If Dave Gettleman’s seat wasn’t already hot, it might be on fire right now.
In his two and half year tenure as the general manager for the New York Giants, the franchise has epitomized catastrophic failure.
The Giants hired Gettleman in late 2017 to revive a downtrodden team, yet they have gone 10-30 under his guidance.
Each year has gotten successively worse, as the 1-7 Giants currently sit last in place in the anemic NFC East.
Steve Tisch – @Giants Co-Owner – “It’s been a very frustrating season. At the end of the season John Mara & I are gonna get together & discuss the future. As partners we have to be very honest with each other about where we see this team going into the 2020 season.” #Giants pic.twitter.com/v7oUbIVbBG
— Bruce Beck (@BruceBeck4NY) December 3, 2019
Under normal circumstances, owners might give their GM a longer leash to remold the roster.
But after years of failed draft picks and questionable transactions, Gettleman’s clock is ticking quickly.
If the Giants don’t turn it out around this season, they may be looking for a new GM for 2021.
Trades and Free Agency
Some of Gettleman’s first actions as the general manager have been some of his most disappointing decisions.
He made Nate Solder the highest-paid offensive lineman (at the time) by signing him to a four-year, $62 million contract in 2018.
Solder had a decent first season, severely regressed in his second year, and opted out this season due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Gettleman traded Jason Pierre-Paul for picks, only to see the veteran pass rusher thrive in his new home in Tampa Bay.
He also re-signed cornerstone Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018 but then proceeded to trade him to the Cleveland Browns the next year.
In return for Beckham and pass rusher Olivier Vernon, the Giants received safety Jabrill Peppers, guard Kevin Zeitler, and a slew of picks.
Peppers has flashed his talent but remains inconsistent, while Zeitler has been the only steady presence for an otherwise porous offensive line.
Perhaps offloading the mercurial and oft-injured Beckham was a wise decision, but neither the Browns nor the Giants got what they had hoped for in the trade.
To offset the loss of Beckham, Gettleman signed Golden Tate in 2019, who has been average at best.
However, Gettleman’s recent transactions have been a little better.
He traded picks for Leonard Williams last season, who has been a welcome addition to the defensive line.
Gettleman signed James Bradberry this past offseason, who has developed into one of the better shutdown corners in the league.
James Bradberry entering Wk 8:
🔹 80.3 Coverage Grade (8th)
🔹 10 Forced Incompletions (T-1st)
🔹 3 INTs (T-3rd) pic.twitter.com/P9ELKk5ab5— PFF (@PFF) November 2, 2020
Corner Logan Ryan and linebacker Blake Martinez have also helped transform this defense into a respectable unit.
It’s Gettleman’s efforts in the draft, though, that have been susceptible to criticism.
Recent Draft Picks
Gettleman has orchestrated the last three drafts for the Giants, missing far more often than he has hit.
His refusal to trade back and accumulate more picks has prevented the franchise from capitalizing on their high draft slots.
Instead of addressing more pressing needs in the 2018 draft, he unwisely selected a running back with the second overall pick.
While Saquon Barkley is an elite talent, running back production relies heavily on a strong offensive line and playcalling, neither of which the Giants have had to this day.
Plus, with the short shelf life of the position and Barkley’s numerous health concerns, moving back looks like it would have been the best idea in hindsight.
Gettleman’s second-ever selection, guard Will Hernandez, had a promising rookie campaign but has largely underwhelmed since then.
Armed with three first-round picks in the 2019 draft, Gettleman was primed to return the Giants to prominence.
Alternatively, he may have set the franchise back by flubbing this rare opportunity.
He reached for Daniel Jones, a talented yet inexperienced quarterback out of Duke, with the number six pick.
Jones’ moments of brilliance have been few and far between, as his costly turnovers have harmed the Giants.
Entering tonight, Daniel Jones has 34 turnovers over the last 2 seasons, 2nd most in the NFL behind Jameis Winston (35).
He has at least 1 TO in 19 of 20 career games played.
His 8 straight games with a TO, are tied with Carson Wentz for the longest active streak in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/yhCee9fNsJ
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 3, 2020
Gettleman also chose a solid defensive tackle in Dexter Lawrence, but corner Deandre Baker was a complete waste of a pick.
Baker was routinely burned his rookie season, then proceeded to get cut after police arrested him for alleged robbery.
His fifth-round selection of Darius Slayton has panned out, but it isn’t enough to salvage the rest of the draft.
As for 2020, it is too soon to label anyone a success or a bust, though early returns have not been reassuring.
First-rounder Andrew Thomas has struggled throughout the year, allowing a total of 40 pressures.
Safety Xavier McKinney carried high expectations but may miss the entirety of the season with a broken foot.
A combination of bad luck and costly decisions have wrecked the Giants in recent years, and Gettleman may soon be the scapegoat for this struggling franchise.
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