For the New York Giants, it seems like the “Saquon Barkley or bust” movement may be losing steam.
The Penn State running back may be the most talented player in this draft. There’s little doubt that he’s NFL ready. But unless you haven’t noticed Big Blue’s offensive line problems aren’t completely solved.
General manager Dave Gettleman upgraded at left tackle with the signing of Nate Solder. Solder is a very good left tackle, but anyone would have been an upgrade over Ereck Flowers. Head coach Pat Shurmur may voice support for Flowers’ move to the right side, but what else can he say at this point?
Now, I will go on record as saying that adding Barkley may get the G-Men a win or two in the short-term. He will make something out of nothing. So did Barry Sanders in the day, which in actuality disguised what an awful job the Detroit Lions did in constructing a team.
Odell Beckham and Barkley together will snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. But remember that false sense of security doesn’t get a team to the top of the heap. More likely, you become one-and-done in the NFL playoffs.
We saw that two seasons ago.
So to those fans, who crave a 9-7 record and possible Wild Card berth, have at Barkley. Maybe, you’ll get to see your team get to the playoffs. Then again, maybe not.
If you hadn’t noticed, there are plenty of holes to fill on this roster. We’ve got our fingers crossed about Brett Jones at center. At guard, John Jerry is well, John Jerry. And Patrick Omameh is not the second coming of Chris Snee.
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In fact Omameh may not be better than former New York Giants lineman Justin Pugh. Don’t get me wrong, I like the moves Gettleman has made so far. He didn’t have much to work with, and getting Solder in the fold was critical.
But let’s not book airfare to Atlanta for Super Bowl LIII just yet.
Trade the Pick?
The “trade the pick” crowd rightly points out that the No. 2 selection could garner a boatload of draft picks. But this group also has to concede that not every draft pick makes it as an NFL player. So even if Gettleman and company does as well as they can, some of the acquired assets won’t pan out.
We think that Gettleman will do a better job than former general manager Jerry Reese and his magical draft board. You remember the Reese mantra – we drafted the best available player.
That supposed line of thinking got the New York Giants to select Ereck Flowers and cornerback Eli Apple. I doubt that many (or any) draft boards had these two guys as the No. 9 and No. 10 picks in their respective drafts.
Recently, ESPN draft expert Todd McShay had the Giants trading the No. 2 overall to the Buffalo Bills. In return, Big Blue receives picks 12, 22 and 53. Buffalo gets its franchise quarterback, and the New York Giants get some fine players.
Sorry, not good enough.
This year, the draft seems deep, but that doesn’t mean a franchise guy sits at No. 12. If you haven’t noticed, Gettleman continues to build the roster. Some of these guys may be one-season stop-gap measures, but there’s a method to his madness.
On the Clock
Say the G-Men are up at No.12, and looking at Charlie Casserly’s (NFL.com) board, he says Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith goes here. Or if not Smith, then defensive tackle Vita Vea (Washington) or wide receiver Calvin Ridley (Alabama). Well, the last two selection are superfluous for Big Blue – especially if Odell Beckham remains on the team.
In that case, do the New York Giants reach for tackles Mike McGlinchey (Notre Dame) or Kolton Miller (UCLA)?
In theory, those selections would solve the offensive line woes, and protect 37-year old Eli Manning. But remember, putting a roster together is a process, and should be treated as such. We realize that New York Giants fans are hungry, but every area of need will still not be covered in 2018. From that standpoint, the quick fix remains the accumulation of draft picks. It would immediately upgrade the roster. Immediate upgrade sometimes runs counter to building a strong foundation though.
But the process is nothing except to surround stars with very good to great players. With that in mind, the Giants need to grab onto the brass ring and keep the No. 2 pick. Use it to select Josh Allen (Wyoming).
Related Story: New York Giants: Barkley is tempting, but here’s the deal
With their second-round selection, the Giants can focus on offensive linemen Will Hernandez (UTEP), Billy Price (Ohio State) or Kolton Miller (UCLA). Perhaps, running backs Derrius Guice (LSU), Ronald Jones (USC), Sony Michel (Georgia) or Kerryon Johnson (Auburn) make more sense. Either way, Allen and any of these guys are preferable to Smith, Miller and one of the quartet at running back.
At No. 2, it’s about quality, not quantity, so the draft experts can talk about a volume trade, but for the New York Giants that doesn’t make sense. Certainly this team has needs, but the cupboard is not completely empty either.
If the New York Giants keep the pick, a chance for long-term relevance is certainly possible. Trading the pick probably means a playoff berth can be attained in 2018.