New York Giants: Balancing good moves with bad moves yields disaster

The New York Giants are attempting the impossible. They aim to win while rebuilding, balancing out the bad moves with good ones to compensate. This story never ends well.

When we paused our NFL team look-ins for the 2019 NFL Draft, we still had the top six teams remaining. Nos. 32-7 were complete, but the top six would have to wait until after rookies were added to the depth chart and futures were planned. This ended up being quite fortunate. That allowed us to ruminate on what just happened to the New York Giants without looking silly for predicting something else entirely.

We all know the story by now. General manager Dave Gettleman fell in love with Daniel Jones after seeing the Duke product make three plays during Senior Bowl practices (why?). He knew for a fact that other teams were interested in Jones before the Giants picked again at No. 17. He pulled the trigger and drafted Jones sixth overall. New York managed to balance every bad move with a good one this offseason, leaving only one thing left: Disaster.

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate the New York Giants in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

After Jones, the New York Giants then selected a non-pass rushing defensive lineman 17th overall and traded up for a corner when the run on the position hadn’t even begun yet. The picks after round one were more highly thought of, but Gettleman dominated the story of the first days of the NFL Draft for all the wrong reasons.

And yet, the draft is such a stupid exercise because if these guys become good players, specifically Jones, it won’t matter what value was lost or where he was selected. All that matters is whether the guys become good football players or not.

I just have trouble trusting any plan Gettleman unveils right now. He famously dealt away numerous star players throughout last season and the offseason. He said the team has a good locker room now, implying it didn’t when Odell Beckham Jr. was in blue.

More from NFL Spin Zone

• Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
• Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
• Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
• Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
• Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens

Gettleman made his questionable comments about Jones, and he’s also steered the entire roster toward an outdated mode of running the football and controlling the clock. The front office has spent tons of assets on the offensive line. Even the addition of wide receiver Golden Tate fit that plan, as Tate grades out as a good blocker for his position. Like that will matter on third-and-seven.

Gettleman wasn’t done sounding senseless. He hasn’t ruled out bringing Eli Manning back after this season and made a concession that Jones could sit on the sidelines for three years. Is sounding senseless, though, enough for us to consider him a bad GM?

The Giants are in store for a rebuilding year. They are not going to compete for anything of note in 2019 other than maybe the first overall pick in next year’s draft. That brings Jones to the forefront of where this team can go, especially with the loaded quarterback class pending for the 2020 NFL Draft. Will New York pull off what Arizona just did and draft quarterbacks in the top 10 in back-to-back years? It already seems plausible, let alone possible.

I have zero confidence in Gettleman. I don’t expect a bounce-back year for Manning. The defense doesn’t look like it will be good. This is all heartbreaking, especially after last year’s supposed reboot that melded into something horrific. The only thing to count on is taking Saquon Barkley with the first overall pick in fantasy drafts.

Dan Salem:

The New York Giants have one of the best young running backs in football. They also have a solid receiving corps, even without Beckham. This is all unfortunate since the team is certainly rebuilding in 2019. Yet I’m left to wonder what the gosh darn heck is going on. If New York is aiming for the top pick in 2020, then why would they waste their pick this year on a quarterback? Why pass on Josh Allen to select a player you might not even want in a year?

If the Giants repeat the mistake that Arizona just made, then shame. Wasting top 10 draft picks is probably the worst thing a GM can do. Selecting a quarterback in the top 10 two years in a row is ridiculously stupid. At least the Cardinals were able to trade Josh Rosen for something. How will Jones garner any value without seeing the field? He won’t. How will Gettleman keep his job after re-signing Manning? He won’t.

As an objective observer, rather than a fan of the New York Giants, I prefer to give the team the benefit of the doubt. I strive to always do this, but the Giants are making it hard. I love much of the talent on the team and I love committing fully to a rebuild. Except New York isn’t fully committed, just like last season.

Last year, they started rebuilding while trying to win with Manning. Now they are continuing to rebuild while trying to win with Manning. I understand why. You have a franchise quarterback, but you lack the offense to protect his ever-growing weaknesses. Give him that and away we go. Except you’re rebuilding and gutted the defense.

Every smart move the Giants made to rebuild was countered by a move to help them win with Manning. Even Gettleman’s comments about Jones and Manning indicate he’s trying to do both. Maybe the New York Giants will be the first team to ever successfully win a championship while rebuilding. More likely, they stink again and continue to contradict themselves. Hand the team to Jones. Manning is the ideal backup quarterback right now.