With the start of the 2024 NFL season just days away, teams are still toying with their rosters in hopes of getting the edge they need heading into the season.
In a recent piece for Bleacher Report, Alex Kay proposed one trade that each team should make before the season to fill a need. For the Giants, he selected Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth.
In return, the Giants would surrender a 2026 fifth-round pick. Sounds like a deal they could/should make but it’s unlikely.
The New York Giants were dealt a blow when tight end Darren Waller retired this offseason. Without the veteran in the lineup, Big Blue is set to lean on a pair of inexperienced options in Daniel Bellinger and rookie Theo Johnson.
While Bellinger has caught 55 balls for 523 yards and two scores over his first two NFL seasons and Johnson flashed some scoring chops at Penn State with seven touchdowns in 2023, there is a clear lack of pass-catching talent on this roster.
To address this issue, the G-Men should inquire about Pat Freiermuth’s availability. The Steelers have yet to extend the tight end’s contract, making him a potential free agent after the upcoming campaign.
While Freiermuth is coming off a down 2023 season—he notched a meager 32 receptions for 308 yards and two touchdowns—he’s only a year removed from a breakout 63-catch, 732-yard campaign. He also found pay dirt seven times as a rookie in 2021 and could re-emerge as a regular scoring threat if he lands with the Giants.
Considering Pittsburgh has Darnell Washington waiting in the wings, getting a Day 3 pick in return for Freiermuth could help the team during a critical 2025 offseason.
Freiermuth was a stud at Penn State before Johnson and was a highly-regarded prospect coming out as a second-round pick in 2021. He’s had a quiet career thus far even though he caught 122 passes in his first two seasons.
Last year, Freiermuth played in only 12 games due to a hamstring injury and caught just 32 passes. A lot of that also had to do with the Steelers’ quarterback issues.
The Giants could literally steal the 6-foot-5, 260-pound Freiermuth if they made this trade. He would undoubtedly add more talent to the tight end room which consists of Bellinger, Johnson, and Chris Manhertz.
But the Giants appear to be content with their current group and are betting that Johnson will blossom into a star. Plus, the Steelers would be ill-advised to give Freiermuth away.
