markus golden

The New York Giants’ pass rush could come together nicely in 2020

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New York Giants, Oshane Ximines

Taking a look at the New York Giants‘ pass rush and how it could come together in 2020:

This week the Giants used the rare free agent tender to lock down Markus golden for the 2020 season. This does not guarantee his services but rather grants the Giants rights over his contract next season unless he can find a different team to play for that is willing to pay a higher price. The deal would be 110% of his 2019 contract, so he would earn around $5 million next season if he fails to sign elsewhere — a low number for a player who racked 10 sacks last year.

This would be a huge boost to the Giants’ defensive unit that was scheduled to lose Golden in free agency. The only allocations they spent in free agency toward a replacement was for Kyler Fackrell, who recorded 10.5 sacks in 2018 but fell into a reserve role last year, playing just 40% of snaps and logging one sack on zero starts.

His playing time fell off tremendously after defensive coordinator Patrick Graham left the Green Bay Packers and moved on to the Miami Dolphins. However, Graham and Fackrell will reunite this upcoming season in New York, in the hope is they can replicate is 2018 performance. Prior to Golden receiving the tender, the Giants were expected to elevate Oshane Ximines, their third-round draft pick in 2019, to a more significant role.

Ximines had a solid rookie campaign, playing in 45% of defense of snaps and recording 4.5 sacks. In an increased workload, the expectation is that he can post reasonable numbers and utilize his array of pass rush moves to help the defense. With minimal cap space available, the Giants weren’t in a position to allocate elite pass-rusher money in the market, which forced them to rely on Fackrell and Oshane before Golden re-entered the picture.

A unit consisting of Golden, Ximines, and Fackrell would be able to generate enough pressure to help the Giants succeed in 2020. Considering how much they spent on the secondary this off-season and the drafting of Xavier McKinney, the unit should be improved. Patrick Graham is known for his blitzing schemes and heavily involving linebackers and safeties, which suggests that the Giants will likely incorporate multiple positions into their system.

New York Giants have placed the seldom-used UFA tender on OLB Markus Golden

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New York Jets, Markus Golden

Today, the New York Giants placed FA Markus Golden on the seldom-used UFA tender, per Field Yates.

What this means for the Giants and Markus Golden

With the recent breaking news, this means that Markus and the Giants have been in contact about a new contract. The twist on it is that both can’t come to an agreement on the right price. This could mean that Golden is asking for a high price deal, and the Giants aren’t willing to agree to it just yet. With Golden back in Big Blue, he would only benefit the defense and add a boost in the pass-rushing game. Something the Giants did not focus on in this year’s NFL Draft.

What will happen if no team signs Markus Golden

If Golden remains unsigned past July 22nd, he will only be allowed to play for the New York Giants this season. The Tender would be worth 110 percent of his 2019 salary, which was $5.225 million. This would make a lot of Giants fans happy to have their best pass rusher back. Golden made an extra $1 million in the 2019 season for his double-digit sacks (10). This was a key factor that kept the Giants in a lot of games this season.

Can Markus still negotiate deals with other teams?

Markus Golden can still talk and negotiate a deal with another team until July. Golden is among the best free agents left available. The esteemed pass rusher could be looking for a big-time deal coming off one of his best seasons since his ACL tear three years ago. Golden and Clowney are still FA’s and looking to make a big-time deal with a team. Hopefully, Markus ends up back in the big apple.

Golden’s 2019 season was his best since his ACL tear in 2017

In 2017, Golden tore his ACL while playing for the Cardinals. Golden, a third-year pro who’s 12½ sacks led the Cardinals that year. He was injured while rushing the passer in overtime in an 18-15 win over the San Francisco 49ers. In the 2019 season, Golden had 42 solo tackles (4th), and 12 sacks (T-10th). Golden was a huge factor in the Giants pass rush, without Golden rushing the passer, it would’ve been a very long and frustrating season for the Giants.

All the Giants can do is sit back and wait, Golden could sign a big-time contract with another team which would hurt the Giants. Without Golden, the Giants would still have a big question mark next to the EDGE rusher slot.

New York Giants: Dave Gettleman Hints That Markus Golden Isn’t In The Plans

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New York Jets, Markus Golden

The New York Giants are likely going to go into the 2020 season relying on Kyler Fackrell to be the sacks leader rather than Markus Golden, and as the offseason continues, there’s more signs from the front office pointing to no deal getting done with Golden, a current free agent who hasn’t had much luck on the market. Golden is still available for the Giants to sign, but there hasn’t been any reported progress in coming to a deal, and recent quotes from General Manager Dave Gettleman indicate that Golden is likely outside of the current plans of the team.

That’s because signing Golden to a long term deal now would hurt the Giants’ cap situation in the future, something that Getleman basically stated outright in a conference call on Monday where he referenced the number of young players that the Giants have, who will eventually need new contracts.

“Well, part of the tight rope that I walk on is short-term and long-term. Part of the long-term is we have some good, young players right now. We’ve got Dalvin Tomlinson, Engram, and Peppers. We have to make decisions on them. They’re some good, young players. After another year, you guys are going to be banging on me about Saquon,” Gettleman told the press.

He would go on to make a comparison to his time in Carolina and having to renew certain players or face backlash from the fans.

“I’d say, ‘Listen, you’re going to kill me about this? Well, you’re going to double kill me when we don’t have money to extend Luke Kuechly or Cam Newton or whomever.’ It’s a collaborative decision we make as we talk about how we’re moving forward. Right now, this is the decision we made. We’re just going to move forward the way we are now,” Gettleman said.

The Giants will have to rely on Kyler Fackrell as one of their main pass rushers this season if they don’t renew Golden, and Fackrell isn’t exactly a household name nor was he successful last season with the Packers. The Giants are banking on his past experience being useful to the team.

“(Kyler) Fackrell, two years ago, had double digit sacks and Green Bay went out and bought two high sack guys and he became a rotational part-time player. We feel good about that. You have to keep building, we are excited about the draft, there are some good players there. We are just going to continue to get better, nothing is ever done,” Gettleman said about Fackrell specifically.

There’s no room for Fackrell to not have a bounce back season this year – Golden was the undisputed top pass rusher on the Giants roster last season and if the Giants don’t have another player step up with the same production, they’ll easily be one of the worst teams in the league again in that area. The difference in the Giants picking up another win or two this season may just be whether or not their new pass rusher steps up.

New York Giants Unlikely To Pay Markus Golden, ESPN Claims

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New York Giants, Markus Golden

The New York Giants might have to go into the NFL Draft looking for another top pass rusher, or come out of it with as little depth as they started with before the 2019 season. Their sacks leader from last year, Markus Golden, is a free agent and it looks less and less likely that the two sides will come to an agreement to keep Golden in East Rutherford – and according to ESPN, things haven’t improved on that front.

In a recent article, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan states that Golden is asking for more money than the Giants want to pay, even as he remains on the market due to other teams not being willing to take a gamble and pay up based on Golden’s performances last year.

Somehow, that production still hasn’t benefited Golden in free agency, and the $10 million-per-year ship has sailed. That is believed to have been Golden’s asking price, a source told ESPN. Golden has attracted interest from other NFL teams, but that price was more than any of the pass-rush-needy teams were willing to pay.

ESPN’s sources say that teams around the league have passed on Golden due to asking for too much money. That’s despite Golden being one of the more promising pass rushing prospects on the open market, at 29 years old and coming off a season with 10 sacks, 72 tackles, and 13 tackles for a loss.

The Giants currently don’t have another player with the same production, leaving them to either find an option in the draft to fill that role or rely entirely on the new free agent addition Kyler Fackrell to make up for the lost production from Golden – neither of those options are ideal, but apparently, the front office just doesn’t think Golden is a player worth paying up for.

Did the New York Giants undervalue Leonard Williams based on inability to reach extension?

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New York Giants, Leonard Williams

The New York Giants have plenty of time to sign interior defensive lineman Leonard Williams to an extension. General manager Dave Gettleman placed the franchise tag on Williams almost two weeks ago, which will count $16.126 million against the salary cap. That is a lot of money for Williams, who was anticipated to earn somewhere in the $10-12 million range per season.

While there is no rush for Williams to sign an extension with the Giants or stay on the franchise tag, the team has until July 15 to officially make a decision on his future. Signing the tag too early takes leverage away from the player, which can hurt their stock and chances at an extension. The consensus is that Williams will re-sign with the Giants on a multi-year deal for a lower per-year hit but high guarantees, based on the contracts the Giants have handed out this offseason.

Williams has been a controversial topic among Giants fans in recent months after Gettleman traded a third and fifth-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for the defensive tackle. In 2019, Williams started in five games for Big Blue, earning 26 combine tackles, 11 quarterback hits, 0.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. His statistical output doesn’t scream efficiency, but he played well against the run and did generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

What does Leanord Williams bring to the New York Giants?

Williams was double-teamed on 64% of defensive snaps last season, proving that he does draw more attention away from offensive lineman and coordinators. The hope is that he can be a foundational player for the Giants on defense, especially in stopping the run, where Gettleman and new head coach Joe Judge are focused.

Currently, the defensive line features Williams, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Dexter Lawrence. The three big men are all capable of putting together solid performances and can develop into one of the better front three units in the league.

However, the biggest concern at this point is Williams not being signed to a contract extension and rescinded off the franchise tag. Subtracting Leonard’s $16 million off the salary cap is essential moving forward, as it would allow them to re-sign a player like Markus Golden or another quality pass rusher.

That is a significant solicitude, as the Giants currently feature Kyler Fackrell, Lorenzo Carter, and Oshane Ximines at the outside linebacker position. Scheming a pass rush is not an ideal situation for defensive coordinator Patrick Graham in 2020. Retaining Golden or bringing in an alternative should be a priority in the coming weeks.

What happens if the New York Giants don’t sign a pass rusher to bolster defense?

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New York Giants, Isaiah Simmons, Clemson

The New York Giants are proceeding through free agency with caution, electing to invest in tier-2 free agents rather than spend money on top players with bloated contracts.

Signing Blake Martinez and James Bradberry attests to their money-saving mentality, as both Byron Jones and Cory Littleton earned more significant contracts (not by much, but more). The Giants taking a more conceded approach tells us a few things — first, they don’t feel like they can win in 2020. Second, they have adopted a different attitude toward financial spending, and lastly, Joe Judge is taking on more responsibility.

General manager Dave Gettleman has been committed to the NFL Draft in recent seasons, but going into year three of a rebuild, we can imagine his desire to fill positions of need with top talent. Head coach Joe Judge has implemented a more conservative approach, which could hurt the pass rush position temporarily.

The New York Giants are still in on some pass rushers:

Currently, Big Blue features Oshane Ximines, Lorenzo Carter, and Kyler Fackrell as their primary pass rushers. Reports have indicated that Markus Golden could still be in the mix, but fitting his salary into the cap would require the Giants to re-structure Leonard Williams’ contract (currently set to earn $16.126 million on the franchise tag).

If the Giants elect to stay firm with their three unproven pass rushers, they will be taking a considerable risk at the position and risk defensive inefficiency. However, knowing that the team needs to adapt to the style of Judge and co., there’s no rush to jump into a big contract, unless they can front-load the deal on a three-year contract, similar to Bradberry and Martinez’s.

An alternative would be to address the position through the draft. While it’s unlikely, Chase Young falls to the 4th overall pick, grabbing Isaiah Simmons could supplement some concern, as he can rush the passer on third downs as an OLB. Simmons considers himself a “defender,” which opens up his usability. It’s easy to forget he logged 8.0 sacks and 16.5 tackles for a loss in 2019.

It’s also important to note that the Giants expect the interior of their defensive front to generate a considerable pass rush push, closing the pocket and pressuring quarterbacks to throw earlier. This was a major factor in the decision to retain Leonard Williams.

New York Giants Still Have Eyes On Markus Golden

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New York Giants, Markus Golden

The most important current free agent from the 2019 New York Giants team is likely pass rusher Markus Golden, who led the team in sacks and was one of the few players on last year’s defense to step up and put on a performance noticed by others around the league. However, the Giants haven’t come to a deal with Golden even after the start of free agency, and after many players have already signed, Golden is still keeping his options open.

According to Jordan Raanan, however, the deal isn’t off just because it hasn’t happened yet – the Giants still have their eyes on Golden, and Golden himself is supposedly “willing to be patient.”

Golden is effectively the cheaper alternative to the other free agent that has been mentioned in regards to the Giants in recent days, Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney’s price may be lower due to lesser demand for his services on the open market than expected, but regardless, Golden will come out as the cheaper one between the two of them and therefore is better for the Giants’ cap situation.

But it still remains to be seen if the Giants will bring back Golden at all, or rely on new free agent signing Kyler Fackrell as well as, potentially, the more versatile Isaiah Simmons.

The latter would require them to spend the fourth overall pick on an outside linebacker rather than trading down, taking an offensive tackle, or both, which does cast some doubt on whether the Giants will get Simmons in the first place given their current needs. The offensive line right now has less depth than the defensive front, after all.

One thing is certain, however, as the Giants continue monitoring the Golden situation – if they do lose their top pass rusher from 2019, they better have a good enough replacement lined up, because taking a step back in this area could possibly leave the Giants around the bottom of the league in sacks… Again.

New York Giants could still land Jadeveon Clowney after market tumble

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New York Giants, Jadeveon Clowney, Markus Golden

The New York Giants remain a pass-rusher needy team after signing Kyler Fackrell and allowing Markus Golden to hit the open market. However, it’s still possible they retain the veteran linebacker. Golden has not seemed to hit the free agency market with enthusiasm most imagined, and it possibly suggests that the Giants are looking to retain him on a multi-year deal.

Despite his lack of attention, Golden has competition by the name of Jadeveon Clowney. The former Seahawks defender hit free agency with an expected price-tag of $22 million, but the market has not developed in his favor. Clowney is receiving options in the $12-14 million range, far less than what was expected.

If Clowney can’t command more than $15 million, there’s little to suggest Golden should even approach that number over multiple-years. The situation unfolding is interesting, as Clowney is by far the best pass-rusher on the market, considering his ability to stop the run and lock down a side of the defensive edge.

Is it possible the New York Giants land Jadeveon Clowney after market tumble?

The market not responding to Clowney’s demands leaves the door open for the Giants, but Clowney’s representation will not accept a lesser deal just four days into free agency. A team will eventually come calling with a higher number. I anticipate he will land in the $18 million per season range, a bit out of the Giants’ price-range.

Golden ultimately represents the better option based on a variety of factors — price, leadership, familiarity with the Giants and their young players. The jury is still out on Golden, as some believe a majority of his sacks were a result of good coverage. However, Golden’s unstoppable motor and 27 QB hits suggest he was in the backfield quite a fair amount.

If the Giants can lock up the former Arizona Cardinal OLB on a multi-year deal averaging about $11-12 million per season, they shouldn’t hesitate. With Fackrell, Lorenzo Carter, and Oshane Ximines featuring at the OLB position, the Giants desperately need to add more talent, otherwise, they risk having a minimal pass-rush in 2020.

Are the New York Giants planning to bring back Markus Golden on a multi-year deal?

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New York Jets, Markus Golden

With the New York Giants altogether avoiding the pass rusher position aside from signing Kyler Fackrell to a one-year deal, the expectation is that GM Dave Gettleman will find a way to allocate more resources towards the spot.

It’s possible Gettleman waits until the NFL Draft to bolster the position. Still, the reality is, they currently have unproven talent tied to the scheme, which is an unadvisable mentality moving forward.

Currently, the OLB position consists of Fackrell, Oshane Ximines, and Lorenzo Carter, three players who have flashed potential but have been inconsistent. Ximines had a decent 2019 campaign (his rookie year), logging 4.5 sacks on 45% of defensive snaps. If you double his snap count, we can project a 9.0 sack season for Oshane, which would be stellar for his second-year in the NFL. The Giants may be counting on him to break out in 2020, but they cannot depend on him and Fackrell to act as their consistent pass rushers.

Are the New York Giants expecting to re-sign Markus Golden?

Considering Golden’s statistical output in 2019 and his overall quality, it’s strange that he’s still remaining on the free-agent market. Having put together a 10.0 sacks performance and displayed leadership qualities, Golden is a quality player who can be a vital piece to the Giants’ defensive front for years to come. I anticipate they will find space for him on the roster and sign him to a three-year deal with a front-loaded contract, similar to James Bradberry and Blake Martinez.

The Giants may be waiting until they re-work Leonard Williams’ franchise tag to a multi-year deal to then re-sign Golden, who, paired with a stout interior defensive line, can piece together another solid campaign this year. Williams is currently set to earn $16.126 million on the franchise tag, but the Giants are attempting to extend him and lower his cap-hit to $10-12 million with more guaranteed money.

Recapping the New York Jets’ first day of free agency

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New York Jets, Adam Gase

The New York Jets have expressed a lot of interest but done very little, so here’s a breakdown of all that’s gone down in regards to the Jets today for both sides of the ball. As for tomorrow, Gang Green needs to wake up.

Offensive Line Rumors

The Jets were in on three key offensive linemen — Graham Glasgow, Joe Thuney, and Jack Conklin. All three are not going to be joining the Green and White. Despite prioritizing building through the trenches, the Jets added one offensive lineman today, and it was a guy they could’ve waited to scoop up in George Fant. The Jets need to add interior offensive linemen and are reportedly targeting C/G Steven Wisniewski & G Greg Van Roten. Van Roten is a longtime Jets fan and great pass protector, Wisniewski is a veteran with Douglas connections.

Wide Receiver Rumors

The Jets are devoted to helping Sam, but at what cost? The Jets missed out on adding either Stefon Diggs, Amari Cooper, and DeAndre Hopkins. All three would’ve been legit number one receivers. Now the Jets head towards day two of free agency looking to add playmakers. Phillip Dorsett is reportedly a big target. Dorsett is the only guy the Jets have publicly been linked to, but expect more to emerge tomorrow and keep an eye on Emmanuel Sanders.

Edge Rusher Rumors

The Jets have been very active in expressing interest here. The Jets have shown interest in Dante Fowler Jr as expected. However, the Jets have also shown SERIOUS interest in Jadeveon Clowney. If the money is there and feasible, the Jets should go after him. He would be a monster for Gregg Williams to have fun with on defense. Fowler and Clowney would immediately add more star power on defense. The Jets also seem inclined to let Jordan Jenkins walk per Connor Hughes of The Athletic.

As for lesser names, the Jets had shown interest in Kyle Van Noy before the Dolphins added him. Expect them to target Markus Golden as well.

Cornerback Rumors

The Jets were in on both James Bradberry and Byron Jones, but it seemed more than likely they would target lesser corners. Desmond Trufant was released by Atlanta today and has already been linked to the Jets. As has Chris Harris Jr. and Prince Amukamara. Brian Poole is a guy the Jets would like to bring back, but cost is debatable. Corner is a priority for the Jets, and their goal is to find value guys.