The New York Giants had a bad year last season, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the record showed. This team showed a lot of heart and grit, never giving up. They had a lot of issues closing games out, but most of their games ended within eight points. A team that ended the season 5-11 could have very well ended the season 9-7 or better. That makes this season even more important for this team. There are a few pieces of business this team needs to take care of, and I think this is the best course of action for a team almost ready to compete for the title.
New York Giants Off-Season: Path to Success
Trade for Josh Rosen
I was one of Josh Rosen’s biggest fans going into last year’s draft. I thought it was a no-brainer for the Giants to select him with the second pick. When Dave Gettleman looks back on the draft, I doubt he has any regret selecting Saquon Barkley. However, he has recently stated that he wants to find his future signal caller. I believe that Rosen was the best quarterback in last year’s class and he is better than all of the quarterbacks in this class. He is a generational talent and is someone who will beat you when you provide him protection. The Arizona Cardinals were the worst team in the NFL last season by a lot. Rosen never had time to throw and was not protected properly.
Now, the Cardinals are being linked heavily to Kyler Murray because of Kliff Kingsbury and some comments that their general manager Steve Keim made. This is the perfect opportunity for both the Cardinals and Rosen to part ways and the Giants make the most sense. Rosen can start the season behind Eli Manning and learn from him after his poor season last year. If he is willing to wait a year behind Manning, then this move makes the most sense. Most likely, the Giants would be able to retain their sixth overall selection because Rosen played poorly last season and it is becoming more and more evident the Cardinals want Murray. Also, the Giants should prioritize this because they will not get the quarterback they want at sixth overall. There will be teams trading up to get ahead of the Giants to select Dwayne Haskins and Murray. The Giants moving for Rosen is the best decision they could make at this moment.
Draft the Best Player Available
Some will argue to build the offensive line, some will say draft the best pass rusher there. The Giants have more than one hole to fill. If they trade and get Rosen, they will have most likely traded their second and one of their fourth-round picks. That makes this pick even more important because this will be their only pick in the first three rounds (the Giants selected Sam Beal in the third round of the Supplementary Draft). Some players the Giants should target are Dexter Lawrence, Quinnen Williams, and Rashan Gary. These three defensive linemen would pair perfectly with B.J. Hill and Dalvin Tomlinson. Dave Gettleman loves players who get in the trench, so this selection makes sense for everyone involved.
The rest of the draft should be focused only on defense. The Giants have Sam Beal coming back from injury, so that will be beneficial. Their remaining moves should be to draft a safety (Landon Collins is most likely departing) as well as bring in some linebackers and pass rushers.
Sign an Offensive Lineman
This is the most critical part of this plan. The Giants now have their future signal caller, a dominant receiving corps and the best running back in the league, a great defensive line, and a serviceable secondary. It is imperative to now sign an offensive lineman. Nate Solder and Will Hernandez played well last season, but they will need some help. They should target Darryl Williams, Mitch Morse, and Matt Paradis. The cap will constrain them, but they should have enough for at least one of these three players especially if they choose not to lock Landon Collins up long term. I think the Giants should bring back Collins, but if they don’t, they need to focus heavily on the offensive line.
This team may not compete for the title next season, but they will definitely be in the playoff hunt and could win the NFC East. After next season, Eli Manning will not be on the team and then the Giants could use that money and target a big-time defender to put the team over the top.
