Leonard Williams trade

Benigno and Roberts are both Jets fans. Gettleman thought they would be upset about losing Leonard Williams for two draft picks in a trade to the Giants, but it turns out to be just the opposite.

“I’ll buy you dinner,” Benigno said. “I was very happy about it.”

Gettleman replied, “He who lasts laugh. … Of course we’re going to try to sign him.”

Williams had a half-sack in eight games with the Giants and is a pending free agent.

6. Power struggle?

Gettleman repeated to both shows he would be willing to cede say on personnel decisions to the right coach, if asked to do so by ownership. The Giants are willing to change their organizational structure in order to make sure they attract the best candidates.

“Whatever is in the best interest of the Giants,” he said.