The 2017 season was one the New York Giants organization and their fans would like to forget about forever. But there is a dangerous component in trying to erase the past -- failing to learn from mistakes. It would have been easy for the Giants to pretend like the 2017 season didn't happen and go into the 2018 NFL Draft with glossy eyes and a vision of going for the "value" pick and a quarterback of the future. Drafting Saquon Barkley proves that the new regime and General Manager Dave Gettleman have not ignored the warning signs from seasons past.

I fundamentally believe in a "winners always win" attitude. Having that mindset puts you above the neutral line where so many athletes stand before they start competing. I don't think there is any coincidence that, historically, the same teams win more often than others. Belief in yourself can help exponentially in any aspect of development. If you walk into the clubhouse of any team in the New York Yankees organization, I guarantee there is a different feel than that of the Tampa Bay Rays. Players in the Yankees organization often talk about how they are taught from day one that they belong to a winning organization and they are expected to carry on the winning tradition no matter what level of competition they play at.

Winners always win.

Last season, the Giants were anything but winners - on and off the field. On the field, the team was ravaged by injuries and inconsistent play. Off the field, the team was littered with drama inside the clubhouse, in the news, and in every other way a team never wants to see their name out in public. Poor communication by former Head Coach, Ben McAdoo, led to a terrible domino effect that changed a winning culture - two Super Bowl victories in a ten-year span - into the laughingstock of the NFL. The change in the culture just about happened overnight.

"Energy vampires" is a phrase made famous by Jon Gordon. The Giants had plenty of energy vampires during the 2017 season. By the time early December 2017 rolled around McAdoo and former General Manager Jerry Reese was gone. By season's end, just about everyone else on the coaching staff would be looking for a new job. The gutting of the organization from the executive and coaching level then moved into the player's locker room. Jason Pierre-Paul was traded to Tampa Bay in March 2018. Also in March, Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie was offered a pay cut, he declined, and he was cut. It can be argued that both players were not seen very favorably by the new regime in terms of their value to contributing to a winning culture.

While players were cleaning out their lockers, Gettleman was busy bringing in players that, although may not be household names, were familiar faces and had a strong sense of character. Nate Solder was the biggest name acquisition of the offseason, but Gettleman also brought in like likes of a Jonathan Stewart - someone that was not considered a starter, but nonetheless was familiar with the new regime and was a great character acquisition for the organization.

Leading up to the NFL Draft, the biggest question was whether the Giants would go for the unproven quarterback of the future - talent and character-wise - or take former Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, even knowing that the "value" of an NFL running back has decreased significantly in the modern game. To be completely honest, in a way, I would have had the same reaction to the Giants drafting Sam Darnold as I would have for them drafting Saquon Barkley. I would have had the same reaction in terms of what the Giants organization may have deemed as "needed" on the field for the success of the franchise. But my reaction to them choosing Barkley was different and not just because I am a Penn Stater. It was because by choosing Barkley the Giants said to the rest of the organization and their fan base that the cancerous culture that existed in 2017 was to be no more.

GM Dave Gettleman said after picking #2 overall that the value rating of the running back position is a "crock". I happen to believe him. Saquon Barkley brings it all. He is a three-down back, which in today's NFL is ridiculous to think of. He is an elite runner, has excellent vision, is a great pass-blocker, and can be used out of the slot as a wide receiver. Intangibles on the field are what made the hype so large for Saquon Barkley. But it is also the intangibles he brings off the field that I believe made the difference between the Giants taking a chance on an unproven future quarterback versus a blue collar future Hall of Fame caliber running back.

Winners always win. Just ask the Cleveland Browns. Unseemingly, they chose a hot-headed quarterback with the #1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. His poor character decisions are well documented, both on and off the field, as there is the video evidence of him showing up or taunting an opponent on numerous occasions. There is also the infamous video of him trying to evade cops during a bad night in the Summer of 2017. You can call is swagger, as some "experts" did after the selection was made public. I call it being an asshole. Pretty simple. Baker Mayfield has repeatedly shown poor judgment on and off the field, and even worse it seems as though his past punishments have been nothing more than a slap on the wrist. And now he has been rewarded for his poor behavior by being the #1 overall selection for a franchise that has been in disarray since it re-joined the NFL in 1999. Winners always win. Just ask Johnny Manziel.

The way Saquon Barkley conducts himself off the field will never be confused with a phony or that of a Baker Mayfield. Barkley is polite, he is humble, he has humility, and as a bonus, he has an infectious smile. His work ethic is off the charts and he likes to be a person that can help others. Barkley's skills and attributes will fit right in line with those of Eli Manning, Davis Webb, and the rest of the Giants players that vow 2018 will be nothing like the past season. In a league that is constantly in the news for all the wrong reasons, Barkley comes in showing that you can be one of the team and league's best players and be a person who can be a leader. Very rarely do you have both. The Giants want to continue to build a winning organization. Barley's work ethic and his leadership intangibles will continue the positive trend the organization has built since December of 2017. Saquon Barkley is a franchise changing player. You know what I always say: winners always win.