Harbaugh Has Delivered but Has Joe Schoen Done Enough to Give the Giants a Chance?

By J.J. Pavlick | Elmont, NY | November 10, 2026 |

John Harbaugh has helped turn the Giants into NFC East contenders. With the trade deadline over and no new reinforcements arriving, the question becomes whether Joe Schoen gave the coach and locker room enough support to capitalize on that progress.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — A first-place record changes the expectations placed on everyone in an NFL organization. Harbaugh and the Giants have earned the right to compete for the division, but their unexpected rise also created a difficult test for general manager Joe Schoen. The front office had to decide how much of the future to spend on the present. Its answer was restraint, leaving the players and coaches to determine whether a promising season can survive without outside help.

The Cost of Previous Trades Limited New York’s Options

One of the more frustrating aspects of the New York Giants’ quiet trade deadline was that Joe Schoen entered November 10 with fewer options than he might have preferred, and some of those limitations were the direct result of decisions made months earlier. While much of the conversation surrounding the deadline focused on the unsuccessful pursuit of Jonathan Taylor and the inability to strengthen the defensive interior, the Giants faced another problem that received considerably less attention. Their previous trades had already consumed valuable draft capital, leaving Schoen with fewer opportunities to negotiate for the kind of affordable veteran help that could have made a difference during the second half of the season.

The Earlier Trades Reduced Deadline Flexibility

New York’s decision to surrender its 2027 fourth-round selection to move up for Malachi Fields, followed by the fifth-round pick sent to Minnesota in the J.J. McCarthy trade, represented investments in the organization’s future. Neither move was inherently unreasonable. Fields was a young offensive prospect the Giants believed was worth moving up to acquire, while McCarthy offered quarterback depth and developmental potential at a position where injuries can quickly change the direction of a season. Both acquisitions addressed legitimate needs, and their long-term value should ultimately be measured by what those players contribute on the field. However, those decisions also came with consequences that became increasingly apparent once the Giants unexpectedly emerged as contenders in the NFC East.

The problem was not necessarily that Schoen spent those selections, but that the Giants no longer possessed them when their circumstances changed. A team sitting near the bottom of the standings can afford to approach the trade deadline with its attention focused primarily on the next offseason. A team leading its division, however, has to consider whether a relatively modest investment could strengthen its chances of reaching the postseason. New York found itself in the latter position, but without some of the mid-round draft capital that frequently helps facilitate deals involving experienced veterans and rotational contributors.

Why Mid-Round Draft Picks Matter More Than Fans Realize

When NFL trades dominate the headlines, the discussion usually centers on first-round selections, established stars, and blockbuster deals capable of changing the balance of power within a division. Fourth- and fifth-round picks rarely receive the same attention, and it is easy to dismiss them as minor assets when compared with the possibility of acquiring a proven difference-maker. Yet those selections often play an important role in roster construction, particularly for teams looking to improve their depth without sacrificing premium draft capital or creating significant financial obligations.

A fourth-round selection may not be enough to acquire a player of Jonathan Taylor’s caliber, but it can provide the foundation for negotiations involving an experienced defensive lineman, a dependable running back, or another veteran capable of filling a specific role. A fifth-round pick can also carry value, either as the primary compensation for a depth player or as part of a larger package. For teams looking to move veterans who no longer fit their long-term plans, those selections can be attractive because they provide an opportunity to acquire younger, less expensive talent through the draft. For a team such as the Giants, they represent a way to address immediate needs without surrendering the assets most important to its future.

How Mid-Round Picks Could Have Helped

That distinction matters because New York did not necessarily need a superstar to improve its chances of winning the NFC East. The Giants needed greater consistency along the defensive interior, where opposing teams have found opportunities to attack the running game, and additional support for an offense that has struggled to establish a dependable rushing attack. A veteran defensive tackle capable of occupying blockers and strengthening the rotation would not have transformed the defense overnight, but he could have helped reduce the workload on the existing starters while providing another option against physical opponents. Likewise, an experienced offensive contributor could have given Harbaugh’s staff additional flexibility without requiring the organization to make a major financial commitment.

Those are precisely the kinds of acquisitions that become more difficult when a general manager has already committed useful mid-round selections elsewhere. Schoen could still explore other forms of compensation, including later draft picks, future selections, or player exchanges, but each alternative introduced additional complications. The Giants were not completely without options, yet their ability to negotiate from a position of flexibility had been reduced at a moment when the organization had legitimate reasons to strengthen its roster.

The Fields and McCarthy Deals Were Reasonable Investments With Real Consequences

It would be unfair to revisit the acquisitions of Fields and McCarthy and declare them mistakes simply because the Giants failed to complete a trade on November 10. NFL general managers are responsible for building rosters that can compete over multiple seasons, and acquiring young players with developmental potential is an important part of that process. Fields represented an opportunity to add offensive talent, while McCarthy gave New York another quarterback option at a time when depth at the position carried considerable importance. If either player develops into a dependable contributor, the draft capital surrendered to acquire him could ultimately prove to be a worthwhile investment.

McCarthy’s acquisition is particularly interesting because of how quickly circumstances can change at quarterback. With Jaxson Dart’s season disrupted by injury, New York needed another player capable of stepping into a demanding situation and helping the offense remain competitive. Acquiring McCarthy for a fifth-round selection offered a relatively affordable way to address that concern, especially when compared with the cost of pursuing an established veteran starter. From that perspective, the move was defensible and potentially valuable beyond the current season.

The Opportunity Cost of Every Transaction

The issue is that a general manager must evaluate more than the individual merits of each transaction. He must also consider how those moves affect the organization’s ability to respond to future developments. By surrendering both a fourth- and fifth-round selection, New York reduced its supply of assets that might have been useful in negotiating for additional help once the team began exceeding expectations. Those decisions were made with the information available at the time, but their consequences became more significant as Harbaugh’s team continued winning and the possibility of a division championship became increasingly realistic.

There is an important difference between criticizing a trade because a player failed to perform and questioning whether the organization maintained enough flexibility after completing it. Fields and McCarthy could both become important parts of the Giants’ future, and their acquisitions could still be viewed favorably several years from now. That would not change the fact that New York entered this particular deadline with fewer options because of the compensation already surrendered. Both realities can exist at the same time, and evaluating Schoen’s performance requires acknowledging them rather than treating every decision as either an unquestionable success or an outright failure.

Schoen’s Challenge Was Balancing Long-Term Stability With an Unexpected Opportunity

By the time the deadline arrived, the Giants had created a situation that required Schoen to balance two legitimate priorities. On one hand, New York was leading the NFC East with a 5-2-1 record, and the coaching staff had demonstrated an ability to win despite injuries and personnel limitations. On the other, the organization was still working toward sustained competitiveness and could not afford to surrender premium draft selections without carefully considering the consequences. A second- or third-round pick might have helped facilitate a deal for an established contributor, but parting with that level of compensation would have represented a significantly larger investment than acquiring a rotational veteran with a fourth- or fifth-round selection.

That dilemma was particularly relevant to the Giants’ pursuit of defensive line help. New York needed another dependable interior presence, but the organization also had to consider whether the available players justified the compensation being requested. An elite defensive tackle could have made an immediate difference, yet acquiring one at an excessive price might have limited the team’s ability to strengthen other positions during the offseason. Schoen was right to avoid making a transaction simply because the Giants were in first place. The concern is that New York’s earlier decisions had narrowed the range of more affordable alternatives available to him.

Why a Changing Competitive Timeline Matters

The challenge for any successful general manager is maintaining enough flexibility to adjust when a season unfolds differently than expected. NFL teams spend months developing roster plans based on projected performance, player development, financial considerations, and anticipated needs. Those plans can change dramatically once games begin. A team expected to spend another year rebuilding can suddenly find itself competing for a playoff berth, while a roster believed to be championship-ready can struggle because of injuries or disappointing performances. Front offices must be prepared for both possibilities, and draft capital is one of the most important resources available when those adjustments become necessary.

For the Giants, Harbaugh’s impact accelerated the competitive timeline. New York was no longer simply trying to establish a foundation for future success; it was trying to protect a division lead and turn an encouraging first half into a meaningful postseason opportunity. That change should have influenced how the front office approached the deadline, particularly because the team’s weaknesses were already apparent. Schoen did not need to abandon his long-term plan, but he did need to consider whether a reasonable investment could help a team that had already demonstrated it was capable of winning important games.

The Bigger Question Is Whether New York Managed Its Resources Effectively

The Giants’ failure to make a deadline acquisition cannot be attributed entirely to the Fields and McCarthy trades. There are too many variables involved in NFL negotiations to suggest that retaining those selections would automatically have produced a successful deal. Opposing general managers determine their own asking prices, available players may carry contracts that do not fit a team’s financial plans, and some organizations simply have no interest in moving veterans they consider important to their roster. Even with additional draft capital, Schoen might have encountered the same obstacles that ultimately prevented New York from completing a transaction.

Nevertheless, having those selections available would have provided additional possibilities, and that is the central issue. The Giants entered the deadline with a legitimate opportunity to strengthen a first-place roster, but their earlier commitments made it more difficult to pursue modest improvements without considering the loss of more valuable assets. That does not excuse the inability to complete a deal, nor does it establish that the front office should have accepted an unfavorable offer. It does, however, raise questions about whether New York maintained the flexibility necessary to respond when the team’s competitive circumstances changed.

Schoen’s responsibility extends beyond identifying talented players and negotiating individual transactions. He must manage the organization’s resources in a way that supports both its long-term development and its ability to compete when opportunities arise. That requires understanding the cumulative impact of previous trades, anticipating potential roster needs, and recognizing that draft selections carry value beyond the players who might eventually be chosen with them. A general manager who commits too many assets early can find himself limited later, even when the decisions that consumed those assets appeared reasonable at the time.

How the Coaching Staff Inherits the Consequences

For New York, the consequences are now part of the challenge facing Harbaugh and his coaching staff. The Giants will continue their pursuit of the NFC East championship without the additional defensive line depth or offensive support that might have strengthened their chances. The organization has preserved its remaining premium selections, which could prove important in future seasons, but it has also accepted the risk of entering the most demanding stretch of the current season with weaknesses that were already evident before the deadline.

The Fields and McCarthy acquisitions may ultimately prove to be worthwhile investments, but they also demonstrate how quickly the cost of earlier decisions can become apparent when an unexpected opportunity arrives. The Giants did not necessarily make a mistake by acquiring either player, and there is no guarantee that retaining those draft selections would have resulted in a meaningful deadline addition. What remains open to criticism is whether Schoen left himself enough flexibility to improve a team that had already earned the right to compete for something significant.

The Giants have spent years trying to build a roster capable of sustained success, and protecting the future remains an important responsibility. But the opportunity to win the NFC East is no longer some distant objective on a rebuilding timeline. It is directly in front of them, and the decisions made before November 10 helped determine what New York could realistically accomplish when the deadline arrived.

A Test of Schoen’s Overall Roster Strategy

For Schoen, the challenge was never simply deciding whether Fields and McCarthy were worth their draft picks. It was making sure those investments did not leave the Giants without enough options when the rest of the roster needed help. That is where the front office’s deadline strategy deserves its greatest scrutiny.

Harbaugh Has Earned the Right to Expect More From the Front Office

When John Harbaugh arrived in East Rutherford, he inherited more than a football team in need of a new head coach. He inherited an organization that had spent far too many seasons searching for an identity, struggling to establish consistency, and asking its fan base to believe that better days were just around the corner. The New York Giants were once an organization that commanded respect throughout the NFL, a franchise built on physical football, defensive toughness, and the expectation that every player wearing that uniform understood what it meant to compete. Somewhere along the way, that identity had become increasingly difficult to recognize.

Harbaugh was brought in to change that, and through the first half of the 2026 season, he has given Giants fans legitimate reasons to believe the organization is finally moving in the right direction.

The Giants are 5-2-1, sitting atop the NFC East, and playing a brand of football that has been missing from MetLife Stadium for far too long. They have found ways to win close games, overcome significant injuries, and remain competitive even when their offense has struggled to find a rhythm. Their defense has delivered game-changing performances, younger players have stepped into important roles, and the team has shown a willingness to fight through adversity rather than allowing difficult circumstances to become excuses.

How Harbaugh Changed the Team’s Expectations

That transformation has not happened by accident. It reflects the culture Harbaugh has worked to establish, the accountability he demands from his players, and the experience he brings from years of competing at the highest level of professional football. He understands that winning in the NFL is rarely pretty, that injuries are inevitable, and that championship-caliber teams must find ways to survive difficult stretches without allowing one disappointing performance to define their season.

Perhaps the most encouraging development has been the Giants’ ability to respond when things do not go according to plan. Against Philadelphia, New York’s offense struggled to generate consistent production, yet the defense stepped forward and delivered a performance that helped secure a critical divisional victory. The seven sacks, relentless pressure, and physical play were exactly the kind of effort that once defined Giants football. It was not a complete performance by any stretch of the imagination, but it was the kind of hard-earned victory that winning teams must occasionally produce.

And that is precisely why the trade deadline should have been viewed as an opportunity to help Harbaugh rather than simply another date on the NFL calendar.

The Front Office Must Meet Harbaugh Halfway

The Giants have already demonstrated that their coaching staff can get results from this roster. Harbaugh and his assistants have worked around injuries, adjusted personnel responsibilities, and found ways to remain competitive despite weaknesses that have been evident throughout the season. There is only so much a coaching staff can accomplish through preparation and game planning, however, before the limitations of the personnel begin to matter. Coaches can put players in position to succeed, but they cannot manufacture size in the middle of the defensive line, create depth where it does not exist, or consistently overcome an ineffective rushing attack through determination alone.

At some point, the front office has to meet the coaching staff halfway.

To Harbaugh’s credit, he did not approach the trade deadline as though the Giants needed to make a blockbuster acquisition simply to prove they were serious about winning. He understood that every potential deal carried a cost and that the organization could not afford to jeopardize its future for a short-term solution that might not deliver the expected results. His comments leading up to the deadline reflected a measured approach, one that balanced the desire to improve the current roster against the responsibility of building a team capable of competing beyond this season.

Trust in the Roster Must Be Matched by Support

That is exactly the kind of perspective an experienced head coach should bring to the discussion.

But there is a significant difference between understanding the financial realities of the NFL and being expected to overcome every roster deficiency without additional support.

Harbaugh has already shown that he can lead this team through adversity. What he has not been given is the opportunity to see how much better the Giants might become with another dependable contributor along the defensive interior or an experienced offensive player capable of taking some pressure off the quarterback and running game. Those were not imaginary needs created by impatient fans or media speculation. They were identifiable weaknesses that opponents have already attempted to exploit, and they were areas where targeted improvements could have made a meaningful difference.

The Difference Between Restraint and Inaction

Nobody should have expected Joe Schoen to surrender two first-round selections for Jeffery Simmons or meet an unreasonable asking price for Jonathan Taylor. Those kinds of transactions could have damaged the organization’s long-term flexibility and created problems that extended well beyond the 2026 season. A responsible general manager has to recognize when the price of doing business becomes too expensive, regardless of how talented the player might be.

But the trade market does not consist exclusively of superstars commanding enormous returns. Experienced veterans, rotational defensive linemen, and reliable offensive contributors can provide valuable assistance without requiring an organization to sacrifice its most important assets. The Giants did not need to acquire the biggest name available. They needed to identify a player who could improve an area of weakness, fit within the team’s financial structure, and give Harbaugh another option as the season moved toward its most important games.

That is where Schoen’s inability to complete a deal becomes difficult to defend.

A More Affordable Addition Was Still Possible

The Giants were not asking their general manager to perform a miracle. They were asking him to recognize that the team had exceeded expectations and that even a modest improvement could help sustain that success. When a coaching staff has elevated a roster into first place in the division, the front office should be doing everything reasonably possible to support that effort. Protecting draft capital is important, but so is recognizing that the opportunity to win a division championship is sitting directly in front of the organization.

There is also a matter of fairness to the coaching staff and players. Harbaugh has spent the season demanding accountability, discipline, and maximum effort from everyone inside the building. Players have been asked to accept expanded responsibilities, fight through difficult situations, and contribute in ways that may not have been anticipated when training camp began. The coaching staff has been expected to find solutions when injuries disrupt the depth chart or opponents expose weaknesses in the team’s game plan.

Those expectations are part of professional football, but accountability should not stop at the locker room door.

Accountability Must Extend Beyond the Sideline

If Harbaugh is expected to deliver victories with the personnel available to him, then Schoen should be held to an equally demanding standard when it comes to providing the coaching staff with the tools necessary to compete. That does not mean making trades for the sake of appearances. It means demonstrating the creativity, preparation, and flexibility required to improve a roster without compromising the organization’s future.

The Giants’ unexpected success should have made that responsibility even more important. A team sitting at the bottom of the standings can afford to approach the deadline with its attention focused almost entirely on the next offseason. A team leading the NFC East cannot operate with the same mindset. Its priorities have changed because its circumstances have changed, and the front office must be capable of adjusting accordingly.

What makes the situation particularly frustrating is that Harbaugh has already provided evidence that the Giants are capable of competing for something meaningful. He has not promised perfection, and his team has certainly not delivered it. But New York is winning games that previous Giants teams might have found ways to lose. There is a toughness and resilience developing within this group, and those qualities become even more valuable when paired with the right personnel.

Schoen Must Answer for the Roster He Built

The question is whether the front office did enough to take advantage of that progress.

Schoen may argue that the available deals simply did not make sense, and there is no reason to dismiss that possibility. Negotiations involve circumstances that fans and reporters do not always see, including contract considerations, medical evaluations, competing offers, and disagreements over draft compensation. Walking away from a bad deal is often the correct decision, even when the immediate reaction is disappointment.

However, there is a difference between refusing to make a bad trade and being unable to find a good one. The Giants deserve credit for avoiding the former, but their inability to accomplish the latter leaves legitimate questions about how effectively the organization approached the deadline.

What Harbaugh Must Overcome Now

For Harbaugh, the challenge now becomes even greater. He must continue preparing his team to compete for the NFC East while working around the same personnel limitations that existed before November 10. His defense must find ways to become more effective against the run, his offense must establish greater consistency, and his younger players must continue developing without the benefit of additional veteran reinforcements.

If the Giants continue winning, Harbaugh will deserve enormous credit for keeping the team focused and productive despite those challenges. If they begin struggling because of weaknesses that could have been addressed, the criticism should not fall exclusively on the coaching staff or the players asked to execute the game plan.

The front office must own its share of that responsibility.

John Harbaugh was hired to change the culture of the New York Giants, and so far, he has given the organization exactly what it asked for: a tougher, more competitive football team with a legitimate opportunity to win its division.

The Giants did not need Joe Schoen to mortgage the future to reward that progress. They needed him to find a reasonable way to strengthen a team that had already earned the right to compete for something bigger.

Instead, Harbaugh has been handed the same roster, the same weaknesses, and the same expectation to keep winning.

He has demonstrated that he can do his job. The question now is whether the front office did enough of its own.

The Locker Room Has Been Asked to Finish the Job Without Reinforcements

There is a side to the NFL trade deadline that rarely gets enough attention, and it has nothing to do with salary caps, draft picks, or the complicated negotiations taking place between general managers. It is about the players inside the locker room, the men who have spent months putting their bodies on the line, playing through pain, dealing with injuries, and doing everything their coaches have asked of them to put their team in position to win. For those players, the trade deadline can represent something much bigger than another name being added to the roster. It can be a signal that the organization recognizes what they have accomplished and is willing to do its part to help them finish the job.

That is what makes the Giants’ decision to stand pat so interesting and potentially so frustrating.

A First-Place Team Deserved Consideration

New York has fought its way to a 5-2-1 record and the top of the NFC East, overcoming adversity that could have easily sent the season in a completely different direction. The Giants have dealt with significant injuries, inconsistent offensive production, and defensive weaknesses that opposing teams have attempted to exploit. Yet through it all, John Harbaugh has managed to keep his players focused, competitive, and committed to winning. They have not allowed the setbacks to become excuses, and they have continued finding ways to get results even when the circumstances were far from ideal.

When a team shows that kind of resilience, it is reasonable to expect the front office to explore every sensible opportunity to reward that effort with additional support.

Imagine what the arrival of a proven defensive tackle could have meant to a defense that has been asked to carry so much of the workload. Another experienced player in the rotation could have helped reduce the physical burden on the starters, strengthened the team’s ability to defend the run, and provided another option when injuries or fatigue begin taking their toll. The same argument applies to the offense, where a reliable running back or another capable playmaker could have given the coaching staff more flexibility while taking some pressure off a quarterback room already dealing with major changes.

Those additions would not have guaranteed another victory, let alone a division championship. But they could have made the Giants better equipped to handle the demanding stretch of football that lies ahead.

The Message a Deadline Addition Could Have Sent

There is also an emotional lift that can come from seeing management invest in a team that has exceeded expectations. Players notice when an organization makes a move designed to improve its chances of winning. It can reinforce the belief that everyone, from the ownership suite to the coaching staff and the players themselves, is working toward the same objective. That matters in a league where the difference between winning and losing can come down to one missed tackle, one failed third-down conversion, or one injury at the wrong time.

Of course, there is another way to interpret New York’s inactivity, and Harbaugh has made the case that keeping the roster intact can be a vote of confidence in the players who have brought the Giants this far. There is merit to that argument. A coaching staff that has watched its players respond to adversity may genuinely believe the answers are already in the building. Bringing in outside help is not always necessary, and adding a veteran does not automatically improve team chemistry or guarantee that a new player will fit into an established system.

But confidence and roster depth are not the same thing.

Belief in the Roster Does Not Create Depth

Believing in the players already on the roster does not eliminate the physical demands of a long NFL season, nor does it change the fact that certain positions remain vulnerable. The Giants can believe in their defensive tackles while acknowledging that another experienced interior lineman would help. They can have confidence in Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. while recognizing that an additional running back could provide valuable insurance. Those ideas are not mutually exclusive, and the front office should not have to choose between supporting its current players and improving the roster around them.

The concern is that New York has now placed even more responsibility on a group that has already been asked to overcome considerable adversity. The defense must continue generating pressure while finding ways to become more effective against the run. The offense must establish greater consistency without the benefit of an additional proven playmaker. Younger players will need to continue developing, veterans will have to remain healthy, and Harbaugh’s coaching staff must keep finding answers when opponents identify weaknesses and adjust their game plans.

That is a tremendous amount to ask of any team, particularly one hoping to remain in first place through the most important stretch of the regular season.

And unlike earlier in the year, the Giants no longer have the flexibility to address a major roster deficiency through a conventional trade. If another starter suffers a season-ending injury in December, Schoen cannot simply pick up the phone and negotiate a deal for an established replacement. New York would be left exploring free agents, practice squads, and players already within the organization. There may be useful contributors available through those avenues, but the options are considerably more limited than they were before the November 10 deadline.

Why the Margin for Error Is Shrinking

That reality places greater importance on every decision made by the coaching staff and front office moving forward. Player development, injury management, personnel rotations, and game planning will all become critical as the Giants attempt to maintain their position in the NFC East. Harbaugh has already demonstrated an ability to get more out of this roster than many anticipated, but there is a limit to how often coaching can compensate for missing personnel or unfavorable matchups.

The locker room deserves credit for what it has accomplished, and the players should not be expected to apologize for needing help. They have earned their place in the standings through preparation, physical effort, and the willingness to compete when circumstances have been difficult. If the Giants eventually fall short, it would be unfair to place the entire burden on players who were asked to overcome problems the organization had an opportunity to address.

At the same time, New York’s decision could become a powerful source of motivation. Players may embrace the idea that the front office believes in them enough to avoid bringing in outside reinforcements. Veterans could take greater ownership of the team’s success, younger contributors might respond to the additional responsibility, and the locker room could become even more united around the belief that the players who started this journey should be the ones to finish it.

The Stakes Rise as the Season Progresses

That is certainly the outcome Harbaugh will be hoping for, but there is a difference between believing a team can win and making sure it has every reasonable opportunity to do so. The Giants have already shown they possess the toughness and determination necessary to compete in the NFC East. What remains uncertain is whether they have enough depth, consistency, and overall talent to sustain that success when the schedule becomes more demanding and the stakes become higher.

The Locker Room Must Deliver the Response

The Giants’ players have done their part to make this season meaningful. The front office has now decided that the roster they already have is the roster they will ride with.

If New York continues winning, Schoen’s decision may be remembered as a show of faith in a locker room that had earned his confidence. But if the Giants begin losing games because of the same deficiencies that were apparent before the deadline, that faith will be questioned, and rightfully so.

For now, the responsibility falls squarely on Harbaugh and the men inside that locker room. They have worked too hard and overcome too much to allow the disappointment of a quiet trade deadline to become a distraction. Their focus must remain on the next opponent, the next practice, and the next opportunity to strengthen their position in the division.

The Giants have been given a vote of confidence by their front office. Now they must prove that confidence was justified, because the reinforcements are not coming, the division race is far from over, and nobody in the NFL is going to feel sorry for a team that failed to improve itself when it had the chance.

Bad Dawg Sports Analysis: The Responsibility Is Shared, but the Decisions Are Not

Harbaugh is responsible for preparation, adjustments, and getting the most out of the roster. Schoen is responsible for the resources and personnel available to him. A successful season will reflect well on both men; a missed opportunity will invite questions about whether New York did enough when the NFC East was within reach. Preserving draft capital was a legitimate choice, but it cannot be the only measure of front-office success.

Our main trade-deadline grades, offensive analysis, and defensive breakdown provide the full picture of what was at stake.

Analysis and grades are Bad Dawg Sports editorial assessments.