Aside from putting the 2020 NFL Draft in the hands of New York Giants GM Dave Gettleman, free agency is the factor we should be more concerned about. Gettleman has been atrocious in picking up quality free agents that produce in a starting manner. The Odell Beckham Jr. trade worked out quite well, but his pickups off the market have not contributed in the ways most hoped.
To name a few — Patrick Omameh, Jonathan Stewart, Nate Solder, Mike Remmers, Antoine Bethea, Josh Mauro, Kareem Martin, the list goes on. A majority of his signings were tailored to help defensive coordinator James Bettcher smooth over the transition to his 3-4 scheme, however, those plans halted due to injury and a youth agenda that crippled the efficiency of the team.
Focusing on rebuilding through the draft was a priority from the get-go, and Gettleman has done well at some positions, including wide receiver with Darius Slayton, linebacker with Ryan Connelly, running back, quarterback, and several others. It’s his mid-round picks that have stumbled out of the gate and struggled to reach their potential.
Players like Lorenzo Carter, BJ Hill, Will Hernandez, Oshane Ximines, R.J. McIntosh, Kyle Lauletta (not on the team anymore), have all failed to see significant growth in their second or rookie seasons. Ximines is the outlier from the group, considering him being a recent draft pick, but he hasn’t made a significant impact on the defense, despite fighting for reps.
What’s the biggest problem for the New York Giants?
Gettleman is more successful in the draft than he is in free agency, and giving him over $80 million to spend could result in a slew of bad decisions, which is one of my primary concerns. Also, the lack of desire to join a rebuilding Giants team with no identity will force Gettleman to overpay significantly for good players, making that $80 million in available cap-space look more like $50 million.
With reinforcements needed on the offensive line, defensive line, secondary after the cutting of Janoris Jenkins, and linebacker positions, that cap-space will be filled up quickly.