RBs can be effective in platoons (NE), as one single terrific one (LA), or as a tandem (like NO).
The QB handles the ball on EVERY offensive play. Has to read the D's. Throw accurate. Lead the team. Very few human beings can do this.
New York made a poor decision not to pick a QB with that pick. Manning has been declining for the past 2 or 3 years. Tom Brady he's not. This was a political decision (as in football political) and not a pure pragmatic team building decision. Nothing could have been better than to bring in one of these college kids, let him play a year behind Manning, let Manning take the beating, give the Giants another year to build a decent Oline. Who cares if the Manning family gets it's nose out of joint? With Archie an old man, Peyton retired, and Eli should be retired, they will fade very quickly as an influence.
I realize that because the Giants are so bad, they'll pick high again this year. But who says that any of the QBs coming out will be as good as last year's crop? Or that the Giants might not get lucky on a couple of games and find themselves drafting later than the top QBs will be taken.
Last year was a golden opportunity and they blew it. And the mantra that perhaps the FO of the Giants didn't see any QB worth the 2nd pick so they passed is just as damning since at least 2, and really 3, of those QBs are proving that they belong even as rookies.
Now they're in a position that they pretty well MUST draft a QB in round 1 this year or risk losing their fan base. Or, perhaps, they can sign a FA QB but I don't know if any worth considering are going to be available.
Their blind loyalty to Eli Manning, and some unjustifiable FO decisions, has cost the Giants dearly.
