Dave Gettleman

New York Giants Rumors: Dave Gettleman will determine his own fate within organization

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New York Giants, Dave Gettleman

The New York Giants have a long road ahead of them this off-season, but first things first, what will they do with general manager Dave Gettleman? As one of the more interesting enigmas of the off-season, new head coach Joe Judge has to make a decision regarding the general manager spot, but some reports have indicated that Gettleman will determine his own fate.

With any source, take it with a grain of salt. This suggests that Gettleman will stay within the organization, and he will have a decision to make regarding his future as a GM or taking a step down as a senior advisor.

Ultimately, with his connections around the NFL, it is always beneficial to have him around. Nonetheless, allowing him to continue developing this team and selecting personnel might not be in the best interest of the club.

While his 2020 free agent signings and draft selections were much better, we can’t assume he is responsible for 100% of it. The new coaching staff, including Judge and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, were heavily involved in the evaluation process, hoping to inject specific talent into their units.

All signs point to the New York Giants keeping Gettleman despite poor performance:

After two consecutive disappointing seasons in 2018 and 2019, this year produced just one additional win at six. That is not enough to justify Dave retaining his job, considering he’s won a total of 15 games in three seasons and has lost 33 in the same time span. Of course, the decision to draft Saquon Barkley two years ago is one that is heavily debated, and it’s proving to be a mistake given his injury history and the fact that hindsight is 20/20.

Moving forward, Judge could have the opportunity to select the perfect GM to suit his needs. I believe a change of culture was witnessed this past season, showing discipline within the organization, especially with players and veterans. Judge also disciplined a coach, former offensive line coach Marc Colombo. It seems that nobody had the upper hand over Judge, who is monitoring things closely and wanted everybody to be on the same playing field.

There’s a lot left to iron out, especially on offense with coordinator Jason Garrett failing to produce much schematically. Most believe Gettleman is a detriment to the team, but considering how loyal the Mara’s are to him, I would be surprised if he’s not with the Giants in some capacity next season.

There’s only one way the New York Giants draft another quarterback in 2021

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New York Giants, Dave Gettleman

The New York Giants have a long journey ahead of them to competency, but they have taken several steps forward this season with new head coach Joe Judge taking over the reins. However, moves from the past have limited their potential this season, and that is thanks to general manager Dave Gettleman.

When Gettleman originally took over in 2018, he made several poor decisions, including drafting Saquon Barkley second overall before committing to a rebuild and trading back for more assets. While Barkley is a fan favorite and a dynamic playmaker, he will have missed 17 games in two years and spent the majority of his career injured. In hindsight, this was a devastating move for the Giants’ future and one that will loom over Gettleman’s head in the decision to let him go or retain him at the end of the 2020 season.

In addition to his 2018 decisions, Gettleman didn’t do much better in 2019, as quarterback Daniel Jones is still trying to cement himself as a franchise quarterback and the team’s depth is thin. However, it is fair to mention the positives if we are going to harp on the negatives. The 2020 draft class for Big Blue has been phenomenal, as left tackle Andrew Thomas has developed nicely, and the third day picks have been influential in their rookie seasons. Players like cornerback Darnay Holmes and linebacker Tae Crowder have stood out the most when called upon.

Nonetheless, we could go back-and-forth regarding Gettleman’s decisions for days, and a video listing his actions since he took over in 2018 might be more appropriate.

Co-owner John Mara was very open about his expectations for the team after a disappointing 2019 season, ensuring the fan-base that Gettleman needed to do a better job.

“We need to win more games, and Dave knows that, and that’s going to be the challenge going forward.” – Mara, Dec. 30, 2019

“I want to feel like when we walk off the field after the last game that we play, whenever that is, that we’re moving in the right direction.” – Mara, Sept. 3, 2020

“We just need to feel like we’re building something that’s going to compete for a championship. If we’re able to play meaningful games in December, that would obviously be a sign that we are doing that.”

The New York Giants are headed down an interesting path and it starts with ownership:

There are very important points to extract from Mara’s comments, notably that he wants to see positive progress with the team. You could make the argument that the Giants are on an upward trend because of Judge and the coaching staff, not because of Gettleman’s decisions. He has simply acted as a scout and working piece to help add correct personnel for the coaches (free agency/draft). If Judge feels as though he wants a different general manager to fit his mold more appropriately, he should have the autonomy to do so.

That brings me to my question, what are the chances the Giants move on from Daniel Jones, or at least add competition to the algorithm?

The Giants feel as though Jones has the skill set to be a fantastic quarterback in the NFL, given his ability to run and solid arm talent. He’s not a gunslinger by any means, but he can put balls in the right spot and utilize his legs to move out of the pocket— what modern-day NFL quarterbacks are expected to do. The problem is, he’s not mentally able to progress through his reads at an efficient rate, and play-caller Jason Garrett has held him back with poor route concepts and schematics.

With Jones entering the third year of his rookie deal in 2021, the Giants could elect to draft another quarterback, but this would only occur if they move on from Gettleman. Players like BYU quarterback Zack Wilson have risen across draft boards, and we’ve seen teams in the past select quarterbacks back-to-back, and this would actually provide the Giants a one-year cushion, where they selected Andrew Thomas to fill a major gap at left tackle.

If a new general manager comes in and spots a quarterback that he feels can be an elite talent in the future, the Giants shouldn’t be afraid to pull the trigger, even if Jones still has the potential to reach a different level of play. Building around a quarterback on a rookie contract is essential, and with Jones quickly progressing through his rookie deal with minimal growth, things could get tougher sooner rather than later.

These final two games will decide a lot about the Giants going forward

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

Despite having a 5-9 record and suffering through their seventh losing season out of the last eight seasons, they are still in the race for the division title due to the futility of the 2020 NFC East.

However, with two difficult games coming up against the Baltimore Ravens and the Dallas Cowboys, who both have caught fire the past couple of weeks, it’s very possible that the Giants could lose out and finish 5-11, finding themselves with yet another top 10 pick in the draft.

These next two weeks will say a lot about the state of the franchise both in the short-term and potentially the long-term as well. The fate of general manager Dave Gettleman will most certainly hang in the balance, and possibly quarterback Daniel Jones as well.

Head coach Joe Judge seemed to suggest that Daniel Jones is not going anywhere in 2021 during an exchange with NFL Network’s Kim Jones on Wednesday. Judge mentioned how Daniel Jones has earned his respect throughout the course of the season, especially with all the challenges the team was faced with. Judge even went as far as to say, “Daniel Jones is our quarterback,” when asked a follow-up question about him.

Now, of course, we need to take everything with a grain of salt because what Judge said was expected, but it seems to be a safe bet that Jones will at least will be the starting quarterback at the beginning of next season, especially if Gettleman sticks around.

If Gettleman gets fired and a new general manager is brought in, however, the quarterback question definitely gets more interesting. Judge will, without a doubt, have a big say in who the next general manager is, and then the two of them will have to decide where to go at the position. It’s possible that the new general manager would want to bring in his own quarterback, and he’ll be able to convince Judge to get on board, but it’s also just as likely they’ll stick with Jones.

If Jones is healthy enough to play these final two games, his performance can help his chances of staying if he plays well and finishes the season on a high note. If he remains out, there’s also the chance that could hurt his standing a little bit. The best availability is availability, as Giants fans have been harshly reminded of.

There’s no doubt Jones is talented and had a promising rookie season, but there’s also no doubt he’s regressed badly in his second season. Now, a lot of that is due to offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and his horrible scheme that does not play to Jones’ strengths, but Jones certainly isn’t blameless. Garrett’s fate is probably already decided, and he’s the most likely person to be gone after the season, but Jones still needs to play better and prove that he’s taken the next step in his development, which he has yet to do regardless of the other factors that may play into it.

At the very least, the Giants would be wise to get themselves a backup who can give Jones some legitimate competition and give the team a better chance of winning games when he’s in. No disrespect to Colt McCoy, who’s solid and well-respected around the league, but he’s not going to cut it.

When it comes to Gettleman, he’s on much thinner ice than Jones, and the rest of the season could singlehandedly decide whether he keeps his job or not. Despite having a 14-32 record over his close to three seasons as general manager, if the Giants win the division and even go on to win a playoff game, John Mara could see that as enough evidence that the team is going in the right direction and keep Gettleman.

If the Giants go 1-1 or 0-2 and finish no better than 6-10, then it becomes more likely that Gettleman will go, and Judge will bring in his own guy. This past offseason was a successful one for the Giants in both free agency and the draft, with several key role players being added to the roster, but a lot of that is due to the coaching staff getting the most out of the players.

The fact of the matter is that this roster still lacks a lot of talent in critical areas, talent that even the best of coaching staffs need to achieve success. That’s on Gettleman, who’s had more than enough time to solve that problem by now, but his misses have just greatly overweighed his hits. Other teams that were in similar situations to us when Gettleman took over, such as Cleveland, Buffalo, and Arizona, have turned it around while the Giants have been stuck in a cycle of losing. I know that each team’s situation is different, but it should show you that rebuilds don’t have to take as long as they have for the Giants.

The point is that these final two games carry a lot of weight for the Giants. They are both very important and will have lasting implications one way or another, no matter where the team finishes. They could define what the offseason looks like for the Giants while also providing answers to some critical questions surrounding the team.

New York Giants: What role is Dave Gettleman playing and how much credit does he deserve?

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New York Giants, Dave Gettleman

Isn’t it interesting how winning solves a lot of problems? New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has been on the hot seat for quite some time, particularly regarding his 2018 draft class and the decision to select Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick. However, the Giants remained loyal, authorizing him to move ahead with the 2019 draft and follow his rebuilding plan.

Gettleman publicly stated after the 2018 season that the decision to rebuild and win at the same time was wrong, and the Giants subsequently shredded the roster and started over. But what we didn’t realize at the time was that the coaching staff was incapable of utilizing the players to their strengths.

“I thought we could do both at the same time and I was wrong.”

Former head coach Pat Shurmur and defensive coordinator James Bettcher seem like a distant nightmare at this point, as Joe Judge and Patrick Graham have revitalized this team in ways inconceivable through 13 weeks.

Facing COVID-19, no preseason, new schematics, and players across the board, the Giants entered the season as one of the worst teams in the NFL. They started 1-7, but things started to take shape after losing three consecutive games by a combined six points.

Since then, the New York Giants have won four games straight, dethroning the Seattle Seahawks, who entered the game as 10.5 favorites at home. Without starting quarterback Daniel Jones, Big Blue managed to run the football with ease against the 3rd best run defense in the NFL. The Giants totaled 190 yards on the ground when Seattle was allowing an average of 89.3 per game.

It is interesting, though, as the calls to fire Gettleman have quickly faded into the abyss as the Giants have racked up wins. However, it remains possible that Gettleman could be fired, or he can retire at the end of the season. Nonetheless, his past mistakes are turning into interesting successes, but not because of his decisions, but because of the coaching and their ability to extract value where there wasn’t any before. That is something Shurmur and his coaching staff struggled to accomplish, but Judge has managed to discipline his team and keep them focused despite falling to a 1-7 record earlier this year.

There are many that still harp on Gettleman’s past judgments, and justifiably so. We have to think of things in context, like the Leonard Williams trade. Williams might have 8.5 sacks this year, but that is because of the coaching staff, which some could argue that Gettleman helped put together. Nonetheless, he mismanaged assets last year by trading away a third and fifth-round pick for Williams during a lost season with a bad head coach. They did not anticipate Judge taking over and suddenly turning these mistakes into massive wins. Predicting this turnaround was simply impossible, and it has undoubtedly cast a cloak of redemption over Gettleman’s mistakes.

The New York Giants have improved and it’s time to give credit where it’s due:

There is a positive spin, as the personnel decisions this past off-season were phenomenal. The free agency signings and latest draft class have been impeccable and integral to the Giants’ success this season. Gettleman deserves some credit for that, and we mustn’t forget.

Now, as the 2020 campaign inevitably winds down, the reality is that Dave will likely stay with the Giants next season. However, things are different than they were before as Gettleman was the focal point in personnel decisions. Now, it is more collaborative, with the coaching staff helping to piece together this team.

The only way I see Gettleman sticking around is if Judge wants him in a supportive role. Personally, I think Dave offers great value when piecing together the offensive line and finding hidden talent. Leaving Judge to handle the day-to-day operations and current roster, Gettleman can go off and begin scouting players for the draft.

Instead of being a hands-on general manager, I believe Gettleman is taking more of a head scout role, gathering information for Judge to make the everyday calls. This would support my thesis that Judge has a superabundance of power within the organization, considering the job he has done turning around the culture and putting a winning team on the field.

That is more his doing than Gettleman’s, and we must comprehend that. He took the players on the roster, signed several free agents and a bevy of rookies, and turned them into contributing players. It is exceedingly challenging to do that for any coach, let alone a first-year head coach. Dave deserves some credit, but it is Judge that is running the show, and Gettleman is simply a supportive piece.

New York Giants: Leonard Williams on his way to a career year

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New York Giants, Leonard Williams

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has had mixed reviews in his first three years with the Giants. Gettleman has made a handful of great decisions, mixed in with a fair amount of poor decisions. By far his most controversial decision, however, was trading for defensive lineman Leonard Williams in the middle of the 2019 season.

The Giants’ season was pretty much over when Gettleman made the trade. New York had no real chance of making the playoffs and was not one interior defender away from turning things around. Regardless, Gettleman made the trade, giving up two draft picks to acquire Leonard “Big Cat” Williams.

Since then, Leonard Williams has been a star for the Giants. Of course, some fans will still criticize the trade since Williams was set to be a free agent at the end of the 2019 season. Gettleman could have tried to sign him in the offseason without giving up draft picks. But there is no time machine to change the way Leonard Williams got here, but now that he is here, he is playing like one of the best defensive linemen in football.

Leonard Williams Stats and Highlights

Over the final eight weeks of the 2019 season, Williams was solid for the Giants, but he was not very productive. He made an impact, opening things up for his teammates and totaling a solid amount of quarterback pressures. But he finished the eight-week stint with only 0.5 sack.

The Giants placed the franchise tag on Williams in the offseason after the two sides were unable to come to an agreement on a long-term contract. Leo needed to put together a top-tier season to earn that lucrative extension. So far, he has done just that, putting together what could be a career-year for the sixth-year pro out of USC.

Through eleven games, Leonard Williams has already totaled six sacks this season. His career-high sack total is seven, so he seems to be on pace to surpass that by season’s end. Williams made the Pro Bowl just once with the Jets in 2016. There is a good chance he earns his second Pro Bowl nod this season, though, as Williams is performing as one of the NFL’s best interior defensive linemen.

Leonard Williams has totaled 36 combined tackles this season with 8 tackles for loss. He has been excellent defending the run, but his productivity as a pass-rusher has been the difference-maker this year. Leonard has already racked up 19 quarterback hits and 22 pressures to go along with his six sacks.

Playing out this year on the franchise tag, Leonard Williams will once again be a free agent this offseason. The Giants will have to sign Williams to a huge contract this offseason if they want to keep him around long-term. But based on his performance this season, Leonard Williams seems in line for a big contract, whether it be with the Giants or another team in free agency.

New York Giants: 3 players on defense who have surprised in 2020

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New York Giants, Blake Martinez, James Bradberry

The New York Giants are entering their bye week with back to back wins against division opponents. The Giants are sitting at a 3-7 record, that might not sound the best, but the Giants are just a half-game back from first place in the division. In the last few weeks, the Giants have made some drastic improvements.

There is a lot to like about the Giants this season. The coaching for the G-MEN has been impressive, to say the least. We can give all the credit to the coaches, the players are going on the field and playing every week.

Three New York Giants players who have played above their weight-class:

James Bradberry

James Bradberry has been a solid cornerback throughout his career but would not consider him elite until his first season with the New York Giants.

With his first season with the Giants, Bradberry just isn’t one of the best cornerbacks in the NFC East, he is one of the best cornerbacks in the entire NFL. Through 10 weeks, Bradberry leads the NFL with 14 passes defended and three interceptions.

Dave Gettleman was the former general manager of the Carolina Panthers. Gettleman drafted Bradberry back in 2016 in the second round. Once Bradberry hit free agency this past offseason, Gettleman jumped all over him. Bradberry received a three-year deal, worth $43.5 million. What a massive signing by Gettleman this past offseason.

Blake Martinez

Blake Martinez was a tackling machine in Green Bay for years but never brought much else to the table. The Packers couldn’t have been more wrong.

Martinez is tied for the most tackles in the NFL through 10 weeks, but he has done much more for the Giants than that. Martinez has provided a rock in the middle of the defense and being the vocal leader of this Giants’ defense. This is what the Giants needed on the defensive side of the ball.

Dave Gettleman again made another great signing this past offseason. Gettleman signed Martinez to a three-year deal, just like he did to Bradberry. Martinez’s deal is worth $30 million over three-years. This Giants defense has found their leader for years to come.

Leonard Williams

Leonard Williams was a Pro Bowler his rookie season in the NFL but after that season never played up to his expectations. Why would Dave Gettleman give up a third-round and fifth-round pick for an average defensive lineman?

Williams was the final piece to the puzzle for this Giants defensive line. The Giants now have Williams, Dexter Lawerance, and Dalvin Tomlinson are the starters, with B.J. Hill getting solid playing time coming off the bench.

The Giants were not able to sign Williams to a long-term extension and were forced to give him the franchise tag. Williams’ franchise tag is worth $16.1 million.

Whatever your feelings about the trade for Williams, you can not deny that he has been one of the best players on this entire Giants team. Williams is playing as he did back in his rookie season. He is finally becoming that all-around playmaker Gettleman traded for in 2019. Williams currently is leading the Giants in sacks with five, tackles for loss with eight, and quarterback hits with 17.

New York Giants stick with current roster at trade deadline

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New York Giants, Joe Judge

Some would have expected the New York Giants to be sellers at the trade deadline thanks to their terrible start to the season and the failures of General Manager Dave Gettleman to turn the roster around, but that’s no the case as the team made no moves on the deadline. Interestingly enough, that’s not because the team received no interest in their players. They did. But they made the decision to stick with what they have.

“We had a lot of calls coming in for a lot of players. But there are some foundational players we’re looking to build with in this program,” head coach Joe Judge told reporters on Zoom. “We’re happy with the way our players are working and with the progress they’re making. We want to keep building with this team right here.”

Judge said the team feels good about where they are. That’s in spite of their 1-7 record and their last place position in the NFC East. The Giants aren’t completely out of the race to turn things around, mainly because of how poor the opposition int he division is. But if they continue blowing games late, they’ll quickly run out of time.

The decision to not make any moves and keep players such as Evan Engram would indicate a desire to continue with the current rebuilding plan instead of going for a new one this offseason. But there’s also no guarantee that Dave Gettleman will be the General Manager by that time.

If there is a new GM in control of the Giants roster, it looks like the task of rebuilding the roster will be a little bit harder as the team had made the decision to not start selling now in preparation for a full restart of the rebuild further down the line.

New York Giants: No plans to bench Daniel Jones, says Coach Judge

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants fell to 1-7 on Monday night after yet another heartbreaking primetime defeat. The Giants battled hard and went down to the wire with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ultimately falling short 23-25.

Second-year quarterback Daniel Jones has received the bulk of the blame for the Giants’ Week 8 loss. Jones threw 2 interceptions, committing his 12th and 13th turnovers of the season. In his career, Daniel Jones has turned the ball over 36 times in 21 games. He has been a turnover machine, leading some fans to call for his benching midseason.

Head coach Joe Judge was asked today whether or not he and Jason Garrett have considered benching Daniel Jones. He gave a simple answer: “No.” According to the man himself, Judge has not given any consideration to benching Daniel Jones in hopes that he gains clarity from stepping back from a game.

Should the Giants bench Daniel Jones?

The New York Giants are 1-7 and seemingly out of the playoff race. Head coach Joe Judge made it clear today that Daniel Jones will remain the team’s starting quarterback. Judge said today, “Daniel is our quarterback.” But this might not be favorable news to some fans.

Some fans have seen enough of Daniel Jones. His turnover total through a season and a half is too high for some fans. When the Giants are in close games like they were on Monday night, some fans believe Colt McCoy could pull off an improbable win.

Even if that were true, the Giants should not bench Daniel Jones. Daniel Jones might not be the future of this team but Colt McCoy definitely is not the future of this team. How would the Giants benefit from having Colt McCoy on the field?

If you are a fan that does not believe in Daniel Jones, that is fine. But give him the rest of the season before you make a final decision. Give him these last eight weeks to prove you right or prove you wrong. At the very least, Jones playing these last eight weeks gives the Giants two seasons of game film to evaluate heading into the 2021 offseason. This film will be crucial for the Giants as they evaluate the quarterback position when they are likely to be picking within the top five or ten picks of the 2021 NFL Draft. New York needs to know for certain what they have in Jones before the draft rolls around in April.

Dave Gettleman is also not likely to return as the Giants’ general manager in 2021. The next person in that position will have to make a decision regarding Daniel Jones and a potential draft prospect. The next GM will need to have enough film to evaluate and make certain of his decision in the offseason.

Best case scenario over these final eight weeks: Daniel Jones improves his play, possibly establishing himself as a franchise quarterback or Daniel Jones only gets worse, bottoms out, and the Giants know they need to draft a new signal-caller in April. Worst case scenario: Daniel Jones does not play and the Giants do not know for certain whether or not they should invest in their second first-round quarterback prospect in the last three years.

No brainer, Daniel Jones needs to remain the starter of the New York Giants, regardless of his inconsistent play.

The New York Giants need to be sellers at the trade deadline and nothing else

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New York Giants, Dave Gettleman

The Nov. 3 NFL trade deadline is quickly approaching, and the New York Giants find themselves in an interesting dilemma.

They aren’t a playoff-caliber team, not by a long shot, and yet they are still firmly in the race for the NFC East division title despite sitting at 1-5 on the season. Coming off a close win against the Washington Football Team last week, if the Giants win their second divisional game in a row Thursday night against the Eagles, they would be tied for first place in the division.

Getting a win on Thursday, however, could be potentially dangerous for the Giants. Not to say winning is bad, but the Giants being right in the thick of the NFC East race might prompt general manager Dave Gettleman to try and make a move to acquire a player at the trade deadline in an effort to win the division. That is the opposite of what the Giants should be doing, as they are a rebuilding team who needs to acquire more draft capital by giving away players, not the other way around.

Gettleman is widely expected to be let go after the season, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, and this could force him to go into desperation mode at the deadline. But, the reality is this team is nowhere near in position to be giving up more draft picks and future assets because they aren’t a win-now team, no matter where they are in the divisional standings.

The Giants only have five picks in the 2021 NFL Draft as is, after giving up a 5th in the Leonard Williams trade last year and a 7th for cornerback Isaac Yiadom right before the season started. The last thing they can afford is having even less draft picks to work with for this draft and potentially beyond, especially if there’s going to be a new general manager calling the shots.

There have been some players around the league rumored to be potential trade targets who could help the Giants, such as Cincinnati Bengals speedy wide receiver John Ross. The former first-round pick could provide a much-needed boost for the Giants lackluster passing game and give Jason Garrett an intriguing down-field threat to work with.

But, no matter who may be available via trade, the Giants need to resist the temptation and look at the big picture. Making a move at the deadline that would possibly help the team in the short-term would handicap them in the long-term, and that’s what this team should be focusing on. Is it really worth it for the Giants bring in a player who gets them to maybe 6-7 wins at best and buys them a first-round exit in the playoffs? Not only that but by winning the division, the Giants would have a late first-round pick and miss out on a lot of the top draft prospects, which would be a nightmare scenario.

The Giants need to be looking at players on their roster who they can potentially move for any semblance of value. Some possible options include wide receivers Golden Tate and Sterling Shepard, and outside linebacker Markus Golden. If they can draft picks for any one of those players, they need to pull the trigger and stock up for the future.

With Gettleman seemingly on his way out, Joe Judge and the Giants need to stop Gettleman from giving in and making another Leonard Williams-type trade in a last-ditch effort to try and save his job. This team needs to be focusing on building for the future, getting any value they can for expendable players who aren’t part of the long-term plan, and developing the young players they have on the roster currently.

Therefore, the Giants need to be sellers this trade deadline rather than buyers because the only thing they would be buying themselves is another ticket on the same carousel they’ve been riding since 2011.

New York Giants: How Dave Gettleman can survive the 2020 season and keep his job

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New York Giants, Dave Gettleman

There is no question that New York Giants’ general manager Dave Gettleman is on thin ice. His team opened the 2020 campaign 0-5, just barely squeaking out a win against a poor Washington Football Team.

Over his three years as GM, the Giants have a combined 10 wins and 28 losses, which is simply unacceptable considering he spent the second overall pick in 2018 on a running back and has failed to solve the issues on the offensive line. The early returns on fourth overall pick Andrew Thomas have been lackluster, as his pass protection ability is poor, and his run blocking us seems to take a step back from his dominance at Georgia.

Hopefully, Thomas can evolve into a capable tackle in the NFL — he has plenty of time to refine his abilities and grow. In favor of Gettleman, he has made several fantastic free agent signings in the recent past, including Blake Martinez, James Bradberry, and Graham Gano.

While his free agents from this past off-season are impressive, we mustn’t forget the trading of a third and fifth-round pick for Leonard Williams, who was set to become a free agent. Of course, the value of drafting Saquon Barkley seems to have backfired, considering he is missing the entire 2020 campaign and dealt with a high-ankle sprain in 2019.

I would be remiss not to mention the Jonathan Stewart and Patrick Omameh signings, as well as the limited returns from the 2018 draft class. The only players that are seemingly contributing to the starting roster are Will Hernandez and Lorenzo Carter. I left out Barkley since he is currently sitting on injured reserve with a torn ACL this season.

When looking at Hernandez and Carter, both are about average, as Hernandez currently hosts a 57.3 overall grade, per PFF. His pass blocking and run blocking have both been below average, taking several steps back from his impressive rookie season in 2018. Whether it’s a change of scheme that is affecting his play or simple degradation, Gettleman’s haul from two years isn’t paying dividends.

We would be ignorant to think that the Giants aren’t planning to move on from him after the 2020 season, but there could be one saving grace.

Dan Graziano of ESPN stated:

 Industry sources are watching the Panthers and Giants for potential openings, and some believe Washington will hire a general manager at some point as well.

The New York Giants are in the race:

Big Blue is currently one game back from being tied for first place with the Dallas Cowboys. Now, Dallas did win their first matchup the season, so they would have the edge given a tie, but without Dak Prescott at the helm, the Cowboys are doomed for failure this year.

Taking a look at Washington, who are moving through quarterbacks faster, and the Giants are moving through head coaches, we can assume they will be at the bottom of the barrel. The Philadelphia Eagles, on the other hand, are dealing with significant injuries across the board. This gives the Giants a rather sad and egregious path to winning the NFC East division.

If, in fact, the Giants were to escape the NFC East as the number one seed, that might convince ownership that Gettleman is deserving of another season as GM. While his poor decision making and lack of awareness for his draft capital have become apparent, turning over the front office again might now be good for the continuity behind the scenes.

Personally, I believe that ownership will allow Gettleman to retire after this campaign, easing his transition out of the NFL and sparing him the embarrassment of a midseason firing. However, anything is possible given the state of the NFC East.