If there was any doubt John Harbaugh runs the Giants …
Joe Schoen is just a guy who works in the Meadowlands.
Multiple sources tell The Athletic [that Giants coach John Harbaugh] called Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk directly in an attempt to trade for [defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons], breaking with traditional NFL trade-talk norms.
The Giants have been looking to make a deal ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline, knowing they will go into Week 9 atop the NFC East. General manager Joe Schoen had previously reached out to Titans GM Mike Borgonzi, who told Schoen and other inquiring teams that they wouldn’t trade Simmons.
Harbaugh then opted to call Strunk, the Titans’ controlling owner, in an attempt to get Simmons. Harbaugh got the same message from Strunk, who has empowered Borgonzi to make football decisions for the franchise.
One GM who became aware of the call said it violates a code amongst primary football decision-makers, that they will only deal with each other.
The Titans obviously changed their tune on dealing Simmons when the Bears ponied up with two first-round picks. And it’s hard to believe the Giants would have parted with such a rich package. They are off to a great start at 4-2-1, but no one thinks they are a serious Super Bowl contender like the Bears are. It would not make sense for them to extend themselves that way.
The more interesting angles here: If you ever bought the Giants’ silly whisper campaign that Schoen was not demoted when Harbaugh got hired, this should be the end of that. And you have to wonder whether Harbaugh reflected on the fact he would have never had to make a call that violates some “code” had the Giants’ relationship with Dexter Lawrence not fallen apart. And, for what it’s worth, a lot of that likely falls from what happened before Harbaugh got to town — and when Schoen had power. Just saying.
James Kratch is a veteran sports reporter and editor. He currently reports on the youth sports industry for Buying Sandlot and was previously ESNY's managing editor. Before that he spent a decade at NJ Advance Media (The Star-Ledger and NJ.com), where he covered high school sports, the Giants and Rutgers.
