BIG WEEK AHEAD
Gettleman knows he can’t get things wrong as draft approaches
Dave Gettleman is on the hot seat, but he isn’t acting like it.
The Giants GM came off confident in Thursday’s pre-draft press conference in East Rutherford, even though if he screws up next week’s draft, it could mean his job.
This was telling. Because for Gettleman to nail this draft he undoubtedly must meet three goals:
1. Secure his next franchise quarterback
2. Land studs with both firstround picks at Nos. 6 and 17, and correspondingly
3. Convert the Odell Beckham Jr. trade picks (Nos. 17 and 95) into impact players
Gettleman seemed at peace with his evaluations, though. That says something. It says he is confident he can satisfy all three goals.
He seems confident he is going to land his quarterback, even though he made it pretty clear he does not intend to draft one at No. 6.
He did this by reminding he won’t reach for need, he’ll draft best player available. He sees a few Hall of Famers in this class, and at least one defensive stud still will be on the board at six.
“Is there a chance they’re all gone?” he said of the defensive standouts with a smile. “No.”
Gettleman seems confident he will land two studs in the first round, as well. He said no matter what happens, there will be “a really good player” available at No. 17, too.
This would include a quarterback they might draft with that pick.
“If we’ve got a quarterback rated in the first round, we love him,” he said.
The only part Gettleman has miscalculated then, it seems, is how much pressure he faces holding 12 picks in this 2019 NFL Draft coming off the OBJ trade. The GM said there is not extra pressure to deliver on picks No. 17 and 95 because they were part of the Beckham trade.
“No. Not for me,” Gettleman said. “And I don’t even make light of it, but you know, no. We’re gonna get good players with those (two) picks … There’s pressure on getting it right every year … It doesn’t make a difference what job you have, you’ve got pressure … You just roll with it.”
Gettleman, however, isn’t tone deaf. He knows there is plenty of doubt in his plan and abilities as a GM.
That was clear again in his prepared opening statement when Gettleman fired back at critics: “While it may be difficult for some to understand, building a roster is not just about collecting talent.”
Before he took questions he also seemingly tried to shut down any Beckham or Eli Manning-related inquiries. “This is a pre-draft presser,” he said, “so let’s talk about the draft.”
Beckham and Manning, however, are critical figures connected to Gettleman’s two central tasks: Replacing Manning is one; and justifying the Beckham trade is another.
Trying to change the narrative won’t work. So Gettleman can stop insisting Manning “proved” he had “plenty left” in 2018. He can stop saying the Giants’ 4-4 record in the second half should have been “7-1” with a few more defensive stops.
He can stop pretending Kyle Lauletta, Gettleman’s bust 2018 fourth-round pick, is a part of this team’s future.
Enough of the spin. Here is the reality: Gettleman’s actions since his Dec. 2017 hiring have raised eyebrows around the league. It’s not just media and fans who are questioning the Giants GM’s plan. Plenty of other NFL teams are wondering what he’s doing, too.
All that matters for Gettleman’s job security, of course, is what Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch think.
They respect and trust Gettleman, obviously, and he aligns with their vision, which is why they handed him the keys to the franchise. So he’s not technically on the hot seat with them - yet.
Still, Gettleman is toeing a dangerous line.
On Thursday, for example, he offered a jaw-dropping alternative to “the Kansas City model” of drafting a QB behind Manning and sitting him for one year before transitioning.
“How about the Green Bay model?” Gettleman posited. “(The Packers) had Aaron Rodgers fall to them while they had Brett Favre. He sat two-and-a-half years, I think. Three years. That’s what you’d like to do.”
That’s a real quote. That’s what he said.
Now, to be honest, Gettleman might have been alluding to drafting a franchise QB late in the first round and not to Manning playing three more years. Hopefully that’s what he meant.
Either way, though, the GM is playing a dangerous game here. He removed a ton of talent from this roster while sticking with Manning. He’s selling a 5-11 season progress off a 3-13 year before his arrival. Yet he still enters this pivotal draft with a skip in his step.
He said at the NFL Combine on Feb. 27 that he knows the stakes.
“I would love to draft a franchise quarterback in this class and then watch him from Cape Cod and enjoy the hell out of him. OK? So that’s a gift. And that’s what I would like to do for the Giants,” Gettleman said in Indianapolis.
It’s great that he knows his mandate, then. As long as Gettleman, who seemingly feels in control a week before the draft, knows the reality of the pressure he faces with these firstround picks: He can’t be wrong.