Tight end is one under-the-radar position of need for the New York Giants, who lack both a marquee player or depth. That can change, provided Big Blue engineered a trade with the Baltimore Ravens for an All-Pro pass-catcher.
It’s an idea from Pro Football & Sports Network’s Sterling Xie. He identified the Giants as a trade fit for veteran Mark Andrews.
Xie believes the Giants can take advantage of the Ravens “facing an inflection point in the tight end room, with all of their top three tight ends set to hit free agency next year.”
The congestion on the depth chart has been created by the rapid development of roving playmaker Isaiah Likely. He and fellow 2022 NFL draft fourth-rounder Charlie Kolar give the Ravens options regarding Andrews’ future.
One of those options would be to explore a deal for a 29-year-old who endured a nightmare end to last season. The Giants should be at the front of the queue if Andrews is made available for trade because they “have one of the emptiest tight end rooms in the NFL.”
Andrews’ status may be declining in Baltimore, but he’d immediately become a go-to target for the Giants. Somebody to work underneath and complement the team’s outside threats among an underrated wide receiver corps.
Giants Have Need for Mark Andrews
The presence of Daniel Bellinger and last season’s fourth-rounder Theo Johnson isn’t enough to inspire confidence about the Giants’ tight ends. Adding Andrews would change the picture for the better in an instant.
He’s still a clutch target in the red zone, something Andrews proved by snagging a record-setting touchdown catch against the Giants last season, highlighted by Ravens.com Editorial Director Ryan Mink.
The ball placement on Lamar Jackson’s first touchdown pass vs. the Giants (the record breaker to Mark Andrews) is 😮💨🎯
Andrews can still work the middle of the field, body defensive backs and make tough catches in a crowd. He’s exactly the sort of safety valve new Giants’ quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, both known for a deep ball-first, boom or bust style, need.
The enduring value of Andrews, along with his diminished role and contract status, makes this the perfect time for the Ravens to find a trade partner.
Ravens Won’t Find a Better Time to Trade Mark Andrews
It’s no wonder opinions among the Ravens are divided about Andrews’ future. He’s a pending free agent whose numbers have been declining.
As Xie pointed out, “Andrews’ 19.4% target rate was his lowest since his rookie year in 2018, while his 1.89 yards per route run were a career-low.”
Now is the time for general manager Eric DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh to see what they can get for a three-time Pro Bowler. As for what they could fetch in a deal, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton thinks at least a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft would suffice.
Moton outlined a number of scenarios where teams either added a veteran player to that pick or else packaged it with a sixth- or seventh-rounder. Offering choices in the fourth and seventh rounds isn’t beyond the Giants, who own picks 105, 219 and 246.
Putting Andrews alongside dynamic second-year wideout Malik Nabers, slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and natural deep threat Darius Slayton, would provide Wilson and Winston with a versatile and highly capable quartet of targets.
