Getty General Manager Dave Gettleman of the New York Giants.
No general manager has been quite as enigmatic as Dave Gettleman has been since taking over for the New York Giants in 2018. I’d say arguably, but let’s be honest, there’s not much of a competition.
From trading away Odell Beckham Jr. to his infamous “computer folks” take, from drafting Daniel Jones to striking gold with a plethora of defensive signings… There’s a lot to delve into over Gettleman’s tenure, a tenure which will apparently continue into next season.
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Giants Sticking With Gettleman as GM
The biggest storyline for the New York Football Giants this offseason is apparently no storyline at all. “The Giants are moving forward with Dave Gettleman as their general manager,” per The New York Post.
“Ownership believes the team is headed in the right direction and Gettleman is the right man to continue the building process alongside head coach Joe Judge,” says Paul Schwartz.
The Good: An Eye for Talent
Gettleman’s ability to scout talent and eye for making acquisitions has been outstanding for the most part. No more obvious place to start than with Leonard Williams. Trading for and eventually franchising the defensive lineman were both highly-criticized moves at the time. Yet, Gettleman swung for the fences and it paid off big time.
Williams collected a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2020, ranking sixth-most in all of football. He becomes just the second Giants player to collect double-digit sacks since 2014 and appears to have cemented himself as one of the league’s most prominent and dominant players at his position.
The lauded roster moves don’t end there. Linebacker Blake Martinez, cornerback James Bradberry and safety Logan Ryan were all homerun signings this past offseason. As was kicker Graham Gano, who broke a franchise record this season with 30 consecutive made field goals.
Furthermore, he came away with a highly impressive draft haul this past year. Despite some early-season woes, first-rounder Andrew Thomas looks to be a cornerstone on their offensive line for years to come. Shane Lemieux supplanted Will Hernandez at guard. Additionally, Matt Peart will likely battle for a starting gig next season.
Defensively, Darnay Holmes and Xavier McKinney will be mainstays on the backend, while late-rounders Cam Brown Carter Coughlin and Mr. Irrelevant Tae Crowder all exceed expectations, logging meaningful snaps down the stretch.
The Ugly: 3 Years & Nothing to Show for It
Yes, the Giants were a Washington loss away from making their first playoff appearance since 2016. However, let’s not let the dreadful NFC East skew our view on this team. They are in the midst of a rebuild and were closer to being bottom dwellers than they were to being true contenders.
A 15-33 record over a three-year span simply doesn’t cut it. The bright spot? Six wins is a slight uptick from their years past. However, this is still a team that has registered double-digit losses in six of their last seven seasons.
His aforementioned roster moves are nice additions. With that said, he’s hedged his bets on two players, each of whom must step up to the plate this season if Gettleman has hopes of extending his stay in New York beyond next year.
Saquon Barkley is an all-world talent, facts. Yet, passing up quarterbacks such as Josh Allen at No. 2 overall for a running back will likely always cast a shadow over the selection. This is especially true at the moment, as Barkley has missed the majority of the past two seasons with varying injuries.
The other player? Well, that’s quite obvious. Gettleman, by many accounts, reached for quarterback Daniel Jones in the 2019 Draft. I don’t have a problem with the decision, though he could have played the draft slightly better by maneuvering, if you zero in on your franchise guy, go for it.
Problem is, Jones has yet to live up to that billing. He’s shown promise at times but has left much to be desired. Especially when you see what guys such as Justin Herbert are doing so early on in their careers.
Jones must be supplied with more talent than a slew of WR2/WR3 types and a “Pro Bowl” tight end who’s most questionable skillset at the moment is catching the football. Considering Gettleman went to a Super Bowl in Carolina with the likes of Tedd Ginn Jr. and Philly Brown as his starting receivers, it may take some convincing.
Either way, Gettleman’s savvy late-round drafting and free agency hits will only take him so far. The Giants need to win, and quickly. And to win they’ll need Jones and Barkley to become the dominant, reliable playmakers they were selected to be.
If not, news around Gettleman’s placement within the organization this time next season will likely be a lot different.
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