Giants general manager Dave Gettleman is entering the hot seat in 2020 after the rebuilding team won five and four games in its first two seasons.
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Co-owner John Mara has made it clear that Gettleman is on thin ice. Mara wants to see progress now. He is sick and tired of losing.
So what should Gettleman do to finish rebuilding the Giants and keep his job?
Let’s take a look at the main elements of his task list.
• Hope Daniel Jones takes another step – and the Giants win: Gettleman can’t really do much about it except the hope that new head coach Joe Judge and attacking coordinator Jason Garrett get the most out of Jones this season. Because Jones’ progress in year 2 is a huge key for the Giants to actually win games. Which is a huge key for Gettleman to stay and accomplish other items on this list.
• Quickly develop a solid relationship with Joe Judge: Gettleman must show that he can work well with the rookie head coach. If there is some kind of flaw, the judge takes advantage of the doubt, of course. It will not be canned after one season. Gettleman and the judge must be on the same page with their list-building approach, although Gettleman always has a say in personnel decisions.
• Continue to fix offensive line issues: The draft of a potential future left striker Andrew Thomas was a start. But the Giants still have concerns about the right tackle and the center. There is no long-term secure solution on the list anywhere, as third-round rookie Matt Peart is a project. The Giants feel better with guards Kevin Zeitler and Will Hernandez. But this line is not complete. And polishing it will go a long way in helping Jones grow.
• Find a legitimate and long-term edge rusher solution: Maybe Markus Golden is coming back, but it’s not a long-term answer. Nor does it seem like Kyler Fackrell. Lorenzo Carter will he finally cross a course? Can Oshane Ximines take a big step in year 2? A lot of questions here, always, because Gettleman chose not to spend (or fish) big on the edge of the rusher this off-season.
• Untangle Leonard Williams situation, after a curious trade: Gettleman has exactly one week to sign a long-term contract with the franchise-labeled defensive lineman. Gettleman’s decision to switch to the Jets for Williams last season remains curious. Williams has yet to prove himself as an elite assault defender. So, will Gettleman pay for it as such? Or will he let Williams play 2020 on the $ 16.126 million franchise label, and maybe get a compensatory draft pick in 2022 if he / she goes free agency next season? Gettleman has already dropped a third and a fifth round for Williams in this Jets deal.
• Determine if the giants have the right responses to the wide receiver: Darius Slayton showed potential as a rookie last season, but can he prove it in the long run? Golden Tate is about to turn 32 years old. And Sterling Shepard missed six games last season. He now also has a disturbing history of concussions. If Gettleman is in the next offseason, he may have some critical decisions to make in this position, to give Jones more weapons.
• Make a correct call to Evan Engram: The generic character in all of this, of course, is Engram. The Giants would like to see it evolve towards an elite end. But he also has injury problems. He has only played eight and eleven games in the past two seasons, having played in 15 as a rookie. The Giants have already chosen their fifth year option for 2021. But it was a low-risk decision, as the option is not fully guaranteed until the next off-season. Gettleman can always cut Engram before that, especially if Engram is unable to stay on the field again.
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