Giant twist: John Harbaugh went unconventional route in trying to land Titans' Jeffery Simmons, per report

Jeffery Simmons landed with the Chicago Bears on Thursday in a blockbuster trade that netted the Titans two first-round picks, but not before Giants coach John Harbaugh tried an unconventional method to try to get the star defensive tackle to New York. According to The Athletic's Jonathan Jones, Harbaugh called Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk to try to get to the front of the line in the Simmons sweepstakes.

It was a bold -- and potentially unpopular -- move. One GM told Jones that Harbaugh's call to the top "violates a code amongst primary football decision-makers, that they will only deal with each other."

According to Jones, Giants GM Joe Schoen had previously called Titans GM Mike Bogonzi, who told Schoen and other teams that they wouldn't trade Simmons. Harbaugh got the same answer from Strunk. Ultimately, though, the Bears sending 2027 and 2028 first-round picks and a 2027 fourth-round pick to Tennessee for Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick proved too good to pass up. Bears GM Ryan Poles had reportedly been keen on Simmons since the 2019 NFL Draft, when he and Borgonzi were both working for the Chiefs.

Harbaugh reports to Giants ownership, not Schoen, which is a bit of an unusual chain of command. Clearly, Harbaugh feels empowered enough to try a very unusual approach to trades.

The Giants have been a popular potential landing spot for many top names in the trade rumor mill. At 4-2-1 this season, Harbaugh and co. lead the woeful NFC East and are looking to add in the pursuit of their first playoff trip since 2022. The Giants, who already traded for J.J. McCarthy and recently made him their starting quarterback with Jaxson Dart injured, are expected to continue to look to add talent ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline. Defensive lineman and running back are two positions commonly tied to New York.

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