Mailbag filled with Giants GM, draft questions

We turned to our friends on the Big Blue View Facebook page for mailbag questions this week. The majority fit into two broad categories — the search for a general manager and the 2018 NFL Draft. So, let’s open of the mailbag and have a look.

GM search

Ben Davar asks: Do you think the Giants interest in Dave Gettleman shows a reluctance to change/clean house? Do you think that Mara is interested in Gettleman because he wouldn't move on from Eli?

Tim Marks asks: Ed who are your choices as our next GM and why? I would like someone from outside the organization.

Andrew Cherock asks: Who does your gut say the new GM will be vs. who do you think is the best option for a GM?

Ed says: Let me take all of those and answer the GM question the best I can.

I think right now Gettleman is the odds-on favorite to get the job. Anyone who has ever hired anyone knows that when possible you hire people you already know, trust and understand. After spending 14 years in the organization, Gettleman is that for the Giants. He has been away for six years, so it’s not like he can be painted with the brush of the recent failures. You can argue, in fact, that the personnel failures coincide with his leaving in 2012

I believe that to get the job a candidate other than Gettleman is going to have to wow Giants’ co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch during the interview process. If no candidate blows them out of the water and convinces them he’s the man to get them back on the right path, I think Gettleman gets the job. He’s a good personnel guy, built a winner in Carolina and can argue that whatever mistakes led to his ousting with the Panthers are things he can learn from and not repeat in New York.

I don’t know what Gettleman or any GM candidate would do about the Giants’ quarterback situation, but that will be part of the interview process.

As for whether or not I have a personal favorite the answer is no. I have never met any of these guys, so I can only go by what I read and what others tell me about them. Guys other than Gettleman who are qualified and might be considered are Eliot Wolf (Packers), George Paton (Vikings) and Trent Kirchner (Seahawks). Here is our initial list of potential candidates.

The draft

Matt Reibsamen asks: I see a lot of people talking Sam Darnold, or Josh Rosen with our first round pick. But what are the chances of us trading down to get Mayfield? Or even taking Saquan Barkley with our high pick?

Richard M Desisto asks: Regarding the draft, how about Barkley, we have not have a back since Jacobs, with some additions to the O line, Flowers will be even more effective, in his third year.

Joe Santello asks: Is QB via draft really the end all be all?

Ed says: I think it is impossible to predict what the Giants will do with their first-round pick because there are so many unknowns. There is no full-time coach or GM in place, so we don’t know who will be making the decisions and what type of player they might prefer. We don’t know if Eli Manning will be back. We don’t know if whoever is in charge will feel like Davis Webb can be the long-term answer. We don’t know if Sam Darnold, considered one of the two best QB prospects with Josh Rosen, will enter the draft.

The Giants could go all in for a QB, and my guess is they will IF they can get either Darnold or Rosen. If not, it becomes less clear. Will whoever is in charge be a fan or Baker Mayfield or Lamar Jackson? No way to know.

The Giants could pick Saquan Barkley there. They could pick Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick. They could pick someone else. They could try to move down in the draft and collect some picks.

I don’t think there is any real way to predict any of that right now because we have no idea who will be making the pick.

Other questions

Adam Zenzer asks: What are the chances of signing Nate Solder in FA to play OLT next year if he is not tagged or re-signed by NE?

Ed says: I would think that would be possible. Again, though, we don’t know who will be making that decision. The other reality is this — there won’t be many quality offensive tackles on the market and Solder will have a lot of suitors. Whoever wants him will have to overpay to get him, and he will have his pick of where he wants to go. So, even if you want him there is no guarantee you can get him.

Michael Patrick Conlan asks: Considering the Giants only have 1 LB under contract next year (Goodson), what are the chances we could potentially draft another safety with the notion you could move Collins up to the LOS more? In the end we will still need another speed / cover LB.

Ed says: Linebacker is without doubt a position that needs attention going into next season. You don’t, though, solve one position by taking one of the premier safeties in the game in Landon Collins and turn him into a linebacker. He doesn’t want to be one, something he has made clear, and doing that is just opening up another problem in the secondary. I don’t know what the Giants will do at linebacker, but I can’t/won’t endorse turning Collins into one.