Is this the year that Dave Gettleman, for the first time in his nine years as the NFL’s general manager, acts in an NFL Draft?
It can make sense for several reasons.
- The Giants have the overall pick of No. 11, a spot in the first round where they will likely have a cluster of three or four players of similar numbers, giving them the option to move down a few places and still get a player they want, while also adding design capital, in the form of a coveted extra two-day pick.
- There may not be a defensive player on the first 10 tips, which means the Giants can go back a few places and land their top-rated edge rusher, certainly a position they need.
- Given the spending in free agency at a time when the salary ceiling was taking an unprecedented dip, it makes financial sense to make an extra choice on the second day of design, adding value and cheap labor to the roster for this season and also for 2022, a year when the Giants are in need.
“Everything we do has a one, two, three year horizon and we are always aware of how things affect us today and how it affects us next year and beyond,” said Kevin Abrams, Giants’ assistant general manager on Tuesday. . . “We are very aware of all those variables.”
Abrams, also the Giants’ chief contract negotiator, admitted that he “probably did a few cap practices that we normally try to avoid” during this free agency cycle, charging afterwards and adding destructible years to contracts in a spending period that is designed for talent level selection. The results were striking. Abrams worked mega deals for wide receiver Kenny Golladay (four years, $ 72 million) and cornerback Adoree ‘Jackson (three years, $ 39 million), while also adding tight Kyle Rudolph and running back Devontae Booker. Not to mention, the Giants also opened the safe for a three-year extension of $ 63 million for defensive lineman Leonard Williams.
“I feel like our squad is a lot better now than it was at the end of the season and the low season isn’t over yet, so we have more opportunities to add players,” said Abrams. “I think we feel good about what we’ve done. I think we are a deeper, more talented team. “
Gettleman said he is confident that the first part of the player purchase process has delivered the desired goods.
“It won’t be quantified until the fall and we will start playing in September, but we feel very good about what we have done, we feel very good about the direction the team has taken,” said Gettleman. “We really feel like we are building a solid football team that the fans can be proud of.”
Next up: the 2021 NFL Draft. The Giants currently only have six tips – one each in the first four rounds, none in the fifth round, two in the sixth round, and none in the seventh round. They would like to add at least one choice and a trade down is the way to do it. They must of course find a partner. Would the patriots be willing to go from number 15 to number 11, maybe take a quarterback? In 2018, the Raiders went up from 15 to 10 in the first round and gave the Cardinals two extra tips, one in the third round and one in the fifth.
As it stands, the Giants own overall roster # 116 in the fourth round and have no other roster until # 196 in the sixth round. That’s a long time to watch players come off the board.
An extra choice gives the Giants an extra rookie contract, good for four years at a team-friendly price. As a result of the global pandemic, the limit for 2021 is $ 182.5 million, down $ 16 million from 2020. Gettleman and Abrams, with the blessing of ownership, were free to spend in free agencies. The salary ceiling in 2022 may not exceed $ 200 million, but if new television money comes in, it could reach $ 230 million by 2023.
“I think 2022 can be a bit of a challenge depending on where the cap is going,” said Abrams. “Furthermore, I am more optimistic that nothing we did last year puts us in a precarious position this year. We will see.
“It may depend on science and the legislature of the state and fans in booths and a lot of other variables that we’ll see how it goes. But I don’t think we’re in a bad position in terms of capacity, but next year could be a bit more challenging than probably the years after. “