As the New York Giants approach their bye week, they will have some time to sit down and think about things, like possibly tanking. The Giants have had a very disappointing season and have also been plagued with the injury bug. Once Odell Beckham Jr. was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to an ankle injury, all hope for what was supposed to be a successful year seemed to be lost. The idea to tank the season away had begun to spread throughout New York when discussing the Giants. Even the Jets, who some predicted would go 0-16, are having a better year than the Giants. Adding insult to injury, Brandon Marshall is also ruled out for the season after suffering an ankle injury.
Tank Time?
Ultimately, the Giants need to take this bye week to ask themselves if it is worth tanking or not. The Giants are a highly respected franchise and tanking is not in their DNA. That being said, with the roster they have, before the season began no one would have thought they would be 1-6. Most Giants fans have accepted that the season is over at this point, and some even hope the Giants tank to benefit the future of the team. The idea of tanking is worth being considered by the Giants organization. This is a learning experience for the Giants. Hopefully, for their sake, it is a wake-up call as well.
Positives of Tanking
This could be a golden opportunity for the Giants to wave the white flag by tanking. If the Giants can finish out the season with a terrible enough record to get a top-five pick, it’s worth it. Jerry Reese will have a great opportunity to address the offensive line. Eli Manning is not getting any younger and has very minimal time to get the ball out of his hands, so the offensive line remains to be the top priority. Since the offensive line was not addressed in the 2017 NFL draft, none of the offensive weapons the Giants have can truly be utilized. Between Paul Perkins and Orleans Darkwa, fans don’t have the opportunity to see their full potential because there really isn’t any run blocking.
Tough to Swallow
This year is a nightmare for the Giants organization as a whole, especially for its fans. However, if the team does pursue tanking and receives a top-five pick, the 2018 season will make up for how disastrous this year was. The Giants can be great next year not only because they could fix their offensive line, but because rough seasons like the one they are having now builds character, and shrinks egos. It also builds the team’s competitive spirit for the following year, and they now know they cannot take the potential of their roster for granted. As hard as it is to think of the Giants tanking, next season could be theirs to not only control their division but become a legitimate Super Bowl contender through smart drafting. The question remains, will they swallow their pride and tank for the future? We’ll just have to wait and see.