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Reader Mailbag: The Draft and How Close are the Giants to Competing for a Title

Let's see what's on the minds of our readers this week.
Patricia Traina|

From David P.:

I know and understand that the NFL is year to year in terms of playoff teams and win and losses because anything can happen. But, with the new CBA and an extra team added into the playoffs, I wanted your take on what is realistic to expect from the Giants. Depending on what you read and listen to, I've heard from not ready to compete to playoffs. I would like to see competitive games and not sit through another losing season. I feel anything less than a seven-win season should not be tolerated. 

Hi David, and thank you for the question. I'm not trying to duck the question, but to be fair, right now, it's difficult to make any predictions about what anyone's record will be. The rosters aren't set, plus the off-season program has been postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The lack of an off-season program for teams with a new coaching staff is significant because while the coaches can do some installations through the classroom via video teleconferencing, no one will know where things stand until they can practice it. And who knows if the regular season is going to start on time?

Given the circumstances, I'd personally curb any expectations on what is considered acceptable or not acceptable for this year, as this is not a typical year. I would suspect that Giants ownership is also going to be a little more lenient with what Dave Gettleman has done given how everything is unfolding.

 

What's up, Rueben? I'm not sure I understand your question. Peppers plays safety, and Bradberry is a cornerback. So I don't think you can make a straight apples-to-apples comparison because of that plus because of the strong likelihood that they'll be playing in the defensive secondary at the same time.

Hey Frank, thanks for the question. I don't think the Giants will move Will Hernandez to center, and earlier in the year, I tossed out the possibility of Kevin Zeitler moving to center since he's so cerebral. 

The more I think about this, the more I believe Spencer Pulley might serve as the stop-gap. If the plan is to add an offensive tackle in the draft to be a Day 1 starter, I can't imagine the coaches being good with having a rookie center in front of a second-year quarterback still learning to read defenses and make protection calls in a new system. 

Hi Steven. The market hasn't materialized for Markus Golden, and I think the more free agents the Giants (and other teams) add, the less likely the chances of Golden getting the type of deal he was probably looking to get. 

I had hoped that he might be back as I thought he was a good guy and good for the locker room, but if you look at what the Giants have done, how many of the former Cardinals players that were brought in when James Bettcher was the defensive coordinator have been re-signed/retained by the Giants? That, to me, is a very telling non-action about the state of the Giants last year.

What's happening Ram Dude? If I'm the Giants, I look to trade down and get more picks, and I wouldn't drop out of the top 10 if I'm them. 

The problem I think they're going to run up against is that it's becoming evident that Miami wants Tua and the Chargers want Herbert. If the two teams behind the Giants know that they're in no danger of missing out on the quarterbacks they want, why would they move?

My gut feeling for the moment is the Giants aren't going to be able to trade down out of that fourth overall spot, though it won't be for lack fo trying. We'll see what happens over the next month, but regardless, I think the Giants will be able to come away with a solid player.

Will that be a tackle? You would think yes, but with Cam Fleming on board, I'm wondering if the plan is for him to be a stop-gap which would allow the Giants to draft a future starting tackle on Day 2 -- and clear the way for them to grab Isaiah Simmons, a scenario that I know would make a lot of Giants fans happy.

Hi Shermel. I'd be okay with the Giants drafting Simmons. As I see it, their strength is their defensive line right now, and if those guys can keep the linebackers clean, I could see the linebackers putting up all kinds of crazy numbers in the pass rush as well as making the majority of their tackles closer to the line of scrimmage.

Hi Jeremy. No, I wouldn't. Trent Williams is going to be 32 in July. Is he a good player? Yes, but if I'm the Giants, who are in a rebuild mode, I look for my next tackle in the draft. And I'm not cutting Solder this year because as I have noted before unless you plan on making him a post-June 1 transaction, the savings isn't worth it.

WATCH: SI.com senior NFL writer Jenny Vrentas weighs in on the impact COVID-19 is taking on women's sports.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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