With just about a week into the new NFL year and teams wheeling and dealing with free agents, the New York Giants are one team that stands out.
The Giants traded Olivier Vernon and Odell Beckham Jr. in two separate trades to the Cleveland Browns and did not resign Landon Collins. Collins signed a six-year deal with the Washington Redskins to be one of the top paid safeties in the league.
The Giants, in return for Vernon and Beckham Jr., were multiple draft picks from the Browns and safety Jabrill Peppers. They also signed former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Golden Tate to a four-year deal along with other minor defensive signings.
The Giants are also sticking with veteran quarterback Eli manning, who won two Super Bowls for the team in his career. The 38-year-old has had a streak of down seasons while the Giants have missed the playoffs six times in the last seven years.
This is where the Giants are at. This is what they have done so far this offseason. On paper, this is terrible. Everything that this team has done so far is the opposite of what they’re envisioning will happen once the 2019-2020 season starts. Giving up your best players for few draft picks and a safety isn’t forward think for the Giants. Jabrill Peppers is a great player, don’t get me wrong, but he’s not at the same caliber as Odell. Letting Collins walk when he had the most tackles in the league since he was drafted for Peppers is a down grade; not a huge down grade but enough to see a difference on the field.
There is still the NFL Draft in the upcoming weeks. Could it change the direction the Giants are putting themselves in? Probably not. These young players will need to develop in this league and adjust to how the Giants organization treats and prepares them as players. If they also draft a quarterback, he’ll probably sit a majority of the season, if not all of it, and see how to not throw a football like Manning has ben for the last couple of seasons.
Where do you see the Giants going this season? Are they a force to be reckon with? Leave a comment below.