New York Giants Almost Traded Hakeem Nicks In 2013
We take a look back at when the New York Giants almost traded wide receiver Hakeem Nicks away in 2013.
The New York Giants stayed pat at the NFL Trade Deadline, a common theme. Unlike the other sports, where the trade deadline is almost a holiday for fans, the NFL is tame. Rarely are players, especially big named ones, moved. For a team like the Giants, they have to hope their players improve as the season goes on. Had this been the NBA or MLB, you could guarantee the Giants adding someone prior to the November 1st deadline.
But this isn’t major league baseball or professional basketball so the Giants will stick with what they have. An offensive lineman or veteran safety would have been nice, but it just wasn’t in the cards.
The Giants were active on the trade market in recent seasons, though. Over at ESPN, Jon Clayton took a look at trades in recent seasons that fell through. It was a rundown of some of the top trades in the NFL that almost happened, and the Giants landed on the list.
Back in 2013, the Giants started with a horrific 0-6 start. With the season already in the dumps, the Giants began gauging interest in one of their more talented players, wide receiver Hakeem Nicks.
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The 2009 first round pick, 29th overall, was trending in the direction of being a star in 2011. He was coming off a monster season in which he caught 76 passes for 1,192 yards and seven touchdowns. He was a man possessed in the postseason, dominating with 28 receptions for 444 yards and four touchdowns en route to a Super Bowl victory.
That followed up a breakout 2010 when Nicks caught 79 passes for 1,052 yards and 11 touchdowns in 13 games. He was well on his way to becoming one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, and after his postseason performance, he was ready to cash in.
Fast forward to 2013 and the Giants are struggling. Nicks’ star is fading because of injuries but he is still a commodity that other teams would like to acquire. Here is what Clayton had to say about the ordeal.
"Remember when Nicks was a rising star for the New York Giants? The wide receiver caught 79 passes for 1,052 yards in 2011, then followed that up with a 76-catch season for 1,192 yards. The former first-round pick was headed for a big contract before being derailed by injuries.In 2013, the Giants started off 0-6, and Nicks’ name hit the rumor mill. It was reported that they wanted at least a third-round pick. The Jets, 49ers and Patriots appeared to show some interest. Nothing got done. After 2013, Nicks caught only 45 passes for the rest of his career, and the 28-year-old isn’t on a roster these days."
It is safe to say that all three teams mentioned are happy a deal wasn’t consummated. Nicks was never able to recover from the foot injury he suffered prior to 2012 as it sapped him of much of his athleticism. Despite being only 28-years old right now, Nicks looks like he has played his last snaps as an NFL player.
His once promising career cratered quickly as injuries derailed his career. There is no guarantee the Giants would have gotten the third round pick they desired, but there were some intriguing players selected by the teams mentioned above.
In 2014 the Jets selected cornerback Dexter McDougle in the third round. The 49ers selected center Marcus Martin and linebacker Chris Borland with their third round picks.
The Giants would like to have a pass rusher like Lorenzo Mauldin, whom the Jets selected in the third round of 2015 in a trade with the Houston Texans, who selected wide receiver Jaelen Strong. The 49ers selected linebacker Eli Harold with their third round pick in 2015.
The Patriots didn’t make third round picks, but guard Brandon Linder was selected with the pick they traded in 2014. Defense tackle Xavier Cooper was selected with the pick the Patriots traded away in 2015.
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While none of the players have had breakouts yet, they are young enough that it could still happen. As Clayton pointed out, Nicks never got back on track. Getting anything for him would have been a coup for the Giants as Nicks was already on his last legs; just no one knew it yet.