John Mara: Goal Is To Take QB In 1st Round
Rumors have emerged about the Giants cooling on this year’s crop of quarterbacks, but that could change after visits and workouts. They are not looking to package their Nos. 6 and 17 picks to move up, either. Dave Gettleman does not believe a non-first-round pick will cut it as Eli Manning‘s successor, so this draft figures to be critical. But the 2020 class is, as of now, viewed as a better potential crop of passers, complicating Big Blue’s scenario.
Entering another will-they/won’t-they draft regarding a first-round quarterback investment, the Giants have been setting up meetings with the top prospects. John Mara confirmed he wants the Giants to come away with a quarterback in this year’s first round, and the Giants now have two of the first 17 selections in this draft. But the owner will not force a need pick, despite how glaring the need is.
Rumors have emerged about the Giants cooling on this year’s crop of quarterbacks, but that could change after visits and workouts. They are not looking to package their Nos. 6 and 17 picks to move up, either. Dave Gettleman does not believe a non-first-round pick will cut it as Eli Manning‘s successor, so this draft figures to be critical. But the 2020 class is, as of now, viewed as a better potential crop of passers, complicating Big Blue’s scenario.
Giants Owner Speaks On Beckham Trade
Count Giants owner John Mara among those who never thought the team would trade Odell Beckham Jr. Speaking today from the owner’s meetings, Mara said “he never thought they’d trade Odell right up until the final day,” according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (Twitter link). Mara also said he finally gave his “reluctant approval” for the deal, Vacchiano wrote in a separate tweet.
In additional comments made to reporters, Mara and co-owner Steve Tisch emphasized over and over how difficult of a decision it was to ship Beckham to the Browns. Mara also said whether or not the trade proves to be a success will be determined by the front office making “the right decisions” with the draft picks the Giants got from Cleveland.
Giants Offered Vinny Curry More Money Than Eagles
- The Giants had interest in defensive end Vinny Curry before he signed with the division-rival Eagles, and in fact offered Curry more money than Philadelphia, reports Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Aside from last season, Curry had spent his entire career with the Eagles, and it sounds like he simply preferred to return to Philadelphia rather than consider other destinations. Indeed, Curry only landed a one-year deal with a base value of $2.25MM from the Eagles, although the pact does contain $1.25MM in incentives. Before landing with the Eagles, Curry also took a visit with the Bengals.
Giants Notes: Collins, Rosen, Draft
Earlier this month, the Giants lost Landon Collins to the rival Redskins in free agency, meaning that they will get nothing more than a 2020 compensatory pick in exchange for one of the game’s best young safeties. Meanwhile, they had an opportunity to trade him prior to last year’s deadline, when they probably could have gotten something in the 2019 draft.
That leaves GM Dave Gettleman with some explaining to do, though he downplayed the previously received trade offers when speaking with reporters this week.
“The rumor that we were offered a first-round draft pick isn’t even remotely accurate. … Did we have teams call? Yes. But at that point in time I didn’t think (the offers we got were) what he was worth,” Gettleman said (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY).
We don’t recall hearing that the Giants were offered a first-round pick for Collins last year, but we did recently learn that the Buccaneers offered a third-rounder before the deadline. The difference between a third-round pick in 2019 and a compensatory pick in 2020 might not sound like much, but there is definitely a value gap between a surefire pick in the immediate draft and a chance to receive a similarly slotted pick one year later.
Here’s more from New York:
- Some in the Giants organization liked Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen in the draft last year, but it sounds like he ranked third or fourth out of five first-round QBs on their board, Vacchiano hears. They could explore a trade for Rosen now, but their concern remains the same: Would Rosen’s personality play well in New York? Rosen has been known to be outspoken whereas Eli Manning has survived in the country’s No. 1 media market by staying controversy-free.
- The Giants could take a QB at No. 6 overall, but Gettleman is not locked in on any signal caller the way in the same he was focused on Saquon Barkley in last year’s draft, according to Vacchiano. Instead, the Giants could target one of this year’s pass rushers with their first pick.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/19
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: QB Tyler Bray
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: LS L.P. Ladouceur
- Signed: LS Drew Scott
Denver Broncos
- Waived: WR Jimmy Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Signed exclusive rights tender: G Lucas Patrick
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed ERFA tender: LS Luke Rhodes
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: WR Geremy Davis
New York Giants
- Re-signed: LB Nate Stupar
New York Jets
- Re-signed: TE Eric Tomlinson
Dwayne Haskins To Meet With Five Teams
Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins will work out for the Raiders and Dolphins in the coming days, and also plans to meet with the Redskins, Broncos, and Giants, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Fully expected to become a top-10 pick in next month’s draft, Haskins will likely embark on a busy schedule over the next several weeks. Haskins performed at OSU’s Pro Day earlier today, giving NFL clubs an up-close look at his abilities, and he’ll surely meet with a number of other teams — in addition to those listed above — in the weeks leading up to the draft.
New York will meet with Haskins despite conflicting reports about its potential interest in the Buckeye signal-caller. While some reports have indicated Giants general manager Dave Gettleman is “all over” Haskins, others have said Haskins isn’t likely to be a target for Big Blue.
Washington is another logical candidate to land Haskins, as the Redskins need a cheap quarterback given that Alex Smith is expensive and unlikely to play any time soon. Given that need, Washington has already begun “sniffing around” about a possible trade up from No. 15 overall, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. The Jets, who are looking to recoup draft capital after moving up for Sam Darnold in 2018, might be a trade partner for Washington at No. 3.
Giants Re-Sign WR Bennie Fowler
The Giants have re-signed wide receiver Bennie Fowler, according to a press release. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it’s likely an inexpensive short-term deal. 
[RELATED – Giants GM: “We Were Not Actively Shopping” OBJ]
Fowler, a Michigan State product, joined the Giants in October after fellow receiver Cody Latimer was placed on IR. After that point, Fowler appeared in ten games and caught 16 passes for 199 yards, including a touchdown against Washington on Dec. 9. Before joining the Giants, Fowler had 56 receptions and five touchdowns in three seasons with the Broncos. He also spent time with the Bears and Patriots last year, but did not appear in games for either club.
Fowler is a part of the Giants’ new Odell Beckham-less depth chart at WR, which also includes Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard, Corey Coleman, and Latimer.
Giants GM: “We Were Not Actively Shopping” OBJ
The Giants may have talked to several teams about Odell Beckham Jr. before pulling off a trade with the Browns, but general manager Dave Gettleman said he was “not actively shopping” the star wideout. Speaking to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, the executive discussed how the trade ultimately developed, noting that the receiver’s distractions (along with a hefty offer from Cleveland) made a trade more palatable.
“Obviously there’s a lot of stuff that factors in, but at the end of the day, in order for us to move Odell, the other team was going to have to knock it out of the park,’’ Gettleman said. “We were not actively shopping him.’’
The Browns apparently made an offer that grabbed the attention of the Giants, with New York receiving Cleveland’s first-round pick (No. 17 overall), third-round pick (95th overall), and young safety Jabrill Peppers. While the Giants never intended to trade Beckham when they signed him to a lucrative five-year, $95MM contract last August, the Browns’ offer was ultimately too good to refuse.
“Some have questioned why we signed Odell [last August] and then traded him,’’ Gettleman said. “We didn’t sign him to trade him but obviously things changed. Frankly, what changed is another team made an offer we couldn’t refuse. As it turned out, the fact he was signed for five more years made him very attractive and allowed us to get legitimate value.’’
Gettleman did acknowledge that he made one phone call regarding Beckham. Following the Bills’ failed pursuit of former Steelers wideout Antonio Brown, the Giants contacted Buffalo about a trade. The general managed said he also had “numerous conversations’’ with 49ers general manager John Lynch. Based on Gettleman’s assertions, we can only assume it was Lynch who contacted the Giants’ front office.
Giants Interested In Vinny Curry
The Giants are on the lookout for defensive line help after losing Josh Mauro to the Raiders. With that in mind, the Giants are in the mix for defensive end Vinny Curry (Twitter link via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com). 
Curry, a pass-rushing veteran, hit the open market in February when he was released by the Buccaneers. Last year, Curry tallied 21 tackles, 2.5 sacks, seven quarterback hits, and five tackles for a loss, numbers that don’t exactly jump off of the page. However, pass rushers are continually in demand, and his 2017 season with the Eagles showed promise, so Curry could still be in line for a nice payday from the G-Men or another club.
Recently, Curry took his first visit of this free agent cycle when he met with the Bengals. The Bengals have Carlos Dunlap and Sam Hubbard slotted in as starters, but Curry could compete with Carl Lawson and Jordan Willis for reserve time. There’s also opportunity in New York for Curry after the trade of Olivier Vernon to the Browns.
The Giants still have interest in bringing back Kerry Wynn, though Raanan notes that Wynn also has some other options.
Giants To Re-Sign WR Cody Latimer
The Giants’ receiving corps will look quite different in 2019, but part of the previous group looks to be staying in the fold.
Cody Latimer revealed (via Instagram) he will be back with the Giants next season. Residing as a free agent after inking a one-year deal to join the Giants last season, Latimer is now in line to be part of the post-Odell Beckham Jr. Giants receiving corps.
This is likely another low-cost agreement for the Giants, who are thin on answers beyond Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate. Both Russell Shepard and Bennie Fowler previously joined Latimer as free agents. The Giants are bringing back RFA Corey Coleman, however. Latimer figures to join Coleman as depth.
A hamstring injury limited Latimer to six games last season, but despite the Giants being out of playoff contention during the season’s second half, they made him an IR-return candidate. Primarily known for his special teams work with the Broncos, the physically imposing target caught 11 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown during his Giants debut — which also came under former Broncos wideouts coach Tyke Tolbert.
A former second-round pick, Latimer has not panned out as a pass-catcher, having hauled in just 46 receptions for 635 yards in five seasons. This deal may not guarantee he makes the Giants’ roster, but it’s clear the organization likes what it saw during a limited sample last season.