This offseason is a monumental one for the New York Giants. There are no excuses this time around.
Head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen were given another crack at it, and they're set up well to fix the most important position in football. With the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Giants could be looking at one of the top quarterback prospects in this year's class.
However, this team could also make a play for a veteran via trade. Then, getting to spend that third overall pick on someone like either Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter would swing momentum in a big way. Not to mention, trading back just a tad would be on the table, assuming a quarterback solution was found.
One of those solutions very well could come via the veteran market with guys like Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields potentially on the move. Maybe even Jameis Winston takes the bait and signs with New York.
And yet, another option emerges: L.A. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Adding some fuel to the Stafford-to-Giants train first, on Wednesday, was NFL Draft expert Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network, who recently posted on his social media:
"I’d be so fascinated to see what trade compensation would look like if Giants traded for Stafford. If they could hold onto 3rd pick, they could have some really fun options."
Matthew Stafford playing elsewhere in 2025 seems to be very likely
From there, a colleague of Jeremiah's took it even further and reposted with additional thoughts. Gregg Rosenthal of the NFL Daily podcast added the notion that it's more likely we see Stafford leave the Rams than it is he sticks around.
Going back to Jeremiah's point about holding onto the no. 3 overall pick, that seems way too obvious. The Giants aren't going to trade the third overall pick for a quarterback who is likely to be contemplating retirement sooner than later.
It would actually be surprising to see the Giants even need to part with a second-round pick in exchange for Stafford. If he plays this season (and it's looking likely he does), Stafford will probably want a pay raise once more, and he deserves it.
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Any team who trades for Stafford will also be in line to oblige with an increased salary as well. Therefore, would it make sense for the Giants to trade a third-round pick and potentially a combination of Day 3 selections in exchange for Stafford? Could there be pick swaps involved?
Should New York be able to land Stafford while keeping their top two selections and maybe even simply swapping picks in the middle rounds, they'd be set up for a much quicker turnaround than some might think. Having your quarterback in place, plus a franchise wide receiver like Malik Nabers, is a solid starting point.
From there, it's about filling in the cracks and ensuring this roster gets more well-rounded. But, with Stafford, Nabers and Brian Daboll, that's a core that would want to win immediately.