With the NFL Draft now just a few days away, one of the more polarizing questions on the table for new Giants GM Joe Schoen is “to trade, or not to trade. This conversation picked up steam just days into his new role when he was quoted as saying “I want as many at-bats in the draft as I can get”.
It sounds good, but is it feasible?
Who, What Where and When:
The Giants roster shows significant holes heading into the 2022 NFL Draft. Most notably at RT, TE, Edge, CB, and LB. Schone may look to plug several of these holes in one fell swoop. Having a new Head Coach, and General manager start their tenure at the exact time, presents an intriguing opportunity to overhaul the roster in their image. Throwing in the unique prospect of having two 1st round picks, and a draft-day trade now seems more likely, than just some mock draft dream scenario.
Losing Ways:
The Giants have sadly been a stark example of what happens when you consistently make poor decisions. Terrible play, comical coaching, lack of player development, and most importantly, abysmal drafting over the last 11 years. That has led to a culture of losing. Since 2016, the Giants are 22-58, tied with New York’s other team, the notorious bottom-feeding NY Jets, for the worst record in the NFL. Perhaps more draft choices will increase the likely hood of the Giants finally making an impact with some of these draft picks.
Cap Space:
The other side of that coin is the financial aspect. Unless we are trading back for a 2023 pick, an extra draft in 2022 will create financial issues forcing the Giants to create some additional space under the current salary cap. It has been well documented that the New York Giants salary cap has been mismanaged for years. The team couldn’t even field a full 53-man roster in the last game of the year. Yikes.
Let’s assume it will cost 15 million to sign our rookie class as is. Now add about 5 Million for in-season operating cap money. We are currently at just over 6 million in cap space. 14 million dollars is a large sum of money we need to find, in a short amount of time.
On the Block/On the Clock
Lastly, trade with who?
It would most likely be with a QB-hungry team. So think Pittsburgh, New Orleans, or maybe even Seattle. Will these teams value this seemingly underwhelming QB class enough to part with important assets? That will be the key to kicking off potential deal talks…an actual partner. Trading back to acquire extra picks would fit Schoen’s mantra of having more at-bats, but can they afford to add more money to the cap with extra picks? Can we find the right trade partner? Or should we stay put, and value quality over quantity?
We will see very soon. Either way in Schoen we trust…for now.