The New York Giants Desperately Need to End an Embarrassing Experiment Before the Franchise Completely Falls Apart

As a fan of the New York Giants, I was initially excited about the arrival of head coach Pat Shurmur. He was a former NFL quarterback and the leading candidate to become the Giants’ next offensive coordinator, who had successfully employed a West Coast Offense philosophy during his stint as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. Unfortunately, the Giants have been severely disappointed by this decision.

The New York Giants are a franchise that has been mostly middling at best for the past decade. However, there is no denying that this year’s Super Bowl run was a huge step forward for the team. This is due largely to the addition of Odell Beckham Jr., who has been a revelation. His ability to make big plays is breathtaking, and his jaw-dropping touchdown catches have sent the Giants to the top of the NFL for a season.

The New York Giants begin the 2021 season with the untested quarterback-coach combination of Daniel Jones and Joe Judge, while the New York Jets try to develop around the quarterback-coach tandem of Zach Wilson and Robert Saleh. While Bill Belichick’s veteran assistant seems to have the proper attitude for the position, he faces a challenge in the long run.

And, if the Giants are serious about giving Judge a chance to turn the team around, they must put a stop to a humiliating experiment before it’s too late.

Since Dave Gettleman took over in 2018, Giants supporters haven’t had much to shout about.

With Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin, the Giants previously dominated the NFC East. However, their days of contending for Super Bowl championships and winning records are long gone.

In fact, since 2013, they’ve only finished above.500 once. That happened in 2016, the final year of Jerry Reese’s time as general manager.

The Giants had an opportunity to rebuild their franchise after a 3-13 season in which they were 31st in scoring and 27th in points allowed. Instead, they gave complete authority to Dave Gettleman, a front office executive with a less-than-stellar track record and a remarkable determination to never trade down in the NFL draft.

The Giants have lost the bulk of their games since former Carolina Panthers GM Tom Coughlin took charge in 2018. During that time, the club has a cumulative record of 15-33, which doesn’t exactly speak highly of Gettleman’s ability to perform his job.

Before it’s too late, the Giants must put a stop to a humiliating experiment.

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman watches training camp practice.

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman watches training camp practice. Under Dave Gettleman’s leadership, the New York Giants have failed to become a successful franchise. | Nick Cammett/Getty Images

Ownership must put a stop to a humiliating experiment for the benefit of Giants fans, players, and coaches. It’s obvious at this point that Gettleman has no business leading one of the NFL’s most storied teams.

Putting faith in him to turn the team around has clearly backfired. And it’s tough to see why Gettleman is still in charge of any NFL club after some of the decisions he’s made in the past three years.

The Giants could have solved their quarterback shortage by selecting Sam Darnold or Lamar Jackson with the second overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. Gettleman instead chose former Penn State running back Saquon Barkley. Although the running back had the potential and game video to merit a top-five pick, a rebuilding club like the Giants didn’t need to spend such a precious asset on him.

To make things worse, Barkley has been sidelined by injuries, preventing him from living up to his draft status.

By selecting Daniel Jones as the sixth player off the board in the 2019 draft, Gettleman blew another chance to put the Giants up for long-term success. Since joining the organization, the turnover-prone Duke product hasn’t come close to living up to the title of “franchise quarterback.”

Meanwhile, one selection later, the Buffalo Bills traded up to get Josh Allen, a franchise-altering prospect.

That same year, Gettleman selected Deandre Baker with the 30th overall selection. The excellent cornerback only stayed with the Giants for a year before being dismissed due to off-field issues.

What has been the most frustrating part of the Gettleman era?

He’s done a terrible job of constructing even an average offensive line for someone who talks about building via the trenches. Gettleman has squandered significant money on players who haven’t produced, from overpaying Nate Solder to putting Andrew Thomas the first offensive lineman off the board in the 2020 draft.

The Giants can’t afford to continue with this experiment. To manage the player personnel department, this team requires a new pair of eyes and a more forward-thinking mentality. Gettleman hasn’t done a good job, and Judge needs a GM who can put together a winning team if he wants to make a name for himself outside of New England.

What does Joe Judge’s team’s future hold?

Unfortunately for Giants fans, the second year of the Joe Judge era may finish in the same way as the first: with the team failing to make the playoffs.

On defense, the big-bodied combination of Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence, dynamic cornerback James Bradberry, and dependable veteran defensive back Logan Ryan all stand out. In Kenny Golladay, Sterling Sherpard, Evan Engram, and Barkley, the offense boasts a good mix of playmakers. However, those four come with worries about longevity, making it tough to be too enthusiastic about Jason Garrett’s team.

The harsh reality is that the Giants’ offensive line and third-year quarterback will not be enough to get them into the playoffs.

Betting on Daniel Jones to make a significant jump, on the other hand, seems stupid. After all, the Giants aren’t going to be able to protect him.

Unfortunately, Dave Gettleman’s penchant for hog mollies hasn’t helped his hand-picked “franchise quarterback” in the least.

Pro Football Reference provided all statistics. 

RELATED: Raiders Fans Should Be Worried About Jon Gruden’s Failed Attempt to Make Up for a Franchise-Shifting Mistake

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