NFL trade deadline wrap-up: No deals for New York Giants

Joe Thomas won’t be a member of the New York Giants. Neither will Joe Staley. Nor, for that matter, will Jamaal Charles, Marcedes Lewis, Charcandrick West or just about any other name you heard connected to — or wished to be connected to — the Giants.

The 4 p.m. ET NFL trade deadline came and went on Tuesday with the Giants standing pat despite all the speculation that they might have been a possible landing spot for Thomas, the All-Pro tackle for the Cleveland Browns.

The lack of a move shouldn’t surprise anyone. Scream if you want, but the surprise would have been if the Giants had actually made a move. The NFL trade deadline is almost always more smoke than fire. GM Jerry Reese told us as much on Monday.

“We’ve had some conversations. There’s always some chatter this time of the year ... Lot of talk and not much action usually at the trade deadline.”

Whatever the price Cleveland wanted for Thomas, or the San Francisco 49ers may have wanted for Staley if they were willing to move him at all, proved to be too much.

Thus, Ereck Flowers remains at left tackle for the Giants for at least the remainder of this season. Bobby Hart remains at right tackle, unless the Giants give that job back to Marshall Newhouse at some point. The Giants remain without a quality tight end, or at least one who can block acceptably.

It won’t be any consolation to Giants’ fans who were hoping for/expecting/demanding action, but no one else made significant moves on Tuesday. The Dallas Cowboys were reportedly connected to defensive ends Sheldon Richardson and Cameron Wake, and got neither. The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t add a much-needed wide receiver.

So, it’s back to business. If the Giants are going to improve on offense they are going to have to do it with the players who have been on the roster all season.

Are you OK with the Giants not making a move? Disappointed? Irate? Let us know in the comments.