Giants' Latest Trade Rumors Make One Thing Very Clear

The New York Giants are pursuing a trade for Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, which follows their attempt move for former Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who was dealt to the Chicago Bears.

The Giants are apparently one of the favorites to land Taylor, who has long been on of the best halfbacks in football.

So, what do New York's aggressive trade pursuits signal?

Well, the obvious answer would be that the Giants, you know, want good players, but there is another layer here.

Simmons and Taylor were two of the very few players under contract beyond this season on the trade block heading into the NFL trade deadline.

Simmons had just signed a three-year extension with the Titans back in June. Taylor inked a two-year extension a couple of months later.

New York absolutely has the opportunity to pursue other players on expiring deals, such as Grover Stewart and Tony Pollard. But it's clear the Giants know their timeline and would prefer to add pieces who can't just walk come March.

The Giants may be in first place in the NFC East, but they are not Super Bowl contenders as currently constructed. I'm sure John Harbaugh knows that, and with such limited draft capital at his disposal, he is clearly being careful here.

It would be borderline silly for New York to trade more draft picks (it has already moved its fourth, fifth and seventh-rounders this year) for a two-month rental.

Trading for a star player who will remain in the Big Apple for the long haul, however would be a completely different story.

The Giants have a bunch of holes on their roster. Don't let their record fool you. They aren't ready yet. Are they much better off than they were under Brian Daboll? Absolutely, but that doesn't mean they are suddenly championship contenders.

Harbaugh understands this, and it's clear in his deadline approach.

That doesn't necessarily mean New York won't try and acquire any rentals, but it's clearly not the priority, and if the Giants can avoid it, they will.

Big Blue has some cap space on the horizon, so it can afford to take on some future salary. What it cannot afford to do, however, is sacrifice more draft capital for the chance of a pie-in-the-sky Super Bowl run this year.

Hopefully, New York makes smart decisions between now and Nov. 10. And who knows? That could include landing Taylor.