I am always a little circumspect about Free Agency. Ok, a lot. Regular readers of this NY Giants blog know that Free Agency is typically “B Players, A Prices.” So making a splash in Free Agency is not without risk. You can do well in Free Agency. You can also get smoked with a player who gets paid, gets hurt, and all you’re left with is a nasty cap hit for your troubles.
Now that we have qualified that, the Giants did reasonably ok in Day 1. Why? Because their big splash was for a young Pro Bowl EDGE and because they got (relatively) inexpensive help at OL.
IN: EDGE Brian Burns (5 yrs $150M + R2.39 +R5 2025). G Jon Runyan (3 yrs $30M). G Jermaine Eluemunor (2 yrs $14M). RB Devin Singletary (3 yrs $16.5M).
OUT: S Xavier McKinney (4 yrs, $68M) and RB Saquon Barkley (3 yrs, $38M, $26M guaranteed).
One must remember that the cap has exploded in the past few years. Consider that the cap was $182M in 2021. It went up to 208M in 2022, then $225M in 2023, and now $255M in 2024. The 2022 and 2024 increases (14% in each year) are the 2 biggest percent cap increases since 2006, and easily the 2 biggest cap increases in absolute dollars by a wide margin. So these numbers are like monopoly money.
Wonder weighs in on the players.
Burns– “I love. Paying for him in FA is fine. Trading a R2 and a R5 is fine. Doing both is not ideal. Burns is not elite, but he is a very good player. The Giants DL with Thib, Lawrence and Burns is a game changer. The $30M per year is crazy money though.”
Runyan– “60 out of 100. He is an average plus Guard. Healthy (hasn’t missed a start). Good all around player, staple. Paying him 10/yr is fine.”
Eluemunor– “I like this guy A LOT. Great price. GREAT DEAL. Road grader. Tough! They got him for a steal.”
Singletary– “Price is ok. It will not hurt you. He is a dime a dozen. OK price.”
Barkley– “If the Giants paid that money, stupid. The Eagles overpaid too, but it makes much more sense for them because he’ll help them more.”
McKinney– “68M for 4 years???? Crazy. I like other moves the Packers made like getting rid of Jones, getting Jacobs. But they gave it all away by signing McKinney for 17/yr.”
We have been preaching the following simple rules for architecture for MANY YEARS now:
QUARTERBACK
PROTECT QB
RUSH THE QB
So what did Schoen do?
He chose not to pay for Safety and Running Back. Check.
And he paid for assets at EDGE (RUSH QB) + GUARD (PROTECT QB). Check.
Add that he gave a 5 year deal to a 25 year old (26 in April) pass rusher, and did not go long in the tooth for either of the other three (3, 3, and 2 years), and it was sensible. Schoen and Daboll know Singletary from Buffalo. Bricillo knows Eluemunor from Las Vegas.
Because the Giants traded this year’s 2.39 pick (and a R5 in 2025) for Burns, it tells me that they are (or at least should) no longer seriously trading up for a QB at the top of the draft. That 2.39 pick this year was going to be currency in a big trade. Perhaps they still have a scenario where they trade up to 1.03. Wonder: “If Daniels is available at 1.03, pay up to get him. But do not trade up for Maye.” I am not averse to going up to get my QB. We have been talking about the QB route since November. I am merely pointing out that without that premium 2.39 pick, the Giants will be threadbare with so many needs if they have to capitulate even more draft assets. Essentially 1.01-1.02 are now off the table. It is possible that a QB at 1.03 or 1.06 happens. I think the most realistic route is to trade down with someone who pines for that WR. That replenishes draft assets and moves the Gmen in the right direction.