There is no question that New York Giants’ general manager Dave Gettleman is on thin ice. His team opened the 2020 campaign 0-5, just barely squeaking out a win against a poor Washington Football Team.
Over his three years as GM, the Giants have a combined 10 wins and 28 losses, which is simply unacceptable considering he spent the second overall pick in 2018 on a running back and has failed to solve the issues on the offensive line. The early returns on fourth overall pick Andrew Thomas have been lackluster, as his pass protection ability is poor, and his run blocking us seems to take a step back from his dominance at Georgia.
Hopefully, Thomas can evolve into a capable tackle in the NFL — he has plenty of time to refine his abilities and grow. In favor of Gettleman, he has made several fantastic free agent signings in the recent past, including Blake Martinez, James Bradberry, and Graham Gano.
While his free agents from this past off-season are impressive, we mustn’t forget the trading of a third and fifth-round pick for Leonard Williams, who was set to become a free agent. Of course, the value of drafting Saquon Barkley seems to have backfired, considering he is missing the entire 2020 campaign and dealt with a high-ankle sprain in 2019.
I would be remiss not to mention the Jonathan Stewart and Patrick Omameh signings, as well as the limited returns from the 2018 draft class. The only players that are seemingly contributing to the starting roster are Will Hernandez and Lorenzo Carter. I left out Barkley since he is currently sitting on injured reserve with a torn ACL this season.
When looking at Hernandez and Carter, both are about average, as Hernandez currently hosts a 57.3 overall grade, per PFF. His pass blocking and run blocking have both been below average, taking several steps back from his impressive rookie season in 2018. Whether it’s a change of scheme that is affecting his play or simple degradation, Gettleman’s haul from two years isn’t paying dividends.
We would be ignorant to think that the Giants aren’t planning to move on from him after the 2020 season, but there could be one saving grace.
Dan Graziano of ESPN stated:
 Industry sources are watching the Panthers and Giants for potential openings, and some believe Washington will hire a general manager at some point as well.
The New York Giants are in the race:
Big Blue is currently one game back from being tied for first place with the Dallas Cowboys. Now, Dallas did win their first matchup the season, so they would have the edge given a tie, but without Dak Prescott at the helm, the Cowboys are doomed for failure this year.
Taking a look at Washington, who are moving through quarterbacks faster, and the Giants are moving through head coaches, we can assume they will be at the bottom of the barrel. The Philadelphia Eagles, on the other hand, are dealing with significant injuries across the board. This gives the Giants a rather sad and egregious path to winning the NFC East division.
If, in fact, the Giants were to escape the NFC East as the number one seed, that might convince ownership that Gettleman is deserving of another season as GM. While his poor decision making and lack of awareness for his draft capital have become apparent, turning over the front office again might now be good for the continuity behind the scenes.
Personally, I believe that ownership will allow Gettleman to retire after this campaign, easing his transition out of the NFL and sparing him the embarrassment of a midseason firing. However, anything is possible given the state of the NFC East.