Getty Evan Engram #88 of the New York Giants during a 17-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
With a torn ACL scrapping Jabrill Peppers from trade talks, Evan Engram has catapulted himself atop the list of most likely Giants players to be dealt at the deadline. The Pro Bowl tight end has long been engulfed in trade chatter and the closer we inch towards November 2nd, the louder the speculation gets.
On Wednesday, October 27th, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler added to the fuel, reporting that “multiple teams” are interested in acquiring Engram. The NFL insider noted that despite Engram’s “lack of elite production” there is a “genuine affinity” across the league for the former first-rounder thanks to his high-upside skillset.
One of those teams potentially in the market for Engram’s services could be the Las Vegas Raiders, per Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports.
Raiders to ‘Consider’ Engram Trade?
While the team already boasts one of the league’s premier talents at the position in Darren Waller, injuries to Derek Carrier and Nick Bowers have the team a bit thin behind their star pass-catcher. In return, DeArdo believes the Raiders would “certainly consider” trading a third-round draft pick to the Giants in order to acquire Engram:
Engram would complete what would arguably be the NFL’s best tight end duo fellow Pro Bowler Darren Waller. He would certainly be utilized by Derek Carr, who is currently second in the NFL in passing. The move would all but guarantee that the Raiders’ offense will finish the year as one of the league’s most prolific units, one that could possibly be good enough to will Las Vegas to a division title. Engram would also add depth in the event that the Raiders suffer an injury to one of their other key skill position players. The Raiders would have to give up a high draft pick to acquire him, and there’s no guarantees that Engram would re-sign with the team as he is slated to become a free agent this offseason. But given the Raiders’ current situation, it seems like a trade GM Mike Mayock would certainly consider.
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A No-Brainer
While it’s easy from a Giants perspective to harp on the negatives Engram has brought to the table over the past four-plus years (namely the drops), there’s no surprise that his high-end attributes could prove mouth-watering to others around the league. Still, the idea that the Giants could recoup a third-rounder for Engram sounds almost too good to be true — which likely means it is.
The running assumption is that the Giants would be lucky to receive a fifth-round pick in exchange for the tight end, but more likely only net a sixth-round selection.
I’ve long operated under the idea that draft picks are grossly overvalued in the NFL — teams like the Los Angeles Rams are currently proving my case. With that said, this situation is much different. Engram’s contract expires at the end of the season. The likelihood that he re-ups in New York is slim-to-none. Should a rebuilding team such as the Giants be given the opportunity to add another second-day pick to the fold, they’d be hard-pressed not to pounce on such an offer.