Whether Holmdel is technically North Jersey or not is up for debate (the Central Jersey township sits above I-195). What’s not up for debate is the New York Giants needing upgrades along the offensive line if they’re going to take advantage of a wide-open NFC East.
And with the Indianapolis Colts falling apart in real time, a certain Holmdel native might be worth a phone call: three-time first-team All-Pro and eight-time Pro Bowl left guard Quenton Nelson.
Indy fired general manager Chris Ballard on Monday, signaling the need for major changes. The Colts sit at 2-4, but they’re a significantly worse football team than their record suggests. They just lost 26-20 to the previously winless Tennessee Titans on Sunday, continuing a collapse that started last year when they opened 8-2 before dropping seven straight to finish 8-9. They’ve now gone 2-11 over their last 13 games. It’s capital B, bad.
With Ballard out, it’s fair to wonder whether Indianapolis might start getting the kindling out for a fire sale of some of its veterans. And if that’s the case, Joe Schoen and John Harbaugh should seriously consider upgrading an offensive line that’s becoming an impossible-to-ignore problem, especially where Nelson plays.
Giants should see if Colts are willing to part with Quenton Nelson
Jon Runyan ain’t it. It’s never been more obvious that the 29-year-old is the weakest link on an offensive line that hasn’t been able to impose its will on opponents this season.
And it’s not like New York hasn’t considered life without him. The G-Men flirted with replacing Runyan this offseason, pursuing Alijah Vera-Tucker before he signed with the Patriots. And after missing out on their preferred upgrade, they somehow turned around and handed Runyan a two-year, $22 million extension. I dare you to make that make sense.
Six weeks into the season, New York’s rushing attack is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry and 104.8 yards per game. And while the running back room isn’t exactly the ’07 Giants, the offensive line deserves a good chunk of the blame. Now, with the Colts crumbling and Nelson playing out the final year of his four-year, $80 million contract at 30 years old, the G-Men might have another opportunity to address a problem they clearly knew existed all the way back in March.
Pro Football Focus certainly isn’t the be-all, end-all, but the 6-foot-5, 330-pounder is currently ranked as the fourth-best guard among 76 qualified players with an 84.3 overall grade and third in run-blocking with an 82.4 grade.
Harbs isn’t afraid to shake things up, and while this would be an earthquake-level shake, it’s one that Big Blue should entertain given the circumstances.
The 64-year-old head coach has already removed one weak link in center John Michael Schmitz, replacing him with Bryan Hudson in Week 4. Not to mention, the division is in an absolute tailspin entering Week 7. The NFC East just became the first division in NFL history to go winless in consecutive weeks with every team playing.
And that's with the G-Men and Commies playing each other last week.
The 2-4 Eagles have been battling injuries all season long, but truly unfortunate news hit Monday: starting QB Jalen Hurts is expected to miss the rest of the season with blood clots in his lungs. Then there are the Dallas Cowboys (2-4), whose defense can’t stop a nosebleed. The Commanders are 1-4-1 and don’t have the roster to legitimately compete.
What I’m saying is that the NFC East might be the Giants’ to lose. And with three weeks until the Nov. 10 trade deadline, why not go big or go home?
It’s unclear what a trade for a player of Nelson’s caliber would look like, and with an already limited 2027 draft pick cupboard, maybe the G-Men could throw a 2028 Day 2 pick at Indy to tickle their fancy and get the talks rolling.
Nelson’s contract situation and the Colts’ recent skid don’t guarantee the Ponies will entertain moving him, but there’s no harm in busting out the Rolodex. The Giants have a chance to take advantage of a historically weak division, and adding an All-Pro left guard would be a fun way to start.
Add us as a preferred source on Google