Giants Must Be Annoyingly Careful With Two Potential Colts Trades

The New York Giants are 4-2-1 and are sitting atop the NFC East heading into their bye week, and based on the Dallas Cowboys' demolition of the hapless Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, the division looks like a two-team race.

The Cowboys are the more talented ballclub right now. There is no question about it, especially with the Giants missing so many key players due to injuries.

New York is unquestionably more well-coached, but in the end, talent generally wins out, and Dallas has the edge there.

That's why many feel the Giants should get aggressive between now and the NFL trade deadline, and that's completely understandable.

One team in particular that could make a very viable trade partner for New York is the Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts are 2-5, they just fired their general manager and they probably need to go nuclear and start over ... especially after trading two first-round picks for Sauce Gardner.

And while that means running back Jonathan Taylor could be available, it's more likely that players like defensive tackle DeForest Bucker and guard Quenton Nelson could get dealt.

Why? Because both Bucker and Nelson are slated to hit free agency in March, and the chances of Indianapolis re-signing either seem very slim.

Enter the Giants, who just so happen to have needs at both positions ... but should New York actually take the plunge on either potential trade?

Buckner remains a force at age 32. He has registered 31 tackles and four sacks through seven games, and his 6-foot-7, 295-pound presence would absolutely alter the Giants' interior. Imagine a duo of Bucker and DJ Reader up the middle?

Then, there's Nelson, the 30-year-old New Jersey native and lifelong Giants fan who has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first eight NFL seasons.

Given how poorly New York's guard play has been in 2026, it seems like a match made in heaven. The problem? Nelson can walk in the spring.

Should the Giants part with draft capital for either player when they can just sign either outright come free agency? And let's be honest: New York is already thin on draft capital as it is.

It also doesn't help that the Giants just signed Jon Runyan Jr. to an inexplicable two-year, $22 million contract extension with $20 million guaranteed, so I'm not sure how many more financial resources New York will be looking to put into the guard position.

Either Buckner or Nelson would make this team better. There's no doubt about it. But those are the kinds of moves you make when you feel like you can make a run at a Super Bowl.

These Giants are exciting, they're fun and they're a great story, but I think everyone would agree that they aren't quite there yet.

I'm perfectly fine with bringing in trade acquisitions under team control for multiple years, which is why I find a move for Taylor intriguing. But trading for players about to hit free agency just isn't the right move for Big Blue at this stage.