Not long ago, Giants coach Tom Coughlin was ruminating about the possible return of David Carr, the backup quarterback who was on the open market and hoping to find a new team that would give him a shot at competing for a starting job.
Coughlin was adamant he wanted Carr to stay on the roster — though Carr never has been needed on game day because Eli Manning has been indestructible.
“Don’t forget there’s another side to David Carr,’’ Coughlin told The Post. “David Carr can run, he’s fast, he’s athletic, no matter who we’re going to play he can be the opposition’s quarterback and do it very well. He does a good job of it. He runs the option.’’
Carr, 33, yesterday agreed to terms on a one-year contract to return to the Giants, where he has been four of the past five years, having defected in 2010 to the 49ers.
Carr’s ability to mimic opposing quarterbacks and provide the Giants defense with accurate scouting information is a useful skill, especially with Robert Griffin III in Washington and Chip Kelly bringing a high-octane offense to the Eagles.
The other quarterback on the roster is Curtis Painter. Coughlin prefers to keep two quarterbacks. Manning has started 135 consecutive games — 146 counting the postseason — and the Giants never have needed to put Carr in a game because of a Manning injury.
* It is not by chance that the Giants’ two biggest, most expensive signings this offseason were on the line. They re-signed left tackle Will Beatty, and once free agency began added former Packers and Eagles defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins.
“We need to re-establish that toughness in front,” co-owner John Mara said on SiriusXM NFL radio. “Teams ran the ball against us too easily last year. That’s an area of concern. And the offensive line, that performance needs to get a little better, too.’’
* The Victor Cruz situation is not holding the Giants hostage, but they would like a resolution. Cruz recently changed agents, hiring Tom Condon, Manning’s agent. Beyond that, Mara said he does not know what is going to happen with Cruz.
“It is sort of up to them,’’ Mara said. “Do they want to sign a deal now or do they want to take their chances in free agency next year? That is assuming he doesn’t get an offer sheet. He may very well get an offer sheet from somebody. He is a dynamic player, and he is certainly somebody we want back.”
* The Giants officially signed wide receiver Louis Murphy, who will be entering his fifth NFL season.
“I think he’s going to add another dimension to our offense,” GM Jerry Reese said on SiriusXM NFL radio of Murphy, who has 115 receptions for 1,707 yards and seven touchdowns in 57 NFL games. “We have a scout named Jeremiah Davis, and he talks about guys being a knife. This guy is a knife. This guy can take the top off your defense. He’s an interesting guy. He gives us a different dimension in our offense. We haven’t had a guy who can run like this guy.”
* Safety Stevie Brown signed his second-round tender that will pay him $2.02 million. Last season, Brown seemingly came out of nowhere to start 11 games in place of Kenny Phillips, and he ended up leading the Giants with eight interceptions.