The New York Giants could use upgrades to the depth along their defensive line. The Indianapolis Colts have already traded away their best defensive lineman, sending DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers. The Colts, though, still have veteran defense lineman Grover Stewart, and he could be a fit for what the Giants need to solidify their run defense as they try to make a playoff push.
Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports, in fact, is recommending Stewart as the one player the Giants should target before
the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline.
Vacchiano says:
The Giants never really replaced Dexter Lawrence in the middle of their defensive line, and that’s easy to see from a run defense that’s giving up 128.1 yards per game. They have enough weapons on offense, as long as QB J.J. McCarthy keeps playing well. What they need to do is fortify a defense that has been battered by season-ending injuries to LBs Brian Burns and Tremaine Edmunds.
Tennessee’s Jeffery Simmons is the DT star of the market, but he’ll likely cost a first-round pick. Grover Stewart, 33, should cost less than the fourth-rounder the 49ers dealt for Stewart’s old teammate, DeForest Buckner, though. And at 6-foot-4, 315 pounds, he could be a cheap way for the Giants to bulk up their defensive line and add a little interior push, too.
Why it would work
I am going to quibble a little bit with Vacchiano. D.J. Reader is not Lawrence, but Reader has been outstanding in the middle of the Giants’ defense.
Shelby Harris has been OK. The problem has been when those players rotate out. Rookie sixth-round pick Bobby Jamison-Travis played well against the Houston Texans, but he has only seen action in two games and the Giants can’t be sure what they will get from him. Darius Alexander’s run defense has been a bit better of late, but whether he can be trusted there is uncertain. C.J. Okoye has been disappointing, and barely plays.
Stewart has historically been a plus run defender, and would provide an upgrade to the interior run defense. He has also shown some ability to push the pocket as a pass rusher. He is in the last year of a three-year, $39 million contract, so the Giants would be on the hook for the pro-rated portion of his $11.74 million base salary.
The price to acquire Stewart would likely be a late-round draft selection.
Why it wouldn’t work
The Giants would have to do some salary cap juggling. The pro-rated portion of Stewart’s contract would, as of today, cost the Giants roughly $7.2 million. They currently have $7.6 million available under the cap, per Spotrac. The Giants would have to do some manuevering to have cap space to operate for the remainder of the season.
Is this a trade you would like to see the team make, Giants fans?
