As the NFL trade deadline rapidly approaches and the New York Giants enjoy their bye week, chatter continues about which players could fit New York’s needs on the trade market.
While other names and positions have been linked to the Giants, many believe general manager Joe Schoen and head coach John Harbaugh are most interested in adding a running back or an interior defensive lineman.
FOX Sports released a list titled “One Player Every Playoff Hopeful Should Target,” and they identified the Giants’ ideal target as Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart.
Trade target: Indianapolis Colts DT Grover Stewart
Ralph Vacchiano: 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.
Defensive tackles Jeffery Simmons (traded to the Chicago Bears) and DeForest Buckner (traded to the San Francisco 49ers) have already been dealt ahead of the deadline. Both could have been options for the Giants before those trades.
The return for Simmons likely would have priced the Giants out of contention, and bringing in the star interior lineman would not have made much sense after New York traded away Dexter Lawrence this past offseason. With Buckner off the market and the Colts in fire-sale mode, the Giants could target the 33-year-old Stewart to bolster their defensive tackle depth.
Stewart would improve the Giants’ ability to stop the run and provide additional depth in the middle of the defensive line.
The Giants have received solid production from D.J. Reader, but adding interior depth appears to be a need, particularly with Chauncey Golston out for the season.
Time will tell whether the Giants make any moves before the deadline or stick with their current roster.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants urged to trade for Colts DT Grover Stewart
