The term used to describe why a player such as Eli Apple remained on the roster as the new regime took hold with the Giants was this: clean slate. New general manager Dave Gettleman and new head coach Pat Shurmur did not want the sins of the past and the issues certain players had with the old guard to disqualify the players from earning a spot and remaining with the team.
Clean slates have a shelf life, though, and are not lifetime appointments. On Tuesday, the Giants did not raise a white flag on this dreary season but they did symbolically post an “open for business” sign as they traded away cornerback Eli Apple — their 2016 first-round pick — to the Saints for a 2019 fourth-round draft pick and a 2020 seventh-round pick.