With the New York Giants in need of an elite defensive lineman, could they turn to the New York Jets for help?
By Athony Sciarratta
According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, it’s very likely that the New York Giants make a run at New York Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson, if the Jets happens to not place the franchise tag on him.
Those odds seem slim, which is why I have a different scenario for you.
What if the Giants acquired Wilkerson via trade?
The Giants are not the kind of organization to trade their future away for a player, but when you consider nobody in the draft offers a skill set like Wilkerson’s, it may not be a bad idea to at least try.
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You would assume, the Giants would have to trade their top 10 draft pick in addition to future picks as well. The Jets also have have a very good reason to trade up to the 10th overall pick, in the event that one of the elite quarterback prospects fall.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is clearly a temporary solution, so why not begin preparing for the future now?
The Giants could also opt to trade a proven player to the Jets instead of just a couple of top draft picks. Which is where wide receiver Victor Cruz comes into play.
Cruz’s cap hit in 2016 is almost $10 million, so trading him would certainly give the team some cap relief, especially if they had to pay for Wilkerson’s franchise number (around $15.4 million).
In this case, the Jets could also choose to ask Cruz to take a pay cut. Making him much more affordable, and his contract more incentive laden.
If Cruz pans out to be productive again, he may propel the Jets to new heights. A tandem of Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, and Cruz is some pretty serious firepower for the Jets’ offense.
The bottom line is that if the Giants really want Wilkerson it’s going to cost them an arm and a leg. Big Blue may have to roll the dice if they really feel that they can win now.
