At this point of the season, the New York Giants have seemingly shown no interest in giving former first-round pick Evan Neal any playing time. Neal has been on the sideline for the first eight weeks of the season, despite being fully healthy and recovered from an ankle injury that prematurely ended his 2023 campaign.
With the trade deadline nearing, could Neal wind up on the trade block? According to a recent report, that seems unlikely.
The Giants seemingly have no interest in trading Evan Neal
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Giants have refused to bring Neil into any trade discussion so far this season as they prepared to get him back on the field sooner rather than later:
“Speaking of the Giants, offensive lineman Evan Neal is a nonstarter in trade talks from what I’ve been told, despite the 2022 No. 7 pick not playing any offensive snaps this season. Never say never with trades, but the Giants have no plans to move him, and he could see the field sooner than later.”
This news comes as a bit of a surprise, considering beat reporters covering the Giants have recently indicated that the team has little to no interest in putting Neal back on the field. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan recently said on an appearance on ESPN Radio (h/t Big Blue United) that the Giants are “done with him.”
What’s next for Neal?
It’s unlikely and probably unwise that the Giants would trade Neal for pennies on the dollar. The Giants spent a top-10 pick on me only two years ago. Trading him away now would be admitting failure and foregoing the opportunity to develop a young talent prematurely.
Then again, when he has been on the field, Neal has been among the worst offensive linemen in the entire league. And staying on the field has also been a challenge for Neal as he missed 14 games due to injuries across his first two seasons.
The Giants are dealing with injuries on their offensive line this season with star left tackle Andrew Thomas on injured reserve. Despite this, Neal has not gotten a chance to return to the lineup. Fowler’s report, however, indicates that that could soon change. Perhaps the Giants are preparing to give Neal an opportunity to play in the coming weeks.
New offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo has done a tremendous job developing talent in the past. The Giants’ offensive line looked significantly improved to begin the season prior to the injury to Thomas. The hope is still there for Bricillo to work his magic with Neal and turn his career around. But first and foremost, Neal needs to get back on the field.
