The New York Giants entered the season with questions about their direction. Five games in, the trade deadline argument has shifted. The Giants are 3-1-1, alone atop the NFC East, and still have time to decide whether their early standing warrants an addition before the NFL’s Nov. 10 deadline.
Locked On Giants host Patricia Traina put the buyers-or-sellers question to NFL insider Jordan Schultz during their interview. Schultz said New York was “probably a buying team” if its play held up, pointing to the club’s strong start, first-year head coach John Harbaugh and a roster that has shown enough to stay in the race.
The case for reinforcement is sharper now. Outside linebacker Brian Burns is on injured reserve after tearing his ACL in Week 3, ending his season. The Giants have kept outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux on the active roster, and Schultz said a market could exist for him in the right circumstances. But Schultz did not report that the Giants are shopping Thibodeaux or pursuing a specific player.
Burns’ absence makes an edge addition a logical area to examine, even if the Giants decide against moving premium draft capital. Thibodeaux and outside linebacker Abdul Carter now carry a larger share of the pass-rush load, while New York must weigh the value of immediate help against the importance of keeping resources for a roster still building under Harbaugh.
The upcoming schedule gives the front office more evidence. New York hosts the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 18, visits the Houston Texans on Oct. 25, has its Week 8 bye and then plays the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 8. The deadline arrives two days after that division game, leaving the Giants three more games to determine whether Schultz’s buyer prediction fits their season.
For now, the Giants do not need to force a move. Their record gives them a reason to monitor the market, while the next three games will show whether an addition can help them protect a division lead.
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