By PAUL SCHWARTZ
Teams in the NFL have until 4 p.m. today to make trades and usually this day is quiet and much ado about nothing. That might not be the case with the Giants, who have expressed interest in dealing for Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez, who has asked out of Kansas City.
Unless the Giants move up from their reported offer of a sixth-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, they won’t land Gonzalez, who desperately wants to come to a contender and has listed the Giants as his most coveted destination. The Chiefs are asking for a second and fifth-round pick, which is understandable, considering that is the package the Giants got back from the Saints when they sent Jeremy Shockey to New Orleans.
Does the 35-14 loss to the Browns in Cleveland make general manager Jerry Reese more likely to make a move? Probably not. Reese didn’t think his team was perfect before the first loss of the season and he doesn’t think his team stinks after the loss. Having weapons for Eli Manning to throw to is not a problem with this roster and Reese, a former scout, loves his draft picks. It’s not likely he’ll give up a first-day pick to get Gonzales, who at 32 years old has plenty left in the tank but is also signed through the 2011 season, at big money down the road.
If the Giants trade away a player the favorite to go is receiver Sinorice Moss, who really doesn’t have much of a role on the team. Strangely, he was not activated for the game against the Browns but rookie Mario Manningham was in uniform. Tom Coughlin will probably explain that move as Manningham being more of a contributor on special teams but it also could have been a strategy to keep Moss from getting hurt, in case the Giants want to deal him away.
The Eagles have also expressed interest in Gonzalez and have no desire to see him end up with the Giants, their rivals in the NFC East. That may force the Eagles to come up with a more attractive offer to the Chiefs, considering the Eagles need a pass-catchign tight end more than the Giants.