The Giants move forward 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 alongside head coach Joe Judge .
The main decision of the low season, which determines if there is a change at the top, has been decided, The Post has learned, and it is an inclination towards continuity. Gettleman returns for a fourth season.
That the Giants didn’t know exactly when their season would end was a step forward for a franchise that for most of the past decade has been accustomed to packing and separating in an orderly, pre-scheduled manner. The Giants weren’t eliminated from the playoffs until the last game played in the NFL season, and that’s a sign of progress, however unimpressive their 6-10 record may be.
Co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch weren’t fascinated by the playoff race, as realizing the roster isn’t yet where it should be and winning six games in a season usually puts a team closer to last place than first place. But there is the conviction that the arrow points upwards. Mara and Gettleman will meet with the media on Tuesday or Wednesday to discuss the state of the team and the factors that served to retain Gettleman.
The Giants were 9-23 in Gettleman’s first two years. The pitching test done by Mara after the 2019 season was that the team had to show signs of growth, that Gettleman was improving his batting average in player staff movements and that there were pieces in place for increase the franchise in the Super Bowl dispute.
The 6-10 record is a slight increase from 4-12 in 2019. Gettleman’s rate of return in the 2020 NFL draft and, above all, in free agency in 2020: the signings of James Bradberry, Blake Martinez and Logan Ryan on defense and kicker Graham Gano were clamorous successes: he was quite high and his controversial commitment to Leonard Williams paid off in a huge way. Williams finished the season with a maximum of 11.5 sacks in the race and admitted it was gratifying to “prove why Dave Gettleman risked me … and it feels good to show him it was the right choice.” .
Just as Gettleman, who turns 70 on February 21, was successful for his involvement in hiring Pat Shurmur, so is Gettleman getting the credit for hiring the judge, which is considered outright in the building. as a coaching find.
Gettleman’s return isn’t the only problem or decision approaching as the low season begins. Here are some of the toppers on the list:
The offensive coordinator: The Giants finished with an average of 17.5 points per game, 31st in the league. They were 31st in total yards per game, 29th in passing yards and 19th in rushing yards. In a season in which the NFL set goal records, the Giants surpassed 30 points once in 16 games. It’s no secret where you point your finger at the sub-.500 record. Jason Garrett in his first year running the Giants offense built the attack around Saquon Barkley, and the plan lasted six quarters before Barkley came down in Week 2 with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Garrett, who apparently ran as a candidate for the Chargers head coach vacancy, struggled to take Daniel Jones to the next level and was unable to create many plays on the field in the passing game. There is no indication that he and the judge disagree, but the results indicate that some kind of change is in order and not just in improving talent.
The defensive liner: When the Giants got Williams for the season with the $ 16.1 million franchise, there didn’t seem to be a way to get Williams to live up to that money or the two draft picks that Gettleman gave it to the Jets to acquire it. Williams did more than with a remarkable demonstration. In his first five NFL seasons, Williams scored just 17.5 sacks. Williams ’virtuoso performance in the final against the Cowboys raised his sack to 11.5, to go along with his 57 attacks, 14 loss attacks and 30 quarterback hits. He did everything and will be paid a good price and accordingly when he joins the free agency.
The runner: The entire organization can’t wait to see Barkley return to the field grabbing handoffs and snatching the ball with the hands of vice-grip in the passing game. The hope is that Barkley will recover in time from ACL surgery by the start of the 2021 season. Barkley losing the last 14 games meant a massive blow to the offense. He is entering the final year of his $ 31.1 million rookie contract. If it didn’t hurt, this would be the time for a lucrative extension. This is not the time, however, with Barkley set to re-establish himself as one of the best runners in the league. To do this, he must prove that he is healthy and that he has lost nothing. Maybe the Giants are finding a way to extend their contract for a year to give him one more time than his $ 920,000 salary for 2021, but both sides have to wait before the next major commitment.