Giants GM Dave Gettleman: CB Eli Apple Has “Clean Slate” With Me

Giants GM Dave Gettleman recently met with troubled CB Eli Apple and it doesn’t sound like he has plans to move on from the former first-round pick.

“It went fine,” Gettleman told Steve Serby of the New York Post of the meeting with Apple. “He was very attentive. He was focused. I told him he’s got a clean slate for me. Let’s move forward. Let’s see what happens.”

Mike Garafolo reports that Giants owner John Mara wants Apple back with the team next year and there are others who want him back as well. However, the caveat is that Apple has to grow up.

It appeared as though Apple’s future with the Giants was in doubt a few weeks ago.

A team source told Josina Anderson of ESPN that it was unlikely Apple would be back in New York next year after all that has transpired with him this season.

“He will not be in an NYG uniform next year,” Anderson’s source said. “Dude is done with NYG. Done.”

The Giants suspended Apple for the final week of the 2017 season, citing conduct detrimental to the team, which out Apple’s remaining guaranteed compensation for the 2018 and 2019 season and will allow New York to cut him and not owe him anything.

Apple, 22, is a former first-round pick of the Giants back in 2016. He’s currently in the second year of his four-year, $15.152 million contract and stands to make base salaries of $1.82 million and $2.51 million over the final two years of the agreement.

The contract also includes a fifth-year option for the Giants to pick up in 2019.

In 2017, Apple appeared in 11 games and recorded 49 tackles, no interceptions, two fumble recoveries and eight pass defenses.