The Giants move on with Dave Gettleman as general manager, as the property believes the team is heading in the right direction, and Gettleman is the right man to continue the construction process with head coach Joe Judge.
The major off-season decision, which determines if there is a change at the top, has been decided, The Post has learned and is leaning towards continuity. Gettleman returns for a fourth season.
That the Giants did not know exactly when their season would end was a step forward for a franchise that, for almost the last decade, has become accustomed to packing and parting in an orderly and pre-scheduled manner. The Giants were not eliminated from the playoffs until the last game played in the NFL season, and this is a sign of progress, no matter how impressive their 6-10 record proved.
Co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch were not happy with the playoff race, realizing that the list is not yet where it should be and winning six games in a season normally puts a team closer to last place than first place. However, there is a belief that the arrow is pointing upwards, however. Mara and Gettleman will meet with the media either on Tuesday or Wednesday to discuss the team’s condition and the factors that led to Gettleman’s retention.
The Giants were 9-23 in Gettleman’s first two years. The litmus test put on by Mara after the 2019 season was that the team had to show signs of growth, that Gettleman was improving his batting average in the movements of the player’s staff and that there were pieces to increase the franchise in the Super Bowl.
The 6-10 record is a slight increase from 4-12 in 2019. Gettleman’s rate of return in the NFL 2020 draft and especially in the free agency in 2020 – the signatures of James Bradberry, Blake Martinez and Logan Ryan in defense and kicker Graham Gano were slam-dunk hits – he was quite big and his controversial commitment to Leonard Williams paid off in a huge way. Williams finished the season with a career-high 11.5 and admitted that he was pleased to “show why Dave Gettleman had a chance on me” and it feels good to show him it was the right choice. “
Just as Gettleman, who turns 70 on February 21, received a blow for his involvement in hiring Pat Shurmur, so does Gettleman receive credit for hiring the judge, seen in the building as a coaching discovery.
Gettleman’s return is not the only issue or decision that follows, as he enters the off-season. Here are some of the top lists:
Offensive coordinator: The Giants finished with an average of 17.5 points per game, on the 31st place in the league. They were 31st in total yards per game, 29th in passing yards and 19th in rushing yards. In a record-breaking NFL season, the Giants surpassed 30 points once in 16 games. It’s no secret that you can point the finger at the sub-.500 record. Jason Garrett, in his first year attacking the Giants, built the attack around Saquon Barkley, and the plan lasted six quarters before Barkley came down in Week 2 with a previously ruptured cruciate ligament. Garrett – who would have emerged as a candidate for the vacant head coach of the Chargers – struggled to take Daniel Jones to the next level and was unable to create many pieces of play on the field during the game. There are no indications that he and the judge are in contradiction, but the results show that some kind of change is in order and not just in terms of updating talents.
The defensive line: When the Giants secured Williams for the season with a $ 16.1 million franchise label, there didn’t seem to be a way Williams could live up to that money or the two draft picks Gettleman had. gave the Jets to buy it. Williams did more than that with a remarkable presentation. In the first five NFL seasons, Williams managed just 17.5 sacks. Williams’ virtuous performance in the final against the Cowboys increased the total number of sacks to 11.5, to go along with 57 attacks, 14 loss attacks and 30 defender shots. He did everything and will be paid nicely and accordingly as he enters the free agency.
Running back: The whole organization can’t wait to see Barkley back on the field taking handoffs and snatching the ball with his vice-catching hands in the passing game. The expectation is that Barkley will be recovered from ACL surgery in time for the start of the 2021 season. Barkley missing the last 14 games was a massive blow to the offense. He is entering the final year of his four-year deal with $ 31.1 million. If he hadn’t been injured, this would be the time for a profitable extension. However, this is not the time for that, as Barkley has to establish himself as one of the best defenders in the league. To do this, he must prove that he is healthy and that he has not lost anything. The Giants may find a way to extend their contract for a year to offer them a $ 920,000 salary increase for 2021, but both sides have to wait before the next major commitment.