The NY Giants have a chance to add a playmaker to help quarterback Daniel Jones’ development at the NFL trade deadline, and several possible targets may be available
After trading edge rusher Markus Golden to the Arizona Cardinals Friday, it remains to be seen whether the NY GIants will hold a full-fledged fire sale, but there’s a chance general manager Dave Gettleman could both buy and sell ahead of next week’s deadline.
Gettleman has shown a propensity for being aggressive at the deadline, sending a third and conditional fifth-round pick to the Jets in exchange for Leonard Williams last season, despite Gettleman’s misguided notion that the deal might give the 2-6 Giants “a boost.”
If the Giants are able to move veterans such as tight end Evan Engram, who NFL executives tell GMenHQ could be a coveted commodity ahead of the dealdine, or guard Kevin Zeitler to add draft picks for next April that certainly would be prudent.
However, the NFC East race remains wide open, with the NY Giants somehow still in the mix. Even more importantly, nothing is more vital over the final nine weeks of the season than deciding whether Daniel Jones has what it takes to become an elite quarterback.
As the Giants’ offense has shown over the first seven weeks, Jones desperately needs a second reliable veteran wide receiver opposite Darius Slayton. Sterling Shepard returning from injured reserve certainly gives a boost, but the Giants are doing a disservice to Jones and his long-term development by sending him out there with his current inconsistent receiving corps.
The fact that the Giants might have a chance to add a weapon to aid Jones’ development and potentially give the second-year quarterback experience playing meaningful games for the first time over the second half might be alluring enough for Gettleman to make some calls as a buyer.
Here’s a look at five players the Giants should target at the deadline: