The Packers may have been trying to pry wide receiver Will Fuller from the Texans in advance of the trade deadline, and they were also looking to bolster their defense. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Green Bay offered a mid-round pick to the Giants in exchange for defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson.
New York, though, declined the offer, even though Tomlinson is playing out the final year of his rookie contract and despite the fact that the two sides have not made much progress in contract talks. As Dan Duggan of The Athletic observes, head coach Joe Judge did not want to trade “foundational pieces,” and he clearly sees Tomlinson as a key part of the team’s future (Twitter link). Duggan says the club also rejected overtures for tight end Evan Engram, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that Big Blue was not going to deal Engram for anything less than a first-round pick.
The decision to keep Tomlinson makes plenty of sense. The Giants selected him in the second round of the 2017 draft, and unless they were convinced they would be unable to re-sign him, dealing a young, talented interior defender for a mid-round selection wouldn’t necessarily have aided in the club’s rebuilding process.
You can’t fault Green Bay for making a play for Tomlinson, though. The Packers are gearing up for a playoff push, but their run defense is among the worst in the NFL, and the 26-year-old Alabama product would have gone a long way towards solidifying their defensive front. Pro Football Focus currently ranks Tomlinson as the 14th-best interior defender in the league, and though he has just one sack this year, his pass rushing grade is almost as high as his run defense score.
I can’t blame the Packers for trying and can’t blame the Giants for saying no. Really not much of a story here because it’s all after the deadline now anyway. These conversations happen all the time.
Happy the Giants are holding onto Tomlinson. He is still young and will get even better. Packers likely offered a fifth-round selection which is ridiculous (likely figuring the Giants who are going nowhere would unload him for draft capital). Engram though; he needs a change of scenery. NFW they get a first round pick; that’s lunacy if true. Guy just needs different coaches, better team to better fit into, and renewed confidence. He will likely be gone after the season, in any event.
The Giants coaching is good, I’m happy with Judge and Graham. They need a new GM and better players. They are taking one of the youngest teams in the league without a lot of talent and making them competitive almost on a weekly basis. They fight and play hard, now just need to learn how to close out games and win.
Gotta hang on to those mid round picks for future practice squad fillers
Turned down a trade for Engram???? Gettleman’s a complete idiot.
Exactly. If he was holding firm for a first rounder, he’s insane. A third rounder should have gotten it done.
I like the direction of Gmen. In fairness Williams has had a good year, Odel trade was a steal and judge looks to be decent. We do new new blood at gm and a pass rusher.
I don’t think you can call the OBJ trade a ‘steal’. It’s been pretty even. Giants drafted Dexter Lawrence (who’s been alright so far, still improving) and Ximines (not good) and also got Peppers. Peppers has been pretty good, but then again so has OBJ. If Lawrence breaks out and starts playing great, you can maybe call it a ‘steal’, but it hasn’t been so far.
Further, at the time, it was believed that the Giants could have gotten more for OBJ, and they probably should have.