New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)

Giants keep everyone guessing

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Back at the combine two weeks ago, in trying to figure out what the Giants would do regarding the franchise tag and Landon Collins, seemingly every response from team and league sources came back to what emerged as the overwhelmi­ng sentiment.

“No one knows what Dave Gettleman will do about anything.”

Fast forward to today and, well, we still don’t.

Landon Collins is in Washington. Odell Beckham Jr. is off to Cleveland.

We’re not any closer to figuring out what Gettleman’s plan is for a successor to Eli Manning, who is slated to receive his $5 million bonus between now and Sunday.

The Giants are rebuilding, right? But they added Golden Tate, who turns 31 in August, on a four-year contract worth $37.5 million, presumably to help fill the void left by Beckham’s departure. Instead of committing the monster contract Washington gave to Collins, the Giants will pay the combinatio­n of Jabrill Peppers, 23, and Antoine Bethea, 34, to fill both safety spots at half the price.

I still don’t know what Gettleman’s plan is, but I like the Markus Golden signing and I’m warming to the Tate signing, surprising­ly for immediate and long-term benefits. Tate is the only wide receiver with a resume that the Giants have under contract beyond 2019.

Sterling Shepard is homegrown and a good football player, likely underappre­ciated for what he represents to teammates and coaches. But he’s in the final year of his rookie deal, and if the Giants are not ready to commit to him long-term - he’s likely looking at a long-term extension worth $10-11 million a year if he performs this year - Tate represents at least some stability at the position if and when team brass pulls the trigger on a new quarterbac­k.

Tate said he’s looking forward to being a piece to the offensive puzzle and that he expects Manning to “spray the ball around” to his playmakers. He grew up admiring the Giants and Manning from afar, adding that he has great appreciati­on for the history of the franchise, which was a factor in his decision to sign here.

“I really believe you can win games while you build,” Tate said.

The Giants could end up completing their offensive line with former Panthers and Vikings tackle Mike Remmers, who finished his free agent visit with them Friday in East Rutherford. His history with Pat Shurmur and Gettleman makes this appear to be a good fit, even if Remmers struggled with what was a permanent move to a new position at right guard in Minnesota. If he comes at an affordable deal, Remmers slides in at right tackle next to another newcomer in Kevin Zeitler, a solid and at times elite right guard in Cincinnati and Cleveland. Jon Halapio and Spencer Pulley will compete at center, and the left side of tackle Nate Solder and guard Will Hernandez played every snap last season.

“I don’t have all the answers for what this organizati­on needs or for what this organizati­on is missing, but I trust the coaching staff that I’ve had the chance to speak with and their vision, and what they want to achieve,” Tate said, adding: “I don’t think we’re as far off as people may think or see.”

Trying to judge Gettleman’s plan after every transactio­n seems fruitless right now.

Refuse to tag Collins? He’s a fool. Trade for Zeitler? Genius. Part ways with Beckham? He’s destroying the franchise. Sign Tate and Golden? Wait, those guys are good players.

Very little with Gettleman is as it appears for the moment, except his undeniable infatuatio­n with Saquon Barkley. And you know what, for the Giants, when seemingly every move they made under the previous administra­tion of Jerry Reese and Marc Ross was telegraphe­d through a megaphone, not knowing what is coming next could just be the best plan after all.

Maybe Gettleman is in over his head.

Maybe there is a method to what seems like madness.

We’re waiting on his next move to decide on his fate when the wise thing might be to not pass judgment until the plan completely reveals itself.

 ?? Michael Conroy / Associated Press ?? New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman speaks during a press conference at the NFL scouting combine in February.
Michael Conroy / Associated Press New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman speaks during a press conference at the NFL scouting combine in February.

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