Schoen: Giants “Happy Where We Are,” but Still Exploring Deadline Moves

The New York Giants are in a rare situation, at least lately, sitting alone in first place in the NFC East with a 4-2-1 record at the halfway mark of the 2026 season, which coincides with their bye.

What makes it unusual is that the Giants, given what they’ve accomplished under head coach John Harbaugh, don’t necessarily have to be buyers or sellers with the November 10 trade deadline approaching.

But far be it from the Giants to be content with where things stand with their roster, which, despite their winning record, has lost several key players such as quarterback Jaxson Dart, outside linebacker Brian Burns, defensive lineman Chauncey Golston and returner Braxton Berrios.

General manager Joe Schoen, who, like Harbaugh, has the NFC East crown firmly in his sights, said he’s “happy where we are” and that he “really likes the team.”

But that doesn’t mean he’s about to rest on his laurels. Rather, he’s looking to keep improving the roster, and how the team goes about it matters.

“There are a lot of factors into it, in terms of where we are pick-wise. We don’t have a fourth or a fifth right now. So, you take that into account,” Schoen said on Tuesday.

“In some situations, that may rule some players out. Maybe that’s their value. Maybe a third is too rich or a sixth isn’t enough, so you start looking at future picks and contract status, and where we are depth-wise. So, a lot of factors that we’ll look at and who’s going to be available, who’s really available.”

The Giants’ biggest needs, at least for the short term, include defensive line depth, but given Harbaugh’s recent comments about longing for a Derrick Henry type of situation, running back is clearly on the team’s radar as well, even though the unit had a breakout game last week against the Houston Texans’ run defense, which was ranked third in the league at the time.

Questions remain about whether the Giants will make an offer for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who is rumored to be available as part of Indianapolis’ fire sale.

Schoen and his staff have also been exploring other scenarios around the league in their quest to give Harbaugh what he needs to keep the team competitive through its postseason push.

But there is also a question of what makes sense, whether that’s making a trade, signing a street free agent or plucking someone off another team’s practice squad, such as what the Giants did in signing running back Greg Desrosiers on Tuesday.

In other words, not every move has to be a big splash.

“It’s easy to say, go sign X, Y, and Z position, but if a team’s really not ready to get rid of somebody where they’re asking too much, it doesn’t match up with where you see the value, then it doesn’t make sense to do it,” Schoen said.

“So, we’re going to look at all the available options. And, certain teams have already started some trades, and we’ve been in contact with those teams and have a pretty good idea of who may or may not be available. And again, it’s got to make sense, short-term and long-term, when you make those moves.”

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