It’s no secret that New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has made some moves the past few years that have perplexed even the most fertile NFL imaginations. Giant fans and the beat writers that cover the team are often left scratching their heads trying to make sense out of his madness.
That could all be a thing of the past. The NFL free agency frenzy officially began on Monday with the “legal tampering” window and, if I must say so myself, Gettleman had a strong opening day performance.
The Giants come into free agency needing to fill several spots. They need a run-stopping middle linebacker. They added the Green Bay Packers’ Blake Martinez, who is annually among the league’s leading tacklers. Before that, Gettleman addressed the need for a veteran corner by signing James Bradbury, one of his former draft picks from his time in Carolina.
Next up was veteran tight end and Gettleman has reportedly come to terms with the 6-foot-8 Levine Toilolo, a slyer who has played many seasons in the Kyle Shanahan system.
This was all after Gettleman slapped the $16.1 million franchise tag on defensive lineman Leonard Williams, ending any kind of drama (for the moment) regarding his latest — and biggest — folly as the Giants’ GM. The two sides can negotiate a new long-term deal at a lesser annual rate going forward, but at least Williams is back in the fold.
Still on the docket, with plenty of money to spend, will be possibly some offensive tackle depth (or even a starter), running back, wide receiver, center and as many useful defenders as they can find.
But the Giants are off to a solid start in at the free agent table and Giant fans are hopeful that Gettleman continues to make sensible moves from here on out.
