Leading up to the NFL trade deadline, fans were clamoring for a New York Giants blockbuster. Jeffery Simmons, Jonathan Taylor, and even Bijan Robinson were on the table.
John Harbaugh spoke about his eagerness to add difference-making players. But when the time came to make some last-minute deals, the G-Men were nowhere to be found.
Fans were frustrated with the lack of movement, especially considering Big Blue's opportunity to win the NFC East. But after a brutal loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 10, it looks like New York may have been right to stand pat at the deadline.
This doesn't seem to be a team worth pouring extra resources into.
Giants prove their trade deadline silence right with Commanders loss
For the record, I was never on board with the Giants making a splash move. Yes, the division title is attainable, but there's no need to leverage the future for a team that isn't built to win now just because it got a bit ahead of schedule. Shipping off an early draft pick for a star player, especially at running back, would have been more of a setback than an accelerator for Big Blue.
That said, I was open to sending a late-round pick for a solid veteran. Now, it looks like even a low-profile move would have been a mistake.
New York insisted on shooting itself in the foot against Washington. Harbaugh's team made multiple game-tilting mistakes, especially in the fourth quarter.
It was mostly an evenly matched game, but that's more of an indictment of the Giants than anything. This was a 2-5-1 Commanders team that seemed to be a loss or two away from firing its head coach in the middle of the season.
If those are the teams that New York is losing to, perhaps holding steady at the trade deadline was the right move. One trade clearly wasn't going to make Big Blue a contender.
Giants showed their true colors in frustrating loss to Commanders
Two things can be true at the same time. The Giants can and should win the NFC East, even after this loss. They're also in the relatively early stages of their rebuild and won't be ready to truly contend for at least another year.
The loss to the Commanders is a prime example of the state of this team. Championship squads put that game away in the third and fourth quarters, but New York handed Washington multiple opportunities to come back.
Compare this version of Big Blue to the NFC teams that made major trades at the deadline. The Chicago Bears have one of the best offenses in the league, and Simmons makes them a real threat to win the Super Bowl. The San Francisco 49ers are the only one-loss team in the conference and played in the Super Bowl just a few seasons ago. The Seattle Seahawks are the defending champs.
There was no reason for the Giants to try to fit into that group at the trade deadline. As frustrating as it may be, they're right to stay the course.
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