The Giants are in a position to make noise before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, and Jonathan Taylor has emerged as the name to watch.
New York enters its bye at 4-2-1 and sitting atop the NFC East, with the second half of the season ahead and a chance to strengthen a roster that already looks like it belongs in the race. The Colts are taking calls on Taylor, and the Giants are believed to be among the teams leading the pursuit. But according to The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones, there’s one important reason New York may have a cleaner path than Minnesota.
"The Vikings and Giants appear to be the favorites to land him if he’s dealt, but he can’t fit under Minnesota’s cap right now. So either the Vikings would have to rearrange a deal or two, or the Colts would have to eat some of his salary, which would likely drive the price up for the acquiring team," Jones wrote.
That matters. If the Vikings need the Colts to absorb part of Taylor’s salary, the asking price could climb. The Giants, by contrast, wouldn’t have to work around that same cap problem, which could make negotiations easier and potentially keep the cost from rising.
New York has the draft capital to make a move, too. The Giants currently hold their first-, second- and third-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, and that hasn’t stopped them from checking on one of the league’s most explosive backs. They want help in the backfield, and Taylor is the best option on the board.
At 27, Taylor is signed through the 2028 season and is producing at a high level again. He ranks fifth in the league with 587 rushing yards and is tied for first with eight rushing touchdowns. He’s the kind of runner who can flip a game with one touch, and he’d give New York a difference-maker now and beyond this season.
There’s also the matter of who is pushing the buttons. Head coach John Harbaugh doesn’t answer to GM Joe Schoen; he reports to ownership, and he has real influence in the building.
Jones noted that Harbaugh once called Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk directly in an effort to land Jeffery Simmons. That attempt was turned away, just as Schoen was by Titans GM Mike Borgonzi, but it showed how aggressive Harbaugh can be when he wants a deal.
That kind of willingness matters with a player like Taylor on the market. The Giants are playing better football, they have a cap advantage over Minnesota, and they have a coach who isn’t afraid to get involved in the chase. With the deadline approaching, New York is very much in the mix.
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