NFL Trade Deadline 2015: Four players the Giants should target

[UPDATE 10:20 a.m.: If you are hoping the Giants will acquire one of the players the Cleveland Browns are apparently offering via trade, here is the price. It's way too high.

On the #Browns: I hear they want more than a 1st for Joe Thomas, wanted a 3rd for Alex Mack, want a 3rd for Mingo. Steep on all accounts.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 3, 2015

---

The 2015 NFL Trade Deadline occurs at 4 p.m. ET Tuesday. It is usually a day filled with a lot of talk and little action, but let's look at five players theNew York Giants could target.

Eric Weddle, S, San Diego Chargers

The Chargers deny that they are shopping the 30-year-old three time Pro Bowler, but as we indicated earlier Tuesday there are reports that the Giants are one of the teams that has inquired about Weddle's availability. Weddle is earning $7.5 million in the final year of his contract.

Here is part of what Pro Football Rumors had to say about the situation with Weddle and the Chargers:

The three-time Pro Bowler skipped the voluntary portion of the offseason this summer while locked in a contract dispute with the team. Weddle is the fourth-highest paid safety in terms of total compensation in 2015 but he was seeking a new deal with his 31st birthday coming up in January 2016. After the Chargers held their ground, Weddle made it known that he would turn his attention to free agency after the season. ...

Weddle has been the Chargers' starting safety since 2008 and he did not miss a regular season start from 2009 through 2014. In 2014, Weddle racked up 114 total tackles to go along with eight pass deflections and an interception. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated the three-time Pro Bowler as the best overall safety in the NFL last season with a +18.9 overall grade.

Considering the state of their pass defense, and really their defense as a whole, the Giants almost have to kick the tires here.

Barkevious Mingo, OLB, Cleveland Browns

Mingo was the sixth overall pick by the Browns in the 2013 NFL Draft. He has been a disappointment in Cleveland, but does have seven career sacks. The perennially-rebuilding Browns would apparently love to get rid of Mingo, with NFL Network reporting that Mingo is "available to anyone." Translation -- the price isn't very high. Mingo is only 25. Perhaps a change of scenery would unlock the potential that made him a top 10 pick. Maybe it's worth a flier for a seventh-round pick.

Willie Young, DE/OLB, Chicago Bears

We talked about the 30-year-old Young on Monday. He is miscast as an outside linebacker in the Bears' new 3-4 defense, and reportedly wants to return to a team that plays a 4-3. The Giants, of course, fit that description. They are also the worst pass-rushing team in the league and, even with the impending return of Jason Pierre-Paul, adding a pass-rushing defensive end isn't out of the question. Young, in his sixth season, had 10 of his 17 career sacks last season. He is in the second year of a fairly inexpensive three-year, $9 million contract.

Martellus Bennett, TE, Chicago Bears 

Bringing The Black Unicorn back to the Giants, where he caught 55 passes in 2012, has been discussed ever since the Bears made a couple of early-season deals and appeared to be in "fire sale" mode. With undrafted rookie Will Tye currently being the only healthy tight end on the Giants' roster, and with Larry Donnell being an inconsistent pass-catching tight end who is a liability as a blocker, Bennett would be an outstanding addition to the Giants. Plus, he's a fun guy to have around.

This isn't an easy deal for the Giants to make, though, even if Bennett is available. The guy caught 90 passes last season, and the price for the 28-year-old would likely be a high- to mid-round pick. The other part is money. The Giants lost Bennett in the first place because they didn't have the cap space to compete with the Bears' four-year, $20.4 million offer. Would they be willing to assume that contract, which has one more year beyond this one, remaining? Bennett's 2016 cap hit would be $6.31 million. One more issue -- the sieve-like Giants' defense. If the Giants are going to make a deal it seems more likely they would do something to fortify their defense.

If a tight end is really on the wish list and the price for Bennett is too high, how about Dwayne Allen of the Indianapolis Colts as an option? Allen, in his fourth year, has a reputation as a solid blocker and a useful pass catcher, and the Giants could use both. He is also expected to leave the Colts via free agency after this season. He likely wouldn't cost much.

Final Thoughts

Truthfully, I don't expect the Giants to make a move. They traded for Jon Beason during the 2013 season, but before that had not made an in-season deal since acquiring running back Ottis Anderson in 1986. It is important to remember that the Giants already surrendered a 2016 seventh-round draft pick for punter Brad Wing, so unless they will be receiving a number 2016 compensatory picks they could end up leaving themselves without much of a draft class. Whatever you think of GM Jerry Reese and his draft classes, that remains the best way to build a team.

A trade for Weddle, if he is available, is perhaps the one move where the Giants might consider giving up a higher price. The caveat would be that they would need to be sure Weddle would be with them beyond this season in order to justify such a move.

You can follow the SB Nation trade rumor tracker throughout the day. Use this as an open thread to discusse trade rumors throughout the day. Also, check out the latest "Big Blue Chat" podcast with Pat Traina (Bleacher Report/Inside Football) and myself). Lots of trade discussion during the podcast, as well as a review of Sunday's game, and some talk about JPP.