Big Blue View mailbag, 11/7: Daniel Jones, Dave Gettleman, more questions

It’s mailbag day, so let’s get right to it!

Chris Fiegler asks: Do you think that the Giants should bench Daniel Jones and put in Colt McCoy as the quarterback for the New York Giants for the game at Washington Football Team?

Ed says: I will answer this the same way Joe Judge Did. No. There is zero point to playing McCoy. Jones is a young quarterback who needs to play and learn, and the Giants need to see him play to continue learning about him. Sitting him accomplishes nothing that will help Jones or the franchise.

Jason Byam asks: I know it’s unpopular on BBV to give Gettleman any credit, but how much credit does DG get for hiring Joe Judge? Is that strictly Mara’s call? Or more DG or a 50-50 split decision?

Ed says: Jason, I need to clarify this once and for all. Dave Gettleman did not hire Joe Judge. He gets zero credit. He was in the room for the interviews. I believe assistant GM Kevin Abrams was as well. This, though, was an ownership decision. Period. Hiring and firing of coaches is always an ownership decision with the Giants. It’s not a GM decision. It’s a Mara-Tisch decision.

Gettleman certainly offered his opinion, and it’s important that he and Judge can work together, but in no way, shape or form was hiring Judge a Gettleman decision.

Jeff Newman asks: If the Giants continue to play hard and be in games, but continue not winning, what are the odds of them bringing Gettleman back next year? We’d be picking in the top of the draft again, so if DJ continues to play as poorly as he has, we could take a top quarterback prospect. Would that cause you to move on? If so, do you think Gettleman would stick with DJ to save face? Even if he doesn’t, do you want Gettleman selecting our next QB?

Ed says: Jeff, this is why they play the games — and why the result of those games matters. I think I agree with former Vikings GM Jeff Diamond that right now it’s “50-50” on whether Gettleman is back. You can make valid arguments why the Giants should move on. You can make valid arguments for why he should stay. It comes down to how ownership feels about the team’s direction when the season is over. Not how it feels right now.

I still believe the Giants don’t want to be back in the quarterback market, that they really like Jones and want to give him as much rope as possible. My belief is the only way they are in the quarterback market is if they get the No. 1 overall pick, and I just don’t see that happening. Can you guarantee me Justin Fields and Trey Lance are better than Jones? My gut instinct right now is that Jones is the quarterback next year, and that Judge will be part of that decision.

As for DG, what would cause me to move on is if I felt he and Joe Judge couldn’t work together. If they have the same vision and are in agreement on how to proceed maybe you don’t want to change that. I’m not in the building, so I couldn’t tell you what their relationship is like.

The final thing is this — I do happen to think that if the Giants are back in the quarterback market they’ll do it with a different GM. My gut, though, tells me Jones is the guy for at least one more year.

Patrick Boliver asks: With the Giants heading into the second half of the season it’s apparent that next season their starting tackles most likely will be Andrew Thomas and Matt Peart. I assume the Giants will probably try and trade Nate Solder to a tackle needy team. I realize his contract could be an issue, but assuming they find a trade partner what could his trade value be?

Ed says: Patrick, I seriously doubt Nate Solder would have much, if any, trade value. He will be 33, isn’t playing this year, didn’t play well in 2019, and has base salaries of more than $9 million in 2021 and 2022. I would be surprised if the Giants can find a trade partner. I wouldn’t be surprised if they make him a post-June 1 release and take the $9.9 million in cap savings ($6.5 million in dead money).

Colby Garb asks: Will Leonard Williams be a Compensatory Free Agent (CFA) if he reaches Unrestricted Free Agency this offseason and signs with another team? Or does the fact that he is coming off of the franchise tag exclude him?

Ed says: Colby, I checked with Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap and Williams would count toward the compensatory pick formula. Whether the Giants would end up with a comp pick is another matter.