Just when we thought we could completely put former NY Giants general manager Dave Gettleman in the past, we’re reminded of how bad he was at his job. Throughout the NFL postseason, there were highs and lows for the G-Men, as their season came to a close in the Divisional Round.
Despite that, we’ve indeed been reminded of Gettleman mistakes, with some of his former players getting ready to compete for the Lombardi Trophy once Feb. 12 rolls around. We’re sorry to remind you of his errors, but we’re taking a look at three in particular in this piece:
3. Passing on LB Fred Warner in the NFL Draft
This one is going to sting for a while. Back in 2018, Gettleman and the front office had a plethora of draft picks, and had a chance to draft a young man by the name of Fred Warner in the third round. Right before Warner was taken off the board, though, Gettleman decided to rock with Lorenzo Carter and B.J. Hill.
Neither of those players remain with the Giants, as Carter left after the 2021 season to join the Falcons, while Hill was traded to the Bengals for backup center Billy Price. As for Warner, he is one of the best linebackers in the game. Since arriving to the San Francisco 49ers in 2018, Warner has been a two-time All-Pro selection.
— NYG_PETE (@nyg_pete) January 23, 2023
You know what makes this hurt even more? Well, linebacker is without a doubt one of the weakest position groups for the Giants and head coach Brian Daboll. The unit was embarrassing to watch for the majority of the year, especially with fans having to see Tae Crowder and Jaylon Smith take the field.
Crowder ended the season with Pittsburgh and no one wants to see Smith in an NY jersey next fall. If Gettleman would have been able to see Warner’s potential, he’d have millions of fans in the New York area. Instead, he’s been a baller for San Francisco. What could have been.
2. Using a first-round pick on WR Kadarius Toney
The last first-round pick that Gettleman sent in while still in East Rutherford was for wide receiver Kadarius Toney. Coming out of Florida, Toney had all the potential in the world and people were excited about his future catching balls from Daniel Jones. Things didn’t go according to plan, as Toney battled injuries from the start for Big Blue.
Not only that, but his off-the-field drama started to catch up to him as well, as there were plenty of issues between him and the NY front office, even after Gettleman left. Joe Schoen arrived to NY and decided to give Toney a fresh start. That didn’t work either, with injuries continuing to plague him, though Toney hinted he was just fine.
Regardless of that, the speedster’s time with the Giants felt like it was on borrowed time and the team eventually traded him to the Chiefs for a pair of draft picks. Toney is now hoping to help Kansas City win it all, although an ankle injury suffered in the AFC Championship Game will surely be something to watch leading up to kickoff vs. the Eagles.
Toney delivered a parting shot at the Giants shortly after he was released. Fans were upset by that, no doubt, as they were also frustrated that he never lived up to the hype with the team. If the Chiefs take home the Lombardi Trophy and Toney has an impact on the outcome, then it’s only going to make things even worse for NY supporters.
1. Giving James Bradberry a $45 million deal
Gettleman was known for giving, well, let’s just call them generous contracts. Such was the case with cornerback James Bradberry, who put the pen to paper on a three-year, $45 million deal with the G-Men in 2020. At the time, plenty of folks thought it was far too much money for Bradberry and those feelings haven’t changed.
Because of the mess Gettleman left Schoen, the first-year Giants GM had no choice but to release Bradberry prior to the 2022 campaign getting started. That release was delayed, with Schoen trying to trade Bradberry first. With that delay, Bradberry didn’t hit free agency until the majority of teams had already filled their CB needs.
Bradberry went on to sign a one-year deal with the Eagles, but he has taken a shot at the Giants any chance he’s had. In the Divisional Round, Bradberry picked off Daniel Jones and he called eliminating NY from the postseason a top-three moment in his career. We don’t even want to think about the comments he’ll deliver towards NY if he wins the Super Bowl with Philly.
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