New York Giants news, 10/30: Storylines for second half of season

Ben McAdoo wanted New York Giants players “to get away from it a little bit” during their bye week. Well, the 1-6 Giants return to work on Monday with little hope of playing any meaningful football over the season’s final nine games.

That, however, doesn’t mean there aren’t reasons to watch or things we can’t learn over the remainder of the season.

First order of business is Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET NFL trade deadline.

• Could the Giants find a market for veteran cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie?
• The Giants need wide receivers. Would they be interested in disgruntled Martavis Bryant, who was inactive on Sunday for the Pittsburgh Steelers?
• Could they find offensive line help anywhere?
• Would they do the “blow everything up and start over” thing by trading quarterback Eli Manning? There is no indication right now that’s on the agenda.

Keep in mind that if the Giants do anything at the trade deadline, it really isn’t about this year. Despite GM Jerry Reese’s brave “don’t count us out yet” talk last week the Giants have to understand that contending this season isn’t happening. Any moves they make need to have the future in mind.

As a team, the Giants have only pride to play for. And, while players and coaches don’t — and should not — think this way, the more they lose the higher the pick they will get in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Giants would have the third overall pick if the draft were held today.

We haven’t yet taken an in-depth look at the free-agent decisions the Giants will have to make this offseason, but there are many players with something to prove over the final nine games.

Up first for the Giants in the second half is a home game Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The Giants open the week as 3.5-point underdogs.