What is New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman doing?
That’s a loaded question; one that no one really has an answer to.
At face value, the 68-year-old front-office member has been running the Giants into the ground. Outside of the drafting of Saquon Barkley — who could very well become the greatest rusher in franchise history — with the No. 2 pick in the draft last year, everything Gettleman has touched has rotted.
The acquisitions of Nate Solder and Patrick Omameh did little to bolster one of the league’s worst offensive lines. He even decided to give Ereck Flowers another shot before it became woefully clear that he’s not cut to start in the NFL.
He hired a head coach in Pat Shurmur that found countless ways to lose games, making decisions that made it look like the Giants were more concerned with tanking rather than winning.
If that was the case, they didn’t tank hard enough as five wins earned them the No. 6 pick. It could very well lead to the Giants losing out on their top choice at quarterback — like Ohio State product Dwayne Haskins — should another team trade up into the top five.
Even with the indication that the Giants are looking for the quarterback of the future, they are hanging on to their old one for dear life.
Thirty-eight-year-old Eli Manning and his $23 million cap hit will return for another season, the last of his current contract. His better days are well behind him, his immobility behind a weak offensive line remains a recipe for disaster, and his contract is putting a stranglehold on any hopes of progress for the organization.
While Gettleman and Shurmur opted to keep Manning’s excessive salary, they just let All-Pro safety Landon Collins waltz into free agency beginning next week. Rather than spend $11.2 million to exercise a franchise tag that would at least secure one of the best young defensive talents in the league for a year, the Giants opted to just let him leave for nothing.
The move became further befuddling when it was revealed on Wednesday that the Giants could have dealt Collins at the trade deadline for a first-round draft pick.
If there was no motive to retain Collins, why in the world would Gettleman not take that deal? No matter how you put it, the GM chose to keep a quarterback on his last legs instead of holding onto the future captain of the Giants defense.
There is no denying that Manning deserves to bid a hero’s adieu. He’s one of the greatest quarterbacks in franchise history and delivered two Super Bowls to the franchise. But this is a decision that does not help the Giants win, which is the sole objective of a general manager.
Could the Giants, Gettleman trade OBJ?
Ever since Gettleman’s arrival, the noise of a possible Odell Beckham Jr. trade continues to reverberate throughout the NFL despite the GM locking the 26-year-old up to a five-year, $90 million deal last year.
The decision came with its fair share of hesitation considering Beckham’s immaturity almost led to the Giants trading him to the Los Angeles Rams last March because of how management saw him as a man rather than a football player.
On his day, Beckham is the most explosive receiver in the NFL, but it was coming at a lofty price as constant outbursts on and off the field sabotaged the organization.
However, Beckham has done almost everything to prove he is worthy of such a deal. The demeanor that once got him into trouble has dramatically improved as he showed flashes of becoming a leader of the offense, including saying the right things to the media throughout the year.
He remained productive during his first year back from a broken ankle, compiling over 1,000 yards receiving in just 12 games with six touchdowns. Those are impressive numbers considering the Giants offense was predicated largely on Manning settling on screen passes to Barkley or quick slants when he wasn’t scrambling (ineffectively) for his life.
Yet the rumors of Beckham being shipped out of town persist, including a report this week that suggested the Giants were nearing a deal with the Cleveland Browns, among others.
To this editor, it seems like a preposterous idea. But what has Dave Gettleman done to prove that he wouldn’t do it?
The Giants are piecing together a special offense with a plethora of weapons in Beckham, Barkley, Sterling Shepard, and tight end Evan Engram. If there were only a legitimate, strong offensive line and a quarterback that can consistently air it out, New York could have one of the best attacks in the league.
Gettleman has even made it clear in the past that the Giants didn’t sign Beckham to trade him. But loyalty is a powerful thing and if Gettleman feels as though he owes Manning, then trading Beckham could be a stunning byproduct of that.
One of the game’s best receivers would likely bring in a king’s ransom that could include a first-round pick to help build the offensive line or a top-tier safety to help soften the blow of losing Collins.
It’s a convoluted path toward contention and a seemingly unnecessary one when there was an easier option of parting ways with a 38-year-old quarterback. That way the Giants would secure an All-Pro safety, ease any brewing tensions between them and their franchise wide receiver, who obviously continues to hear his name crop up in trade talks, and use that freed up cash to build the offensive line for their quarterback of the future.
But this is Gettleman’s ship to run, now. And it looks like things could be taking on water if he doesn’t take evasive actions quickly.
