Take a look at the record, take a look at the man calling the shots and take a look at the roster. The Giants have already taken the plunge with Monday’s unprecedented trade with the Jets for defensive lineman Leonard Williams, and there certainly could be more deals to come before the NFL trade deadline arrives at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
General manager Dave Gettleman knows his team is 2-6 at midseason and he will jettison players if he believes it will help the cause moving forward. He traded away two draft picks to acquire Williams. Now Gettleman will likely be in the market to recoup some picks in exchange for veterans who are not part of the plan for 2020 and beyond. Gettleman midway through a losing 2018 season traded away Damon “Snacks’’ Harrison and Eli Apple and after that season traded away Odell Beckham Jr. and Olivier Vernon. If he shipped those players out of town, he can send away virtually anyone on this year’s team.
The most likely to go? Cornerback Janoris Jenkins, linebacker Alec Ogletree and left tackle Nate Solder. With the recent addition of Williams, perhaps the Giants are willing to part ways with defensive lineman B.J. Hill, who has had an extremely quiet second NFL season after showing promise as a rookie. Dalvin Tomlinson, in the third year of a four-year deal, could also be expendable now that Williams will likely move into one of the starting defensive line spots. More likely, the Giants will hold onto Hill and Tomlinson, as they are young and inexpensive.
“It’s just a part of how this league works,’’ Ogletree said. “That’s the business side of the organization and the NFL. You come in, you put in your work, and you just hope for the best. Some stuff you can’t control, some stuff is out of your control. You can only control what you can control. While you’re there, work, give your all to the guys in the locker room and get your work done.’’
Solder will probably not be going anywhere, simply because there is not another legitimate left tackle on the roster and the Giants are not going to expose rookie quarterback Daniel Jones to increased pressure in the pocket. The Giants know they overpaid for Solder in free agency, but they also do not think he is playing as poorly as some outside their building claim.
Still, the Browns seem intent on adding a left tackle and if they are desperate enough to offer a bundle, the Giants could jump in, perhaps getting stopgap Greg Robinson, benched in Cleveland, in return, in addition to draft picks.
There is not expected to be much of a market for Ogletree.
“As of right now, I’m still a Giant,’’ Ogletree said Monday afternoon. “I haven’t heard anything different. I’m a Giant today and I’m thankful for the opportunity to be here now.”
Jenkins is a different situation entirely. There are plenty of contending teams that could use a quality cover corner and Jenkins can play on the outside or in the slot. His interception Sunday against the Lions was his fourth of the season. Jenkins, who turns 31 on Tuesday, can still make plays and coach Pat Shurmur likes him — which does not guarantee anything, if Gettleman can get draft picks he wants in return. Those in the know indicate nothing is imminent with Jenkins, but things can change.
“I guess it has been rumored that he is being moved all the time,’’ Shurmur said. “I don’t know of any conversations to do that. It’s purely hypothetical with regards to him.’’
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