With the New York Giants at 0-6 well before the Oct. 29 NFL trade deadline, rumors have spun around about the fate of wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, whose name continues to come up in trade speculation throughout the league. Nicks, though, isn't concerned about his name possibly being on the block and just wants to focus on helping the Giants dig their way out of a tremendous hole that they've dug for themselves with a poor start.
"I'm a Giant, and that's the only thing I can focus on right now," Nicks told ESPN Monday. "I'm a Giant, and I love playing for the Giants. I'm a Giant right now, and I'm going to stand strong on that."
Nicks is in the final year of his current deal, and the Giants said going into the season that his status for the 2014 season with the team would depend on how he does in 2013 after he was hampered by injuries in 2012. Nicks hasn't reached the end zone thus far this season and has 25 receptions for 442 yards through the first six games, which the Giants have struggled through.
With the Giants almost totally out of the playoff hunt rumors have continued to rise that Nicks could be on the move by the time the deadline rolls around at the end of this month. Some places that have been heavily speculated as landing spots for Nicks are the New England Patriots (5-1) and the San Francisco 49ers (4-2), but the Giants haven't confirmed anything and Nicks is confident that if his name were to be involved in a trade, management would let him know beforehand.
"I'm sure they've got enough respect for me to come to me and talk to me about a situation like that," Nicks said per ESPN. "As of now, I'm a Giant. At the end of the day, business is business. But I haven't been getting any whiff of anything like that. I'm a Giant right now, and I'm going to enjoy it, and we've got to start winning games."
ESPN reports that a source close to the Giants revealed that the team has yet to entertain the thought of a trade for Nicks and that they are mulling whether or not to bring him back in 2014 depending on how this year goes and what the cost would be. If New York decides that they aren't going to attempt to resign him, then a trade might make more sense and their stance could change once the deadline is closer.
The Giants already signed Victor Cruz to a long-term deal and have figured second-year receiver Rueben Randle further into the offense, so a trade of Nicks could be plausible. So far this season, Nicks has been targeted 46 times, Cruz has been thrown to 60 times and Randle has gotten 43 passes sent his way.
Running back Brandon Jacobs said it would be damaging to the team's morale if Nicks is traded at the deadline.
"The business part of it is the business part of it, but depending on the person, it could be a dagger," Jacobs said via ESPN. "I think it would definitely hurt, with us in a vulnerable state right now."
Nicks has said he is avoiding "outside talk" about the possibility of a trade until he hears otherwise from general manager Jerry Reese, and for now he's making his goal to help the Giants start winning some football games starting in Week 7 against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.
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