The New York Giants are staring at a familiar problem up front: they need more help on the defensive line, and the trade market could offer a relatively affordable answer in Indianapolis Colts veteran Grover Stewart.
With the Colts already shipping DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers, Stewart is one of the remaining interior linemen who could draw interest before the Nov. 10 NFL trade deadline. Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports has even singled him out as the player the Giants should pursue.
Vacchiano pointed to the Giants’ run defense and the injuries that have thinned out the roster on that side of the ball:
“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.”
He also laid out why Stewart stands out as the more realistic target compared with the top name on the market.
“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.”
There is, though, a little pushback to that logic. D.J.
Reader has been strong in the middle of the Giants’ defense, even if he is not Dexter Lawrence. Shelby Harris has been serviceable.
The bigger issue shows up when those players come off the field. Rookie sixth-round pick Bobby Jamison-Travis flashed against the Houston Texans, but he has appeared in only two games, so the Giants still don’t know exactly what they have there.
Darius Alexander has improved against the run lately, but there’s still uncertainty about whether he can be relied on. C.J.
Okoye has not delivered much and barely sees the field.
Stewart would bring a long track record as a solid run defender, and he could help immediately in the middle of the defense. He has also shown some ability to push the pocket as a pass rusher. He is in the final year of a three-year, $39 million deal, with the Giants responsible for the prorated share of his $11.74 million base salary.
That sort of acquisition would likely only require a late-round draft pick.
The wrinkle is the money. As of today, the prorated cost of Stewart’s contract would be about $7.2 million, and the Giants only have $7.6 million in cap space, according to Spotrac. If they want to make the move and still have flexibility for the rest of the season, they would need to do some cap maneuvering.
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