N.Y. Giants: Taking The Big Blue Hand Out of the Cookie Jar

From the desk of:  DO IT FOR THE DUKE

New York Football Giants: Hopefully Odell Beckham Trade Finally Triggers a Full Rebuild Effort.

At this juncture, I believe most agree that it was John Mara's loyalty to Jerry Reese which effectively crippled the Giants.  In the seven seasons since winning Super Bowl XLVI the Giants are 47-65 (.419), with double-digit losses in four of their last five seasons.  They managed a playoff appearance in 2016, only to lose in noncompetitive fashion.  Just three victories in 2017 marked their lowest win total in nearly 35-years, which goes right along with being 8-24 (.250) over the last two seasons.  This would normally suggest a team in dire need of not just some flip renovation, but a full blown deconstruction and rebuild on par with those once initiated by former general managers George Young and Ernie Accorsi.

As if ...

I'm on record saying that if the Giants had no intention of drafting a quarterback replacement during last year's draft, I preferred them trading out of the #2 overall slot in exchange for multiple picks.  Don't get me wrong; Saquon Barkley is a supreme generational talent not born of this earth.  What's not to appreciate about an AP Rookie of the Year who gained over 2,000 total yards from scrimmage?  His accomplishment is nothing short of amazing considering the sub par talent he was forced to work with.  It's just that I have a different idea of how rebuilding should proceed.

I place blame for last year's failed effort at Win Now squarely in the hands of John Mara.  After Mara/Reese/McAdoo's complete botching of Eli's ill conceived benching in favor of Geno Smith, be sure John Mara has since committed to letting Eli Manning play out the remainder of his contract - no questions asked.  It then became Dave Gettleman's job as new general manager to package it, market it, and sell it.  That would explain hasty attempts at fortifying the offensive line, signing Odell Beckham to an absurdly prohibitive contract extension, and selecting Saquon Barkley with the second over pick of last year's draft.  And that's why I'm apt to give Gettleman a pass where it concerns Eli Manning.  

Odell Beckham Jr. is a completely different story.  From day one, I felt as if the Giants controversial megastar (a veritable football Frankenstein created and enabled by Reese and Tom Coughlin) would ultimately be traded.  Despite everything Dave Gettleman has said over the last year, I never once thought  Gettleman and Coach Shurmur were down with OBJ.  And full disclosure, nor was I.  That's why signing him to a contract extension threw me for a loop.  As a rebuilding team I believe high value assets should be traded away.  However, upon further review I believe signing Odell to that contract made it easier to trade him.  Placing a franchise tag on him, or any other tactic would have been counter productive.  Instead, Odell becomes cost predictable if under contract.  Therefore a team merely need decide if they can fit him into their numbers, or not.  The emerging Cleveland Browns decided he in fact does.  And if you consider the Steelers received a #3 and a #5 for Antonio Brown, and the Giants received a #1 and a #3, plus a starting safety, I think Gettleman did well enough.  I'm particularly pleased the Giants are free of OBJ's contract, despite the upcoming season's salary cap hit.

Overall, Dave Gettleman's first 14 months on the job are a perfect example of what happens when you half-ass a rebuild.  That said, Mr. Mara appears to have taken his hand out of the proverbial  cookie jar.  Now lets see what this general manager is capable of.

His strange and confounding maneuverings as general manager to date deserve its own narrative.