The New York Giants have started making moves in free agency and there will be varying takes about just how good or bad those moves are – and one of the harsher takes is coming from a veteran of the NFL, Steve Smith. Smith, of course, has a shared history with Giants GM Dave Gettleman due to their time in Carolina. And because of how Smith’s time there ended, it isn’t a friendly relationship.
Smith has some harsh words for how Gettleman has made choices so far in free agency, specifically when it comes to his own position of wide receiver. You can be the judge of whether there’s merit here or if Smith is just still worked up over a past grudge.
Steve Smith’s harsh take
“They don’t want an alpha… So what they want are robots who aren’t going to make a stink, who are gonna fall in place, which will end up stunting the growth of your franchise quarterback because you either want a robot or 6-foot-2, 215 or above wide receiver. You don’t want a playmaker. You want cheap. You want people that aren’t gonna make a stink in the locker room,” Smith said on NFL Network, where he works as an analyst now.
This comes after the Giants made the decision to bring in Bengals receiver John Ross, who was considered a draft bust by many but will have a one year deal to prove himself. Ross does have potential due to his fast physical attributes but the signing will of course leave fans wanting for more at the playmaking positions due to the sluggish offense last season.
Some might say that Smith is just continuing his grudge with Gettleman, and that might be true, but the Giants do need to continue adding to their list of playmakers if they want to step forward next season – relying on John Ross proving himself isn’t going to be enough.
And whether or not they can do that might be the defining factor in whether or not this take from a former Gettleman player about this year’s free agent class is actually correct.