Poll: Who Will Giants Trade Next?
Sitting at 1-6 for a second straight season, the Giants unloaded two members of their starting defense — Eli Apple and Damon Harrison — and collected three draft choices. Are more moves on the way?
Nearly a week remains until the trade deadline. Dave Gettleman determined the Giants had a chance at a much better season than they did in Jerry Reese‘s final campaign and, instead of taking Eli Manning‘s successor at No. 2 overall, the new GM attempted to build for one last run around the 15th-year starter. With that having backfired, it will be tough for the Giants to win many more games due to the team having stripped away two key pieces.
But will they continue to make moves and weaken this year’s team? It appears they will. Word out of the Big Apple is the Giants are open to dealing anyone on their defense for the right price.
Veterans like Manning and Janoris Jenkins don’t look to factor into the next era of Giants football, and other prominent veterans may not, either. Trade buzz has surrounded Jenkins this week. He’s playing on a reworked deal that pushed some money onto future cap figures (both of his 2019 and ’20 cap hits are now $14.75MM) but is a proven cover man signed for 2 1/2 more seasons.
Gettleman brought in Alec Ogletree (a captain in his first season with the team) after Reese neglected the off-ball linebacker positions for years. He’s only 27 and could be a defensive centerpiece for future Giants teams. But he would draw interest, though maybe not too much due to a $10.5MM-per-year contract. Olivier Vernon missed this season’s first five games due to a hamstring injury. This and his $17MM-AAV contract may not put New York in position to recoup much in return. But the Giants did trade Jason Pierre-Paul, and Vernon, too, was brought in to play in a 4-3 defense.
What about Landon Collins? One of Reese’s best draft picks is in a contract year and could be a franchise tag candidate and could also be re-signed to anchor future Giants secondaries. Though, no notable extension talks are known to have taken place. Or, this fire sale may continue with homegrown young talent. That would naturally shift the conversation to Odell Beckham Jr.
Beckham is signed through the 2023 season on a wideout-record five-year, $90MM extension. He has brought more drama since a lower-maintenance offseason, prompting co-owner John Mara to express disappointment at the soon-to-be 26-year-old receiver’s recent comments, but remains an elite target in his prime. The Giants were asking for two first-round picks for Beckham when he was attached to his fifth-year option. What would they take now that the three-time Pro Bowler’s signed to a top-market contract?
A no-trade clause is built into the extension Manning signed in 2015. He said last year his intent remained to finish his career with the Giants and this week said he’s not thinking about a trade. There wouldn’t be many suitors, given Manning’s contract and performance level thus far this season, and the Tom Coughlin-led Jaguars are not believed to be interested.
Recent Reese draftees like Dalvin Tomlinson and Sterling Shepard have produced as multiyear starters and profile as pieces the Giants will work with going forward, but if the new regime moved them, they’d bring back some more draft capital for choices the current Giants regime can make.
So, who will be the next Giant dealt? Or has the franchise already made its moves? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Who will the Giants trade next?
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Janoris Jenkins 49% (1,670)
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Landon Collins 11% (384)
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Odell Beckham Jr. 11% (364)
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Olivier Vernon 8% (273)
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They're done dealing 7% (230)
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Eli Manning 5% (187)
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Alec Ogletree 5% (184)
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Another player 4% (127)
Total votes: 3,419
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/24/18
We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: G Kofi Amichia
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: G Will House
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Jalen Myrick, OL Adam Bisnowaty
- Released: DL Curtis Cothran
- Placed on PS-IR: DL Jonathan Wynn
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: G Landon Turner
- Cut: QB J.T. Barrett
New York Giants
- Signed: TE Garrett Dickerson
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: LB Cayson Collins
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Javien Elliott
Giants In Fire Sale Mode?
In the span of two days, the Giants unloaded two defensive starters. Cornerback Eli Apple was shipped to the Saints and defensive tackle Damon Harrison was sent to the Lions, and there could be more deals to come between now and the deadline. Those in the know are under the impression that anyone on the Giants defense is available for the right price, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets. 
That just might include cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who is drawing interest from teams around the league, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora (on Twitter). Jenkins, who turns 30 on Monday, is in Year Three of a five-year, $62.5MM contract, and it doesn’t make sense a rebuilding club to hold on to him.
If the Giants can get something of value back for the veteran, they should probably jump at the chance to make a deal, even though it will leave them with some dead money on the cap. Despite having two interceptions and one forced fumble through seven games, Jenkins hasn’t been consistently sharp in coverage. The Giants presently rank 27th in pass defense DVOA, per Football Outsiders, and some of the blame rests on Jackrabbit’s shoulders.
If Jenkins remains with the club, he’ll carry expected cap hits of $14.7MM in each of the next two seasons.
Giants Trade Damon Harrison To Lions
The Giants have agreed to trade defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison to the Lions, sources tell ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). In return, the Lions will send a fifth-round pick to New York. 
The Giants signed Snacks to a five-year, $46.25MM deal in 2016. Harrison, for the most part, has been as good as advertised – few can bottle up runners like he can, and he presently ranks as Pro Football Focus’ No. 6 ranked interior defensive lineman in the NFL. However, his salary is steep, he’s one-dimensional compared to other top defensive tackles in the NFL, and he only plays on about 55% of snaps.
The Giants’ new regime appears to be all-in on a rebuild after moving cornerback Eli Apple on Tuesday and Harrison on Wednesday. With his 30th birthday coming up in about a month, Harrison and his hefty salary did not factor into Dave Gettleman‘s vision of the future. By moving Snacks, the Giants will save $4.6MM this year. Between him and Apple, the G-Men took $5.7MM off of the books.
The Lions, meanwhile, pick up a defensive tackle who stuffs the run the way that Dikembe Mutumbo shut down the finger roll. For years, Snacks has ranked as one of the NFL’s best ground game stuffers, and he hasn’t missed a game since his rookie season with the Jets.
Through Week 7, the Lions have allowed 139.3 rushing yards per game, better than only the porous Broncos and Falcons defenses. With Harrison in the lineup, you can expect that to change in short order.
The Lions were forced to go out-of-house at defensive tackle this year and wound up signing Sylvester Williams and Dunkin’ Donuts franchise owner Ricky Jean-Francois in free agency. Neither player has set the world on fire, so head coach Matt Patricia won’t lose sleep over pulling either player from the starting lineup.
Shurmur Discusses Apple, Manning
- Despite the Giants‘ trade of Eli Apple earlier today, head coach Pat Shurmur wanted to make it clear that the team wasn’t giving up on this season. “We’re not throwing in the towel,” Shurmur said (via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY on Twitter). “This will give an opportunity for some young players and newer players to have an opportunity to play.” The Giants sent the cornerback to the Saints earlier today, receiving a 2019 fourth-round pick and 2020 seventh-round pick in return.
- Shurmur was also adamant that the Giants wouldn’t be trading franchise quarterback Eli Manning. When asked if the veteran would still be on the team after the trade deadline, the head coach gave a simple answer. “Yes, I do,” he said (via Vacchiano). “I think Eli will be our quarterback. He has been, and he’ll continue to be here.” The 37-year-old has completed 69-percent of his passes for 2,061 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions.
[SOURCE LINK]
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/23/18
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Rees Odhiambo (from Colts’ practice squad)
- Released: OG Zac Kerin
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OG Oday Aboushi
- Released: DE Ifeadi Odenigbo
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on IR: DT Willie Henry
Cincinnati Bengals
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Jordan Franks
- Placed on IR: TE Mason Schreck
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Pharaoh Brown
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on IR: DT Jay Bromley
New York Giants
- Released from IR: LB Ray Ray Armstrong
New York Jets
- Placed on IR: S Doug Middleton
Oakland Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Marcell Ateman
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB De’Vante Harris
- Waived: CB Javien Elliott
Tennessee Titans
- Released from IR: WR Michael Campanaro
Giants Trade CB Eli Apple To Saints
The Giants traded cornerback Eli Apple to the Saints, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. In return, the Giants will receive a 2019 fourth-round pick in 2019 and a seventh-round pick in 2020. 
The Saints secondary now features three former Ohio State stars in Marshon Lattimore (2017 first-round cornerbacks), Apple (2016 first round cornerback) and Vonn Bell (2016 second-round safety).
The third-year cornerback was inconsistent in his first two NFL seasons, but has been playing a bit better in 2018. In his five games (all starts), Apple has five pass deflections, one forced fumble, and 22 total tackles. On the flipside, the numbers at Pro Football Focus indicate that his performance has been roughly comparable to last year. Apple is ranked as PFF’s No. 55 cornerback through seven weeks.
Many expected the Saints to explore a trade for Patrick Peterson, but that would have required a much greater expenditure of draft capital. The Saints don’t have much to offer in that regard anyway after sacrificing their 2019 first-round pick in the Marcus Davenport deal and their 2019 third-rounder in the Teddy Bridgewater trade.
In Apple, the Saints get a former No. 10 overall pick who could be a contributor with the right direction. The Giants, meanwhile, get to unload an unwanted salary over the next two years while adding assets to fuel their rebuild. With that in mind, the Giants probably aren’t done dealing and could make more moves between now and the Mischief Night deadline.
Jaguars Won’t Trade For Eli Manning
Many have blamed Blake Bortles for the Jaguars’ slow start, but the team doesn’t seem focused on a quarterback upgrade. They won’t be trading for QB between now and the Oct. 30 deadline, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com hears (on Twitter), and that includes Giants QB Eli Manning. 
Manning, of course, has history with Jaguars EVP Tom Coughlin, and the Jags’ football czar has tons of admiration for the player who helped him capture two Super Bowl trophies. However, the Jaguars believe that the arrival of Carlos Hyde and the eventual return of Leonard Fournette will balance out the offense and bring the best out in Bortles. Bortles has been shaky, to say the least, but the Jags believe that they need an adequately mobile QB to anchor their offense, and Bortles offers that.
Manning has an impressive resume, but he hasn’t been setting the world on fire this year either. The Giants are 1-5 on the year, and Manning’s inability to air it out may be the team’s biggest issue on either side of the ball. Through six contests, Manning has completed nearly 69% of his throws, but he’s been brought down in the backfield 20 times, putting him on pace for a dubious new career high.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/21/18
Here are today’s minor moves:
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Quadree Henderson
- Waived: TE Garrett Dickerson
Giants To Bench Patrick Omameh
- A disastrous Giants start will result in more changes to their maligned offensive line. Big Blue will bench free agent guard pickup Patrick Omameh and move center John Greco to guard on Monday night, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports (subscription required). Former Chargers starting center Spencer Pulley will move into the role of Giants first-string snapper, Duggan adds. Omameh suffered a knee injury in practice this week, but Duggan notes this decision was made prior to that occurring. PFF slots the former Jaguars starter as its No. 67 guard (out of 73 full-time players at this position). He’s signed to a three-year, $15MM deal. Pulley, who started all 16 games for the Chargers last season, landed in New York via post-preseason waiver claim. Pulley will join Greco and right tackle Chad Wheeler as replacement starters for this year’s Giants front.