NY Giants right guard Kevin Zeitler is likely to be a hot commodity at the NFL trade deadline, but GM Dave Gettleman would be wise to call these 3 teams
As Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline rapidly approaches, one player the NY Giants likely have the best chance to move and could be most inclined to trade based on conversations with league and team sources is right guard Kevin Zeitler.
Zeitler remains among the Giants’ most dominant offensive linemen with a 66.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, but his play his dipped slightly each of the past two seasons since being acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Browns.
Team sources tell GMenHQ that the Giants’ decisions ahead of the deadline will be governed by two factors; adding draft picks in 2021 and clearing cap space both off the books next year and for the remainder of this season that can be rolled over. Creating cap space is a top priority, because the expectations of executives and agents across the league is that the salary cap will dip, and perhaps significantly so, in 2021.
Zeitler is set to count a team-high $14 million against the cap in 2021, but trading him would free up approximately $12 million, according to OverTheCap, which certainly would add to general manager Dave Gettleman’s motivation to strike a deal.
There are several teams across the league who need offensive linemen, but thee teams — two of which in the throes of a playoff race — have the need, wherewithal and draft capital to put together a package to make a Zeitler trade worthwhile for the Giants.
Scroll through for a look at three teams Gettleman should call to shop Zeitler prior to Tuesday:
Buffalo Bills
The Bills have a significant need along the interior of the offensive line, as they make a push to close out the AFC East division crown.
Guard Cody Ford has struggled mightily through much of the season, and finding a way to keep Josh Allen upright must be a priority for the Bills, especially with remaining games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, and Pittsburgh Steelers down the stretch.
The Bills currently do not have a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but do have an extra fifth that they could ship the Giants in exchange for Zeitler.
Zeitler would step in immediately as one of the Bills’ top offensive lineman and could benefit from a change of scenery after seeing his play dip a bit since being traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Giants prior to the 2019 season.
Cincinnati Bengals
This has already been a busy week for the Cincinnati Bengals, who are doing everything they can to fortify the offensive line in front of rookie sensation Joe Burrow.
The Bengals have already signed former Bills guard Quinton Spain, and acquired B.J. Finney in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, but, Zeitler would be an upgrade over either player. If Sunday is any indication, when Burrow was sacked four times in a loss to the Cleveland Browns, two weeks after being sacked seven times by the Baltimore Ravens, the Bengals are going to need to do something to avoid Burrow getting too beaten up or from developing bad habits under pressure.
Cincinnati has just over $34.4 million in cap space next season, under current projections, according to Spotrac, so the Bengals have plenty of room to retain Zeitler beyond this seaosn.
Zeitler would fit right in as an immediate starter, and is already familiar with the AFC North, which could make this as seamless a transition as a player can get at the trade deadline.
Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City is all in to go for a repeat as Super Bowl champions and keep their window to collect Lombardi Trophies with Patrick Mahomes as long as possible, but will likely need to get through some form of the AFC gauntlet of the Steelers, Tennessee Titans, and Baltimore Ravens in order to make it to February.
The interior of the offensive line might be one of the Chiefs’ few vulnerabilities, with Mahomes already being pressured 25 times this season.
If the Chiefs are shopping for offensive guards, as they should be, not only might they be inclined to pay a premium to acquire Zeitler but have a bounty of picks to do so. Kansas City currently one of their own selections in every round except the sixth, plus one extra pick in Rounds 4, 5, and seven.
Might Chiefs GM Brett Veach call Gettleman offering a 4th and 7th round pick for Zeitler? If he does, the Giants need to do the deal.
Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.