The New York Giants are slowly heading toward the November 3 trade deadline, and the expectation is that they will be sellers. When evaluating the current roster, the strong points are far and few between.
The defense has played above their weight class this season, ranking 16th in points allowed per game. However, in overall yards allowed per game, they rank 12th. Their most astute strength is their run defense, allowing only 106.5 yards per game, which is good enough for 8th in the NFL.
This suggests two things, the value they have as sellers is on defense, but getting rid of some offensive weapons for draft capital is also a decent idea. Considering the Giants are averaging a measly 16.8 points per game, which ranks second to last in the NFL, utilizing misused players at the deadline could be a benefit. For example, tight end Evan Engram perfectly fits the bill for general manager Dave Gettleman to negotiate a trade.
The primary issue, all of their available movable pieces on offense hold little value. Engram has been lackluster this season, but that is also a result of Jason Garrett‘s schematics. So far, he has been targeted only 33 times, hauling in 20 passes for 177 yards. The only touchdown Engram has is from an end-around rushing score, which is quite disappointing.
Per PFF, Engram hosts a 53 overall grade on the offense, with his pass blocking being his strongest point outside of receiving. His run blocking is where things fall off significantly, as he currently hosts a 37.2 grade in the category.
The New York Giants need to think about 2021 and the team’s development:
So, how would another team value Engram, considering his deficiencies this year?
Well, I could see an alternative team looking at him and understanding the potential that Garrett simply isn’t extracting. He is a serious threat in the receiving game and is a decent pass blocker, but Garrett has doomed him to short routes and inserted him into a Jason Witten role. That is exactly how Engram shouldn’t be used, and the malpractice of his specific scheme has completely factored him out of the offense.
A general manager who understands how he is used and the value he would bring to an offense would offer a third-round pick for his services. In that scenario, the Giants should walk away happy since they can’t figure out how to maximize potential. Aside from Engram, the only players on offense that are trade-able remain Kevin Zeitler and Sterling Shepard. Shepard’s injuries have continuously devalued him, and Zeitler represents one of the more consistent offensive linemen for a Big Blue.
In this case, I don’t see Zeitler or Shep parting ways with the Giants on deadline day. Defensively, I don’t think Gettleman desires a parting with his interior defensive lineman. It is possible that safety Jabrill Peppers could be available, though. If I had to guess, Engram would be their focal point in a moveable asset.