Don’t look now, but after years of relentless criticism, New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman is suddenly a superstar around the league.
After failing to trade down at any point in his career as general manager, Gettleman has already done it twice during the 2021 NFL draft and that goes hand-in-hand with his other wheeling and dealing. And he’s not just throwing caution to the wind, either — Gettleman has made some genuinely impressive moves.
The savvy approach has gotten the attention of many, including those inside the building in East Rutherford.
“I’m sure Dave has got a concussion or something, so make sure we check on him overnight and we’ll get back to work tomorrow,” head coach Joe Judge joked on Friday night.
On both ESPN and NFL Network, as well as other media outlets, Gettleman has been the hot topic, often earning rave reviews. Jordan Raanan, who was heavily critical of Gettleman’s draft approach earlier in the week, even offered up a public apology after Round 1.
My public apology… #Giants #nfldraft pic.twitter.com/3QNzQidyrR
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) April 30, 2021
My how things change…
The concern (not really) for the Giants now is that Gettleman becomes addicted to trading down and stockpiling additional assets.
“Let me tell you something, you never know. You never know [if I get addicted to it],” Gettleman said jokingly.
“You know, listen, it’s all about if the opportunity is right. It’s about your board. It’s about value meeting need. It’s all those things. And like I told you guys last week, I’ve tried in the past and it just hasn’t worked. We thought we got just really good value here.”
The Giants have just three picks remaining in the draft — one pick in Round 4 and two picks in Round 6 — so it’s entirely possible Gettleman’s burning of the phone lines is not yet complete.
Does “Trade Dave” have one or two more deals left up his sleeve? Day 3 of the draft begins at noon.
