New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman and his assistant, Kevin Abrams, held a conference call with the media on Monday and by admission have not “missed a beat” in their preparations for the upcoming 2020 season.
But still, they are flying the plane without instruments at the moment.
Kevin Abrams: "We're trying our best to mimic business as usual. Obviously it's not."
— Tom Rock (@TomRock_Newsday) April 13, 2020
The major issue with working remotely is that they cannot meet anyone personally, and that is something Gettleman treasures when it comes to evaluating players.
Due to the coronavirus restrictions, teams have not been able to meet with potential draftees and they also haven’t been able to perform physicals on free agents they’ve signed or players acquired via trades.
What would happen if someone fails a physical?
“They become a free agent again,” said Abrams.
The Giants have signed a glut of free agents — linebackers Blake Martinez and Kyler Fackrell, cornerback James Bradberry, defensive lineman Austin Johnson, offensive tackle and running back Dion Lewis to name a few.
They have no idea what physical issues lie in wait for them until those players are seen by the medical staff. That aside, Gettleman said he was pleased with what the team has done this offseason.
Dave Gettleman said he's "thrilled" with the signings of James Bradberry, Blake Martinez and Kyler Fackrell, but he says "there's still more work to be done" on defense.
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoSNY) April 13, 2020
The pass rush was an area many thought the Giants would invest in this offseason, but so far, outside of Fackrell, they’ve steered clear of the higher-priced options such as Jadaveon Clowney and Markus Golden.
The cap situation, although still good, would not support such a huge splash in free agency.
Gettleman is content with putting the pass rush together in smaller pieces and allow the defensive scheme do the work.
Dave Gettleman on the pass rush: "We'll just keep building it."
— Dan Salomone (@NYGsalomone) April 13, 2020
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