NFL Rumors: Giants Must Trade Osi Umenyiora to Avoid Offseason Drama

The New York Giants and Osi Umenyiora don't appear close to agreeing to an extension, and at this point, the team would be best served by trading the veteran defensive end. 

Umenyiora has been upset with his lack of a contract extension recently, and that doesn't seem likely to change any time soon. Now that the Giants have extended teammate Mathias Kiwanuka with a three-year, $21.75 million deal, it's a safe bet he's even less thrilled. 

Rumors suggested that the Tennessee Titans were interested in acquiring Umenyiora before or during the draft, but nothing materialized. On top of that, the 30-year-old has indicated he would rather play out the final year of his deal with the Giants than sign a short-term extension. 

With Kiwanuka and fellow defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul already locked in for the next few years, the 30-year-old Umenyiora has become expendable. While general manager Jerry Reese told ESPN that his preference was to keep the nine-year veteran with the Giants, the two sides have been unable to agree to an extension at any point over the past two years.

Having Umenyiora on the roster without an extension would just cause unneeded drama. In fact, linebacker Michael Boley essentially said that the Giants don't need Umenyiora anyway. 

At this point, the G-Men would be best served by getting some value in exchange for the disgruntled defensive end. The two sides don't appear close to a contract, and if a team like the Titans is motivated to pick him up, there is no harm in at least exploring that possibility.

Coming off of a Super Bowl title, the Giants don't need to deal with any drama. Shipping Umenyiora out of town would make the locker room a much more harmonious place next season. It would be the smart move.