Free Agency

New York Giants Interested In Kyle Van Noy

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The NFL’s 2020 free agency period will begin this month. The New York Giants are set to have over $80 million to spend if they choose to. There is plenty of elite talent weeks away from hitting the open market that would fill positions of need for New York’s team.

The Giants are reportedly interested in a few big-name pass-rushers. The interest was reportedly mutual between the Giants and Yannick Ngakoue, prior to Yannick receiving the franchise tag (according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN). The Giants also have a mutual interest with Markus Golden in terms of a contract extension (Sports Illustrated). New York even has a mutual interest with big-name edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney.

There is another name to add to the Giants’ list of potential edge rusher targets in 2020: Kyle Van Noy.

The Giants’ Interest

According to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY, the Giants have an interest in signing New England’s free-agent pass-rusher Kyle Van Noy. This would likely only hold true if New York was unable to strike a deal with Jadeveon Clowney. But Van Noy would be an excellent value signing for the Giants.

Vacchiano estimates that Van Noy’s contract could “land in the $12 million per year range,” which is about half of what it would cost to sign Jadeveon Clowney.

In New England’s 2019 defense, Kyle Van Noy was moved to edge rusher. In this role, Van Noy totaled 60 pressures, 6.5 sacks, and a pressure rate of 13.8%, which ranked 26th best at his position (Pro Football Focus).

Though he is a great pass-rusher, Kyle Van Noy is an elite run defender. He earned an 85.4 run-defense grade on Pro Football Focus, an elite grade that ranked top-five at his position. He also totaled 56 combined tackles and 7 tackles for loss in 2019 as an edge rusher. As an off-ball linebacker in 2018, Kyle Van Noy racked up 92 combined tackles.

For only $12 million per year, Kyle Van Noy would be an excellent signing compared to the rest of the players on the market and their respective price tags.

Van Noy’s Possible Interest

Kyle Van Noy has spent his last three and a half seasons playing for the New England Patriots. The seven-year NFL veteran had a good relationship with Joe Judge, the Giants’ new head coach. Judge was with New England since 2012. 

When Van Noy learned of Judge’s promotion as New York’s new head coach, he was excited for his former special teams coordinator. While appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” this offseason, Kyle described Joe Judge as a “ball of energy” and a “really, really good coach” that loves football. At the end of his discussion about Joe Judge, Kyle Van Noy exclaimed: “Go, Giants!”

Of course, Van Noy is probably just showing support for his former coach. But, being that he is an impending free agent, Kyle Van Noy could have been hinting at a desire to reunite with Joe Judge in New York. If that is what Van Noy wants, the Giants should be on board and should pursue him in free agency.

Should The New York Giants Trade For Yannick Ngakoue?

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New York Giants, Yannick Ngakoue

The NFL offseason is in full effect and free agency begins in under two weeks. Teams have already begun making trades and tagging key players. One of the top free-agent edge rushers was tagged this week- Yannick Ngakoue.

Ngakoue tweeted this week, stating “I no longer have interest in signing a long term contract in Jacksonville.” This came shortly after news had broke that Jacksonville will be placing their franchise tag on the stud pass-rusher.

Prior to receiving the franchise tag, Yannick Ngakoue and the New York Giants had “mutual interest,” according to a report by Matt Lombardo of nj.com. Acquiring Ngakoue will be an arduous task now that he has been tagged. But if the Giants want to, they could try to trade for Yannick Ngakoue.

What Would The Price Be?

The trade price for Yannick Ngakoue is likely to be comparable to the Frank Clark deal from last offseason. In that trade, the Chiefs traded a 2019 first and third-round pick to the Seahawks for Frank Clark, a 2019 third-round pick, and a 2020 second-round pick.

If the Giants want to trade for Ngakoue, they will have to pay a similar price. According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, one NFL executive put the price for Jaguars EDGE Yannick Ngakoue at a first-round pick or two second-round picks. There is no way the Giants will give up the fourth overall pick. It is also highly unlikely the Giants would be willing to give up a second-round pick either.

This high price tag basically takes the Giants out of the race for Yannick Ngakoue unless they can get really creative with a trade offer. This is disappointing, especially when considering the fact that Ngakoue “wants to be a Giant,” according to Jodan Raanan.

Is Ngakoue Worth The Price?

On top of whatever a team will give up trading for Ngakoue, they will have to pay him. The pass-rusher has an estimated market value of $17.1 million, according to Spotrac. With all this taken into consideration, is Yannick Ngakoue worth the price?

Yannick Ngakoue is one of the most talented, young pass-rushers in the NFL. Through 4 seasons, Ngakoue has totaled 37.5 sacks. He has not had a single season in his career with less than 8 sacks, hitting that number in all 4 seasons including a career-high 12 sacks in 2017. Additionally, Ngakoue has totaled 122 combined tackles over 4 years.

Ngakoue might not be a game-breaking pass-rusher like Von Miller or Khalil Mack, but he is a highly productive player regardless. He would be a major upgrade for the Giants if they were to somehow acquire him. However, it is hard to envision this team with holes all over the roster and limited draft capital making a deal with Jacksonville.

New York Giants: Comparing Jadeveon Clowney and Markus Golden

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New York Giants, Jadeveon Clowney, Markus Golden

The New York Giants are in need of a pass-rusher heading into the 2020 NFL offseason. Free agency begins next month and the Giants have over $70 million to spend. The team has been linked to top-tier free agents such as Jadeveon Clowney. But the Giants have an edge rusher of their own that’s set to be a free agent next month.

Markus Golden will be a free agent this offseason after an impressive bounce-back season as a member of the New York Giants. Coming off of an injury, Golden signed a one-year deal with New York and totaled 10 sacks while starting in all 16 games. Despite this, most are not sold on Golden as a primary pass-rusher. The Giants are reportedly one of the teams interested in signing edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. But how big of an upgrade is Jadeveon Clowney over Markus Golden? And is Clowney worth the contract that he is set to receive this offseason?

Clowney or Golden?

Jadeveon Clowney has an estimated market value by Spotrac of $20 million on average annually. Over The Cap projects that Clowney will get a five-year contract worth $21 million on average annually. In comparison, Markus Golden has a Spotrac market value of $13.5 million on average annually. Over The Cap projects that Golden will get a three-year contract worth $9 million on average annually.

Jadeveon Clowney is widely regarded as one of the best edge rushers in the NFL. However, teams will be cautionary when considering signing him. Clowney has a bit of an injury history and played in only 13 games in 2019. In those 13 games, Clowney totaled only 3 sacks and 31 combined tackles. But once Clowney was fully healthy for the playoffs, he took his game to another level.

The Seattle Seahawks played two playoff games this season before being eliminated. In those 2 games, Clowney dominated and totaled 1.5 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and 12 combined tackles. He was all over the field for Seattle’s defense and was clearly their best defensive player.

Markus Golden did have a much better statistical season than Clowney. He played in 16 games and totaled 10 sacks, 72 combined tackles, and 13 tackles for loss. One criticism that many people have on Golden is that a lot of his sacks were “clean-up” sacks and he was not really applying consistent pressure. But Golden’s production will come at half of the price of Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney is regarded as one of the league’s elite run-defenders, but he is not necessarily a dominant pass-rusher either.

It would be risky to invest a lot of money into either one of these players. However, both of them would fill a huge need for the Giants in 2020 and beyond.

New York Giants: Ogletree and Martin Cut- Who’s Next?

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New York Giants, Antoine Bethea

The New York Giants made two major roster moves today. New York freed up $13.05 million in cap space after cutting linebackers Alec Ogletree and Kareem Martin. These cuts were expected to be made all offseason but are now official.

The Giants will save a nice chunk of cap space by letting Ogletree and Martin go. But they likely are not going to stop there. Here are a couple more veteran players the Giants might soon cut from the roster:

Rhett Ellison

The New York Giants signed Rhett Ellison in 2017. Since then, he has served as the second-string tight end behind Evan Engram. Engram has been used as the team’s receiving tight end since his speed and athleticism make him a bit of a matchup nightmare. But Ellison, on the other hand, has been used primarily as a blocker.

The Giants signed Ellison to a four-year deal worth $18 million. He has been making $4.5 million on average annually. 2020 is the final year on Rhett’s contract. New York can save $5 million in cap space if they cut Rhett Ellison this offseason.

Ellison has not had a huge role in the offense the past few years and it seems like the Giants have found a sound replacement in Kaden Smith. It would be a wise move to release the 31-year-old tight end.

Antoine Bethea

If the Giants cut Antoine Bethea like they are expected to, he will be a “one-and-done” player. Dave Gettleman and the Giants signed Bethea last offseason. Antoine’s performance in 2019 was disappointing, to say the least.

The Giants signed Antoine Bethea to a two-year, $6.5 million deal last year. Cutting Bethea this offseason would save the Giants $2.75 million in cap space for the 2020 season.

The Giants might already have Antoine’s replacement on the roster in Julian Love. Regardless, Bethea is 35-years-old and looks like a shell of his former self. The Giants are likely to move on from the veteran safety in the coming weeks.

New York Giants: Dante Fowler Jr. A Young Pass-Rushing Option In Free Agency

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New York Giants, Dante Fowler Jr.

The New York Giants will be in the market for a pass-rusher this offseason. Luckily, the 2020 free agency class is filled with talented edge rushers for the Giants to pursue. New York is expected to make a run at all of the big names, such as Yannick Ngakoue and Jadeveon Clowney. But there are more affordable options out there.

Dante Fowler Jr. will be one of those more affordable options in the 2020 free agency class. The 25-year-old edge rusher out of the University of Florida has been with the Los Angeles Rams for the past season and a half but is set to hit the open market once again this offseason.

Dante Fowler Jr. Stats And Highlights

Dante Fowler Jr. was selected third overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He spent his first two and a half seasons in Jacksonville before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams. Fowler signed a one-year contract extension with the Rams in the 2019 offseason.

This offseason, however, a contract extension might not come to fruition. The Rams are pressed against the salary cap and might have to let Dante Fowler Jr. walk away.

Fowler Jr. was looked at as a bust during his time with the Jaguars. He never hit that elite level that they expected him to when they drafted him third overall. However, a change of scenery worked well for Dante. He had a career-year in 2019 that should see him rewarded handsomely in free agency.

In 2019, Dante Fowler recorded a career-high 11.5 sacks, 35 pressures, and 58 combined tackles. This was far and away the best season of his career and a big step forward from his 4-sack campaign in 2018. Fowler’s inconsistency throughout his career is a major red flag. But if 2019 is any indication, it appears Fowler is starting to get the hang of the professional game. Maybe in the right defensive system, Dante Fowler Jr. will be able to reach his full potential.

Dante Fowler Jr.’s Contract

Dante’s impressive performance in 2019 should see him earn a pretty expensive contract, however, he will be a cheaper option in comparison to Clowney and Ngakoue.

According to Over the Cap, Dante Fowler Jr. is projected to get a four-year deal worth about $15 million on average annually. This is $6 million less than what Jadeveon Clowney is projected to sign for and $4.5 less than Ngakoue’s projected contract.

New York Giants: Everson Griffen A New Name To Keep An Eye On In Free Agency

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Another impact veteran player has entered the already stacked group of 2020 free agents. Long-time Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Everson Griffen will be hitting the open market this offseason. According to reports, Everson Griffen told the Vikings he’s voiding the remainder of his contract. A player option in Griffen’s deal allows him to end his arrangements and be a free agent this offseason.

There is a chance that Minnesota and Griffen reach an agreement on a new deal. Everson has stated that he wants to stay in Minnesota. However, being on the open market and talking to other teams could change Everson’s mind. The 32-year-old is still performing at a high-level, so there should be a lot of teams interested in signing him. Everson Griffen is a new name for the New York Giants to keep an eye on in free agency.

Everson Griffen Stats & Highlights

Everson Griffen was drafted in the fourth round (100th overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft. He has spent all nine of his seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.

Over those nine seasons, Griffen has been to four Pro Bowls, recorded 355 combined tackles, and totaled 74.5 sacks. Everson’s best season came in 2017 when he racked up a career-high 13 sacks to go along with 45 combined tackles and 3 forced fumbles.

In 2019, Griffen was not precisely the game-breaking pass-rusher that he has been for most of his career. Griffen recorded a respectable 8 sacks in 2019 with 41 combined tackles and 1 interception. He was given a Pro Football Focus grade of 77.6.

At 32-years-old, Everson Griffen would be a short-term signing. A one or two-year deal worth over $10 million will be handed to Everson. The Giants are likely to be looking for long-term building blocks, which might take Griffen out of the equation.

Should The New York Giants Explore A Trade For Darius Slay?

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The NFL offseason is in full swing with trade and free agent rumors beginning to heat up. Players and teams are preparing to part ways via trades and free agency, and a couple of big names are on the trade block already. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Detroit Lions have been shopping star cornerback Darius Slay.

Darius Slay has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL for the past few years. The Giants have had a weak secondary recently and have been making an effort to upgrade (such as drafting three defensive backs in the 2020 NFL Draft). Should the New York Giants get involved in trade talks for Darius Slay?

Darius Slay Trade Rumors

The Detroit Lions have to pay Darius Slay $13,368,750 in 2020 according to Spotrac. Slay is 29 years old and has one year left on his contract. Detroit seems ready to move on from Slay but wants to get something in return before he walks away fr nothing as a free agent in 2021.

The Giants could get in no the Darius Slay trade rumors, however, there will be a lot of competition. The Lions have already discussed a trade with “multiple teams” according to Adam Schefter. Whatever team trades for Darius Slay will have to be ready to pay him. He only has one year left on his current deal and desires a contract extension. The Giants have the money to pay him, but do they have the assets to trade for him?

Darius Slay Stats And Highlights

Darius “Big Play” Slay has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last three seasons. He was selected to be a First-Team All-Pro in 2017. In that 2017 season, Slay had a phenomenal performance recording 8 interceptions and 26 passes defended. He has not been quite on that level over the past two seasons, but he has still been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

In 2018, Slay recorded 3 interceptions and 17 passes defended. This season, Darius took a step back as he was dealing with injuries. He played in 14 games, totaling 2 interceptions and 13 passes defended.

Darius Slay was targeted in coverage 93 times in 2018 and 94 times in 2019. In 2018, he allowed a completion percentage of 46.8% for 520 yards and 6 touchdowns. In 2019, Slay allowed a completion percentage of 55.9% for 694 yards and 3 touchdowns. This step backward could signal that age is getting to Darius. But either way, he is still a highly efficient cornerback and would be a major upgrade in the secondary for most teams in the league.

Should The New York Giants Pursue Vic Beasley?

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Currently, the New York Giants have $69 million in cap space. After they make their roster cuts, they should have upwards of $80 million. The Giants have 22 impending free agents but have not yet made decisions on any of them. Other teams, however, have made public decisions on some of their free agents.

For example, the Atlanta Falcons recently announced that they would be allowing edge rusher Vic Beasley Jr. to walk in free agency. The Giants, with a glaring need at edge rusher, could be a potential landing spot for Beasley.

Affordable Contract

Vic Beasley has an estimated market value of $7.3 million on average annually, according to Spotrac. Beasley’s inconsistent play over the past three seasons will make teams skeptical of signing him in 2020. He could end up on a one-year “prove-it” deal with a little more money. But if a team looks to sign Beasley long-term, his annual salary is not expected to be very high.

The Giants will take a look at all of the free-agent edge rushers in 2020. Yannick Ngakoue, Shaquil Barrett, and Jadeveon Clowney are the big-names to watch, but whatever team signs them will have to break the bank. The Giants might be wise to take a chance on someone like Vic Beasley Jr., who has much-untapped potential that could be acquired on an affordable deal.

Untapped Potential

Vic Beasley is a former first-round pick that was drafted eighth overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2015. As a draft prospect in the 2015 offseason, Vic tore up the NFL Scouting Combine and was a top performer at his position in every single workout he participated in (NFL.com).

Beasley’s NFL Draft profile from 2015 states that he “projects as a 3-4 outside linebacker.” Unfortunately for him, he was drafted by a team that runs a 4-3 defense. The Falcons under Dan Quinn have been known to use a 4-3 under defense. Because of this, the Falcons were not playing Beasley to his strengths and were technically playing him out of position.

The Giants will be running a multiple defensive scheme under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, but the base of the defense, according to graham himself, is more of a 3-4. Vic Beasley would be able to do what he does best and play as a 3-4 outside linebacker with the Giants. But he could also use his experience in a 4-3 when the Giants switch up their defensive schemes.

Vic Beasley Jr. did find some success with the Falcons, but his inconsistency is the reason they are not interested in extending him. In 2016, Beasley recorded 15.5 sacks, which led the NFL. He then followed that up with only 18 sacks over the next three years. He had a flash in the pan in 2016 but has not been able to reach that level of success since then. But, maybe in a multiple or 3-4 defense, Vic Beasley could return to form and be the dominant pass-rusher he was expected to be coming out of college. At the very least, Vic Beasley Jr. would be an excellent addition as a secondary pass-rusher for the Giants on an affordable contract.

New York Giants: Kyle Van Noy Should Be A Top FA Target

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The New York Giants will be looking to fix their defense in the 2020 offseason. Free agency is right around the corner, and there has been lots of talk about the Giants making runs at the biggest names on the open market. However, fans need to temper their expectations. The Giants have significant money to spend, but it would be reckless to blow it all in one offseason.

The Giants will need to look at lesser expensive options as well as the stars that will be available. One name that the Giants should be linked to is linebacker/edge rusher Kyle Van Noy. Van Noy is an impending free agent that could be an immense upgrade at a position of need for the Giants’ defense.

Ties To The New Head Coach

Kyle Van Noy has spent his last three and a half seasons playing for the New England Patriots. The seven-year NFL veteran had a good relationship with Joe Judge, the Giants’ new head coach. Judge was with New England since 2012. 

When Van Noy learned of Judge’s promotion as New York’s new head coach, he was excited for his former special teams coordinator. While appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” this offseason, Kyle described Joe Judge as a “ball of energy” and a “really, really good coach” that loves football. At the end of his discussion about Joe Judge, Kyle Van Noy exclaimed: “Go, Giants!”

Of course, Van Noy is probably just showing support for his former coach. But, being that he is an impending free agent, Kyle Van Noy could have been hinting at a desire to reunite with Joe Judge in New York. If that is what Van Noy wants, the Giants should be on board and should pursue him in free agency.

A Solid Pass-Rusher And An Elite Run-Defender

When looking at Kyle Van Noy’s career stats, it is noticeable that he has only 17.5 career sacks in seven seasons. However, there is more to the story. Van Noy played off-ball linebacker for most of his career. He has always been a dominant run-defender but has not been used much as a primary pass-rusher.

Granted, New England still sent Van Noy on many blitzes, and he was highly efficient. As an off-ball linebacker in 2018, Kyle Van Noy totaled 275 pass-rush snaps in the regular season and racked up 36 pressures (Pro Football Focus).

That changed this season when Kyle Van Noy changed positions. In New England’s 2019 defense, Kyle Van Noy was moved to edge rusher. In this role, Van Noy totaled 60 pressures, 6.5 sacks, and a pressure rate of 13.8%, which ranked 26th best at his position (Pro Football Focus).

Though he is a great pass-rusher, Kyle Van Noy is an elite run defender. He earned an 85.4 run-defense grade on Pro Football Focus, an elite grade that ranked top-five at his position. He also totaled 56 combined tackles and 7 tackles for loss in 2019 as an edge rusher. As an off-ball linebacker in 2018, Kyle Van Noy racked up 92 combined tackles.

Multi-Positional Versatility

Kyle Van Noy, as mentioned previously, is a former off-ball linebacker. However, in 2019, he switched positions and became an edge rusher. As a full-time edge rusher in 2019, Kyle had maybe the best season of his career. The Giants could sign him to play either position or both, but wherever he plays, he would be one of the most impactful players on the defense.

Van Noy’s versatility lines up with head coach Joe Judge’s vision. Judge made it clear that he prioritizes “personnel versatility” in his introductory press conference:

…I’ve prepared myself for was leading into every draft I studied every player in the draft as a player and an athlete. I didn’t look at them as a receiver, I didn’t look at them as a tight end, I didn’t look at them as a linebacker… I’m used to looking at things from a big picture perspective on players in terms of what they bring to the team as a whole… I want to know what kind of athlete this man is and how we can use his toolset to our advantage. – Joe Judge, during his introductory press conference.

A Manageable Contract

Kyle Van Noy would bring upgraded pass-rushing and run-defending abilities to the Giants’ defense. His experience playing multiple positions at a high level makes him a reliable, versatile option for the Giants to pursue in the 2020 offseason. Additionally, Van Noy would cost a fraction of the price of the biggest pass-rushers in free agency (such as Ngakoue and Clowney). Players like that are in line for nearly $20 million, but Kyle Van Noy’s contract is projected to be three years, $31.5 million ($15 million guaranteed).

New York Giants: Chris Harris Jr A Player To Target in Free Agency

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The 2020 offseason will see a multitude of elite players hit the open market. A long list of talented quarterbacks will be available: Drew Brees, Tom Brady, and Ryan Tannehill to name a few. This year’s group of free-agent pass-rushers is also strong as 2019’s sack leader Shaquil Barrett is about to hit the open market. The New York Giants will definitely dip their toes in that water, whether they pursue Barrett, Clowney, or Ngakoue. But the Giants should distribute their money in the secondary, too.

Currently, the New York Giants have $69 million in cap space. After they make their roster cuts, they should have upwards of $80 million. This gives New York the ability to spend whatever they want on whoever they want. They will need to pursue the younger talent in order to acquire some building blocks to keep around long-term. But there are talented veteran options for the Giants to consider as well. Chris Harris Jr. is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. Despite him being 30-years old with nine years of experience, Harris Jr. should be near the top of the Giants’ list of free-agent targets.

Chris Harris Jr. Stats and Highlights

Chris Harris Jr. has been one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL over the years. He has spent all nine of his NFL seasons with the Denver Broncos and has only missed 5 games in his career. Chris Harris has been to four Pro Bowls and was a First-Team All-Pro in 2016.

The reason Chris Harris Jr. is such a great fit for the Giants is that he is a slot cornerback. The Giants’ slot cornerbacks over the past few seasons have struggled intensely. Grant Haley was benched in 2019 for Corey Ballentine who did not look impressive either. Signing Chris Harris Jr. would take that position of weakness and instantly turn it into one of the team’s strongest positions with Harris, one of the position’s most talented players.

Chris Harris Jr. did seem to take a step back in 2019. He was not the same elite player he always has been. But this was his first season playing primarily as an outside cornerback. Harris is good enough outside, but he is exceptional in the slot. He has the coverage ability to plays both man and zone coverage from the slot. He is a truly versatile player that can transform a defense and take an opponent’s receiver out of the game.

When lined up inside, he has allowed a 61.5% completion rate, 6.2 yards per target and a passer rating of 71.6 on over 300 targets. – Pro Football Focus