The New York Giants were inactive during Tuesday’s trading frenzy ahead of the trade deadline despite weeks of rumors and reports indicating that they would be aggressive.
The Giants didn’t make a deal, but that wasn’t for a lack of trying, according to reports.
The Giants couldn’t find a buyer for Evan Neal at the trade deadline
The Giants tried to find a trade partner for former first-round pick Evan Neal at the deadline, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano, but had no luck.
“Lastly, I heard the Giants dangled former first-round pick Evan Neal but couldn’t generate any interest for the tackle, even though several teams were looking for offensive line help,” Graziano reported.
Neal’s name came up in several reports throughout the last couple of weeks leading up to the trade deadline.
According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, the Giants and Raiders had conversations about Neal.
“One team the #Giants had exploratory trade talks on regarding G Evan Neal was the #Raiders. This occurred about one and a half, to two weeks ago, per league source. Evidently, it didn’t lead to urgent action, at said time. Nonetheless, it’s insight on who’s been inquiring,” Anderson wrote on X.
However, she followed up this report with another one revealing that teams around the league were “cool” on Neal, and expressed minimal interest in actually getting a deal done.
“As of this moment, interest remains cool on acquiring #Giants G Evan Neal, per league sources,” Anderson reported.
Neal was among several Giants who were on the trade block ahead of the deadline, as Empire Sports Media’s Fireside Giants listed on X:
Neal is set to hit free agency in 2026
Neal is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason after his rookie contract expires. Considering the Giants’ eagerness to move on from him at the trade deadline and their lack of interest in putting him on the field, it is all but certain that Neal will sign with a new team in the offseason.
And the Giants, who failed to find a trade partner for the former top-10 pick, will have gotten nothing in return for Neal. All they would have gotten were four injury-riddled, poor-performance seasons.
Another team will be willing to take a chance on Neal in the offseason. He possesses rare traits and athleticism, standing at 6-foot-8, 350 pounds. His film during his time at Alabama was elite, hence his selection inside the top-10 in 2022.
Unfortunately, Neal just didn’t work out for the Giants. But offensive linemen have left Big Blue to find better success elsewhere in the past; Ereck Flowers, Will Hernandez, and Ben Bredeson, among others.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. And Neal is set to become a team’s new reclamation project this offseason.