INDIANAPOLIS — The Giants took their swing. It was a 2016 Ryan Howard-like hack, but one for the fences nonetheless. Matthew Stafford was there. The Giants were willing to part with draft compensation (for the Rams) and $100 million (for Stafford) to get him to New York. Instead, they finished third in the running.
Stafford returned to the Rams. If he didn’t, he’d have gone to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Giants’ top plan never had a chance.
So onto Option 2. That was the top topic of conversation at the NFL Combine. Here’s what people were saying about that, and many other things, following the week in Indy.
The expectation right after Stafford, according to multiple sources, is that the Giants will pivot to the NFL Draft and attempt to trade up to the No. 1 spot. There, general manager Joe Schoen will have his choice of Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) or Cam Ward (Miami).
The Giants can no longer risk losing their guy. John Mara made it clear after the season: They need their quarterback. Now Schoen will do everything he can to go get him.
The return compensation won’t be egregious, a slight reward for the Giants only dropping to three following their Week 17 win over the Colts. An exchange of first-round picks and two threes is likely enough to get it done, according to one general manager (unaffiliated with the Titans and Giants). The Giants might need to part with a second- and third-round pick if Tennessee can create a bidding war.
SNY talked to scouts, general managers, executives, head coaches, assistant coaches and agents at the NFL Combine. Not one had Sanders as a better quarterback prospect than Ward.
The Giants really would be on an island of their own if they moved up for the Colorado passer. One general manager actually felt it was Ward, a gap, then Quinn Ewers/Jaxson Dart/Jalen Milroe/Sanders, with very little separating the latter four.
Granted, that’s pointless. Overdrafting is a topic of conversation twice: On draft night and if/when you’re wrong.
No one cares when a player is drafted if you’re right. So, if the Giants want Sanders, who cares if 31 other teams think they’re wrong?
With that said: The overwhelming belief is that any trade with the Titans is for Ward because there is a very good chance that Sanders would be there organically at No. 3.
The Giants’ interest in Aaron Rodgers set the sporting world ablaze this past Friday. It was blown a bit out of proportion. Yes, the Giants have discussed Rodgers. Members of their coaching staff actually sought out former members of the Jets coaching staff in Indy to ask about Rodgers’ two years in New York.
But no deal is imminent. Rodgers is not believed to be the immediate fallback option after missing on Stafford. One source actually said that he would be “stunned” if it actually happened. Rodgers, at this point in time, is simply one of many veteran quarterbacks the Giants are considering. We’ll see if that changes in the coming weeks.
Russell Wilson (Steelers) is also someone whom the Giants have discussed. One league source believed him to be the player the Giants ultimately land. As is Sam Darnold, per sources. Darnold would be an interesting one because he, unlike Wilson, would likely alter the draft plans at No. 3.
In the alternate reality where the Giants traded for Stafford, it’s very unlikely that they would have used the third overall pick on a quarterback.
Most sources SNY touched base with felt New York would select Colorado’s Travis Hunter. He would have primarily played cornerback while Brian Daboll used him for a handful of plays on offense.
It’s very clear that, internally, New York feels far closer to fielding a competitive team. That might be a gross miscalculation, but gives you an idea of how the Giants will approach this offseason.
The Giants aren’t ready to give up on Deonte Banks, but look for them to shop in the top tier of free-agent corners. There seems to be an understanding that Banks is not a No. 1.
D.J. Reed (Jets), Paulson Adebo (Saints) and Byron Murphy (Vikings) all make sense. Reed, specifically, could serve as a nice mentor for Banks.
Reed had a tremendous relationship with former Jets first-rounder Sauce Gardner and is someone whom Gardner credits for helping his NFL maturation.
SNY touched base with two NFC coaches about their expectations for the Giants this offseason. Both echoed a similar sentiment: They’re preparing for New York to be hyper aggressive in both trading up in the NFL Draft (for a quarterback) and in free agency.
They pointed to the desperation that coaches and executives face with a win-now mandate. Both Schoen and Daboll are aware that this is their last year with the Giants if they do not field a successful team.
The problem, the one coach explained, is that seldom works.
“They’ll set that organization back years if they lose,” he explained. “Even if they win in Year 1, it will be short-lived as the deals age.”
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