Giants Were Hesitant To Trade Stars Due To Job Security

Despite rumblings about a few of their players, the Giants had a quiet trade deadline.

Trading Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence never felt realistic. Teams seemed unlikely to pony up a first-round pick for edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, who has just 2.5 sacks this season. And the Giants could not find takers on offensive lineman Evan Neal or wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, two players on expiring deals they were open to moving.

Uncertainty around the team’s future also lent itself to standing pat on Tuesday, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. The Giants’ current regime desperately needs to show proof-of-concept with their current vision for the walker. Jettisoning two of their top young defenders could make the team look bad enough down the stretch to threaten the jobs of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.

However, the Giants are still realistic about their current standing and need to add talent in the offseason. They were only interested in players under contract through at least 2026, as trading draft picks for rentals would not better the team’s future.

There’s a careful balance to be struck there. At 2-6, the Giants may be content with a losing season if it means a top draft pick. Given the scrutiny on Schoen and Daboll, they may not be intentionally tanking, but adding a rental could help them win an extra game or two without boosting their overall playoff chances. At that point, the extra victories may not be worth the resulting drop in the draft order.

In a way, though, the Giants’ quiet deadline suggests that Schoen and Daboll believe that they have one more year in charge, but their jobs are not secure beyond that. Investing heavily in this year would suggest that they are on the hot seat right now, while trading Lawrence or Thibodeaux for future picks would indicate that they are committed to a long-term rebuild with Dart under center.

Instead, it seems like New York will be approaching the 2026 offseason with the hope of improving their roster around Dart and contending for an NFC playoff spot to show they’re capable of even more.

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