Giants’ blockbuster pursuit of Jonathan Taylor takes unexpected turn, and it shows how they view their roster-building process
The Colts running back is one of the biggest names available before the deadline, and Indianapolis has a specific benchmark in mind for his price.
The New York Giants’ push for an elite offensive weapon has taken an unexpected turn ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. New York is one of the teams interested in acquiring Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, but the conversations have shifted.
According to Fox Sports’ Jake Glazer, the Giants offered the Colts second- and fifth-round picks for Taylor. Indianapolis initially rebuffed the offer, and the Giants have since taken it off the table before the deadline.
That doesn’t mean New York is out of the race. The Giants are still potentially interested in Taylor, but it’s unclear whether the Colts will pull the trigger at a price Big Blue is willing to pay.
The Giants are hesitant, and it actually makes sense
The interesting aspect is the balance the Giants are trying to strike. On one hand, adding a player of Taylor’s caliber would give the offense the kind of weapon it lacks. On the other, running back is not a premium position, and the Giants don’t want to overinvest in one.
To some extent, the Giants still believe Cam Skattebo can be a long-term option at running back and play at a high level. It has been a somewhat disappointing season for Skattebo after his promising rookie year, and he’s inactive against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9. Even so, his presence on the roster gives New York a reason not to overpay.
Recent reports indicate the Colts want first-round value for Taylor, and they are basing their request on what the San Francisco 49ers paid the Carolina Panthers for Christian McCaffrey in 2022. In that deal, San Francisco sent Carolina second-, third-, and fourth-round picks in the following draft, plus a future fifth-rounder.
That was a huge price. The Giants probably wouldn’t be willing to go that far to land Taylor.
The financial side of a Taylor trade
Money is also a factor. Any team that acquires Taylor would absorb $5.5 million of his contract this year. After that, he has two more years on the books, at $16 million in 2027 and $17.9 million in 2028.
Those numbers come from the two-year, $44 million contract extension Taylor signed with the Colts in the offseason. A trade would mean taking on significant salary for a position the league has increasingly devalued, even though Taylor is an elite player.
The Giants are also exploring the market for running backs and defensive linemen in general. Whether they complete any of those trades before Tuesday is still unclear.
Draft capital matters more for New York
At this point, the Giants may not be able to get this deal done because the Colts want significant draft compensation. Paying that type of price for a running back is questionable at best, especially for a team still in the early stages of a potential rebuild.
A first-round pick gives the Giants the chance to select a high-quality player at a premium position. That player would also be cost-controlled for four years, plus a fifth-year option. With what’s considered a strong 2027 draft class, that value might matter more for New York than adding Taylor.
The math doesn’t change much if the price is a second-rounder instead, plus extra capital. The Giants wouldn’t have a fifth-year option in that case, but they would still get a cost-controlled, four-year contract for a player who could develop into a high-level contributor.
For a team starting a new stage under head coach John Harbaugh, that might simply be too much to pay for Jonathan Taylor. Building through premium positions and cost-controlled contracts fits a rebuild better than a big swing at running back.
