The New York Giants were expected to be more active at the trade deadline than they were last week. Though New York did acquire Leonard Williams via a trade with the Jets, the Giants did not trade any players away like they were expected to.
This does not mean that there was no market for the Giants players. New reports indicate that there was a market for a specific player, just not a player that was on the trade block. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Giants were in fact getting calls on star tight end Evan Engram.
“No matter what they were offered, the Giants told anyone who called that they had no interest in trading Engram.” Evan Engram was a “surprise candidate” to be traded. However, the Giants made it known that Evan Engram was “untouchable” and that “no matter what they were offered, the Giants told anyone who called that they had no interest in trading Engram.”
Why Keeping Engram Is The Right Move:
Sure, Evan Engram has had his fair share of ups and downs. The rising star has missed 7 games in his first 3 seasons and also added a handful of drops each year. Evan also received criticism in his rookie season for being a poor blocker.
But recently, Engram has shown serious signs of improvement as a blocker. Here is an example:
Evan Engram … not just a receiving TE! pic.twitter.com/a9s4nrYWfo
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) September 24, 2019
Engram has shown signs of improvement every year. The Giants are much more comfortable running Barkley behind Engram than they have been in the past. This is a key piece of his game that they are developing to complement his excellent receiving skills.
Evan Engram has exceptional speed and for the tight end position. He hit 20.8 miles per hour on his 75-yard touchdown reception against the Buccaneers in week three (Next Gen Stats). This makes Engram one of the most dynamics players in the NFL at his position.
Evan has been putting together an impressive third season of his career in 2019, too. He has caught 38 passes for 419 yards and 3 touchdowns so far. He has also seen an increased role this year, getting 7 or more targets in all but one game. Engram is a huge part of the Giants’ offense and will be a key piece to building around Daniel Jones.
The Giants invested a first-round pick in Evan Engram in 2017 and he has been one of the best players on their offense since then. New York will be wise to keep Engram and build the offense with him, rather than trade him away for a draft pick that has only a chance to become the high-level player that Engram already is.