Dave Gettleman: No. 1 priority was finding QB and we did that

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Giants General Manager Dave Gettleman held his first press conference since the team opted to fire head coach Pat Shurmur on Monday and admitted to his “share of culpability” for the team’s 9-23 mark over the last two seasons, but the overall message was that he believes the rebuilding project is going well despite the lack of victories.

Gettleman said he came into the job with two priorities. The first was to find the quarterback of the future and he said he believes the Giants have done that by drafting Daniel Jones in the first round this year. The second was “setting the team up for sustained success” and Gettleman said he thinks they’re doing that by overhauling their scouting operation.

Despite that, Gettleman said he heard Giants ownership on Monday and feels he’s on notice that results need to improve in a hurry.

“Oh, absolutely. We’re all on notice. We truly are. I feel that pressure every day,” Gettleman said.

Gettleman said the team has hired “four computer folks” as they ramp up “the analytics and technology piece” of the organization. His past comments mocking analytics when he drafted Saquon Barkley came up and Gettleman said he was joking, but understands that those things get attached to him and that he should have just stressed how special he thinks Barkley can be in the NFL.

Questions about trading two draft picks for impending free agent defensive lineman Leonard Williams were met with Gettleman’s answer that “the juice was worth the squeeze.” He also said it will be two years before anyone can evaluate the Odell Beckham trade and expressed no regrets about using $23 million in cap space for Eli Manning when he was benched after four games.

Those calls are all in the past and Gettleman’s future will be based on the young players the team has brought in under his tenure. As he said, it “all depends on how quickly the puppies come along” and how well the team’s next coach tutors them.