The New York Giants were hoping to build off of their successful 2022 campaign, the first under the new regime of general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. A playoff appearance, given the situation they inherited, was certainly shocking and a great jumping-off point. However, things have not gone according to plan in Year 2.
The Giants have regressed to the mean this season, as they are 1-5. Nothing has gone right, as they have been embarrassed on a nearly weekly basis. The team still doesn’t have an offensive touchdown in the first half of a game this season and hasn’t produced an offensive touchdown since Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers.
With the playoffs a long shot at this point, New York is a team many people are looking at as being sellers ahead of the 2023 NFL trade deadline. There are a few players on the team it would make sense to trade away, starting with defensive tackle Leonard Williams.
Williams has an exorbitant cap hit of $32.26 million, per Spotrac. Moving that kind of money will be tough, but if the Giants retain a good portion of it, they should be able to get a solid return for someone who remains a very solid player in the trenches.
On an expiring contract, moving Williams now, especially if there are no plans to retain him long-term after signing Dexter Lawrence to a massive extension this offseason, makes sense. Another player on an expiring deal that could make sense to move is safety Xavier McKinney.
McKinney has been a solid player for the Giants since being selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Like the regime before Schoen, he will have a difficult decision to make about paying a second-round safety or not. Dave Gettleman allowed Landon Collins to leave in this situation for nothing; Schoen cannot replicate that mistake. If McKinney isn’t part of the long-term plans, trade him before the deadline.
Another defensive back whose name will pop up in trade rumors is Adoree Jackson. Jackson is in the final season of his contract and there aren’t many scenarios where he will be brought back. Deonte Banks looks like a future No. 1 and New York is developing rookie Tre Hawkins III and Cordale Flott as well.
No longer fitting the timeline and with his performance dropping off, Jackson is your prototypical trade candidate. Contenders can never have too many cornerbacks, so expect them to make calls to the Giants in the coming days.
Last but not least is running back Saquon Barkley. After having the franchise tag placed on him this offseason and no long-term deal reached, it is likely time for both sides to part ways. It is hard to envision the Giants signing him to a long-term deal now after another season of wear and tear in which he suffered a lower-body injury.
There are teams who need running back help and if they offer a Day 2 pick in exchange for Barkley, Schoen should jump at the deal. Barkley is a special player when on the field, but the Giants have already made it clear that they aren’t going to pay top-of-the-line money to keep him long-term.
