markus golden

New York Giants have two options to fix the pass rush in free agency

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New York Giants, Jadeveon Clowney, Markus Golden

The New York Giants need to prioritize the pass rush this offseason, whether it be through the NFL Draft or free agency. Luckily, there are plenty of options to consider in the open market. Now it depends on GM Dave Gettleman and his willingness to open his checkbook to inject more quality into the Giants’ defensive front.

However, two different scenarios could unfold for the Giants, as they represent the best situations available after a majority of the top pass rushers will be franchise tagged.

The two best options for the New York Giants:

1.) Jadeveon Clowney

Of course, Clowney is an ideal wish-list candidate, considering his ability to shut down an entire side on the defense. He can set the edge with solid run-stopping capabilities and also rush the passer an elite level, despite never having breached double-digit sacks in his career.

Last season, Clowney recorded just 3.0 sacks and 13 QB hits, but he was double-teamed on a majority of plays, essentially taking two offensive linemen out of the equation. The Giants will need to be confident that their No.2 pass-rusher is capable of winning 1v1 battles in the trenches. Also, factoring the Giants’ strong interior defense into the equation should justify a strong pass-rush presence, especially if they re-sign Leonard Williams to a multi-year deal.

2.) Kyle Van Noy and Markus Golden

This avenue is a bit more uncertain, considering Van Noy is an aging veteran, and Golden’s lone year of production after two years of consecutive injuries doesn’t scream consistency. However, this option is cheaper and lands two quality players who can serve multiple purposes.

Van Noy is a capable pass rusher but also stout against the run, and we know the type of production Golden can produce (10.0 sacks in 2019). I imagine they would likely garner around $25 million altogether while Clowney is projected to re-set the edge rusher market at $22 million per season. The Giants currently allocates just $29 million toward their entire defense.

RUMORS: New York Giants expected to pursue Jadeveon Clowney aggressively, here’s why they shouldn’t

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New York Giants, Jadeveon Clowney

The New York Giants have been linked to star pass rusher, Jadeveon Clowney, this off-season, but general manager Dave Gettleman should be careful where he allocates his money. The Giants are expected to have around $80 million in open space to spend his free agency, but Clowney is asking for upwards of $22 million per season. That would slash about 25% of the Giants’ cap right off the bat, almost totaling their entire allocation towards the defense currently, at $29 million.

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Considering Gettleman intends to enter the 2020 regular season with $20 million in cap space left over, signing Clowney would ultimately write off 50% of all the allocations they have to spend this off-season. That would leave $40 million to address the linebacker position, cornerback, and offensive tackle depending on their draft selections.

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What the New York Giants should do instead:

While Clowney earned elite grades, according to PFF, with the 87.3 overall grade in 2019, he ranked 88th in sacks with just three, 12th in force fumbles with three, and 49th with 22 solo tackles. Clowney’s production does not scream elite by any means, but he is capable of shutting down an entire side of an offensive line, which makes him extremely valuable for any team.

Alternatively, for the Giants, they can pursue an option like Kyle Van Noy, who has been productive for the New England Patriots. While Van Noy hasn’t earned a Pro Bowl selection during his career, he has won two Super Bowl’s over the last three seasons with the Patriots. During that time frame, he has logged 16.5 sacks, to 189 combine tackles, and 37 quarterback hits. As an outside linebacker, he’s capable of rushing the passer and also dropping back into coverage, as he earned a 55.6% completion percentage in 2019. Also, his 9.7% missed tackle rate decreased significantly from 14.8% in 2018.

I believe pairing Van Noy, and Markus Golden on cheaper deals is far more valuable than signing Clowney for $22 million per season. Allocating that amount disables the Giants from addressing other positions of need. They are better off signing Byron Jones to lock down the number one corner spot, and Van Noy to act as a stopgap until they can find a better pass rusher.

Report: New York Giants will look to bring back Markus Golden in 2020

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New York Giants, Markus Golden

The 2020 off-season will be filled with free-agent signings and draft rumors for the New York Giants. However, the one player that should be retained is, Markus Golden, as he posted impressive numbers in 2019.

Having spent the last few years injured and unproductive, Golden bounced back with a 10.0 sack performance last season, playing in all 16 games and racking up 72 combine tackles. Don’t forget about his 27 quarterback hits and fumble recovery taken for a touchdown. His 7.7% missed tackle rate is another reliable statistical output that should be considered in his retention by the Giants.

According to Josina Anderson of ESPN, Golden is interested in returning to Big Blue, but he will test free agency in the meantime before the new league year begins in the coming weeks.

The New York Giants will be proactive in FA:

The Giants are expected to be aggressive and free agency, especially with several Premier pass rushers on the market. Jadeveon Clowney and Dante Fowler Jr. present two options that general manager Dave Gettleman was undoubtedly be looking at in the coming weeks.

While Golden is a quality pass rusher, he is not considered elite, and the Giants need a premium player to pair with him if they want to have a successful pass rush 2020. Given the reality that Chase Young will likely be off the board in the first three picks of the draft, they will have to look to free agency to fill the position.

With approximately $80 million in cap space, Gettleman has the resources to allocate if he wishes on the defensive line. However, hiring Patrick Graham to take over defensive coordinator duties will force the Giants to evaluate their positions and who is worth investing in this off-season. Golden is familiar with the Giants’ mentality and what they are out to achieve, which makes him a probable retention candidate.

ESPN’s Jordan Raanan also stated that the Giants are looking to bring back Golden:

The Giants like Golden and want to bring him back, according to a source. Several people around the league estimated the prices for Golden and Van Noy in the $10 million range, sort of a two-for-one instead of Clowney.

New York Giants: 2 free agents to change the course of the Giants’ defense

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New York Giants, Byron Jones, Jadeveon Clowney

This off-season for the New York Giants will be as significant as it gets in retooling both sides of the ball for a new head coach Joe Judge. General manager Dave Gettleman has a tall task ahead of him, especially after two lackluster seasons in free agency finding players who can make a difference every Sunday.

However, this free agency period offers plenty of elite value, and two players that could fit the bill for the Giants are cornerback Byron Jones and pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney.

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What would they bring to the New York Giants?

Signing Byron Jones will take plenty of salary cap, but he’s well worth every penny the Giants would theoretically spend. Looking at his statistical output, he missed only one game in five seasons, proving his consistent health. Injuries have been a significant factor for the Giants in past years, and finding players that remain healthy is essential in the development of a strong and successful team.

Looking at his numbers from 2019, Jones recorded six pass breakups, 47 combine tackles, and a 53.1% completion percentage. He had a 2.1% missed tackle rate and allowed just 260 yards through the air on completions.

While his numbers don’t scream productivity, for a cornerback, they are fantastic. You might be wondering why, but teams aren’t focusing on Byron Jones in coverage, they are staying far away from him and his side of the field. Flashback to his matchup against Michael Thomas, star receiver for the New Orleans Saints last season, where he allowed ZERO completions.

Ultimately, it comes down to price tag, and the Giants would have to fork over at least $16 million per season if they wish to sign Jones in free agency. Gettleman has approximately $80 million in cap space to work with, making Jones a reasonable target. Adding a true number one corner to pair with DeAndre Baker would improve the secondary significantly going into 2020.

As for Jadeveon Clowney, the Giants would be getting an elite edge rusher to add to the defensive front. With the anticipation that they will pursue Markus Golden in free agency after recording 10.0 sacks last season, pairing him with an option like Clowney would offer the defense plenty of talent in the pass rush department.

The biggest knock on Clowney has been his health history, but he only missed six games in the last four years. For perspective, Evan Engram missed eight games last season. As far as production, Clowney only recorded three sacks in 2019 with 31 combine tackles and 13 quarterback hits. Ultimately, he didn’t look as spry as he has in past years, but he is a three-time Pro Bowler that looked fantastic during his time with the Houston Texans. Often, he was overshadowed by JJ Watt, rightfully so, but he would be the Giants’ top option and star defensive end.

In the scenario that Chase young somehow dropped the Giants with the fourth overall pick, caring young and Clowney would give the Giants one of the best pass rush duos in the NFL. At just 27 years old, Jadeveon is still in his prime and looking to wreak havoc on a new team next season.

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 could pursue underrated LB Matthew Judon in free agency

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New York Giants, Matthew Judon, Baltimore Ravens

With players like Yannick Ngakoue and Jadeveon Clowney plastered across the free-agent boards, the New York Giants have been no exception to their allure. However, underrated options like Baltimore’s Matthew Judon have crept up in the preliminary stages of the offseason.

Judon is one of those small-school players that quietly made a difference in the first four seasons of his career, but in 2019, his 9.5 sacks and 33 quarterback hits stood out. The Giants currently have about $61 million in cap space available, but after roster cuts, they should reach about $80-85 million, opening the door for a big pass-rusher signing.

Judon fits the bill perfectly as an outside linebacker. With Patrick Graham preparing to install a new defense, we have already confirmed that he will use a bevy of looks and utilize a hybrid scheme. Since the Giants have already tailored their youth around the 3-4, I estimate that Graham will use that system more frequently. This further promotes the signing of a player like Judon, who is just entering his prime.

How much would the New York Giants have to dish out for Judon?

Spotrac values Judon at about $16.3 million per season, which is a hefty sum but necessary if the Giants are looking to add a genuine threat off the edge. Even if they do lure a player like Judon to New York, they will need to pair him with another solid pass-rusher, which is where Markus Golden enters the fold.

Golden logged 10.0 sacks in 2019, proving he can be a force on defense. While he wasn’t given much support on the opposite side of the line, Golden has an unstoppable motor and strong hands. Pairing Golden and Judon together would give GM Dave Gettleman the freedom to draft a player like Isaiah Simmons and a tackle prospect in the earlier portion of the draft.

New York Giants: Is Markus Golden worth a multi-year deal?

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New York Giants, Markus Golden

When the New York Giants initially signed pass-rusher Markus Golden to a one-year prove-it deal in 2019, they anticipated a bounce-back season after struggling through injuries for several years. The last time Golden was useful was back in 2016 when he logged 12.5 sacks.

After two seasons of no production, Golden backed up his resume with a double-digit, 10.0 sack performance in 2019. Some believe that the Giants and GM Dave Gettleman should let the outside linebacker walk this offseason, as his sacks were primarily coverages sacks or finishing actions. However, it says something about Golden’s ability to be in the right place at the right time to clean up shop.

Golden will likely be in the market for a multi-year deal worth somewhere in the $16-18 million per season range. As a two-way player containing powerful hands and an unstoppable motor, he’s an asset to any team willing to dish out the cash. The only question is health, and betting on him to remain reliable is the most significant concern.

After a clean 2019, though, putting your chips on his wellness seems like a solid bet, and his statistical production only justifies that statement. According to Pro-Football-Reference, Markus racked up 72 combined tackles, 27 QB Hits, and 13 tackles for a loss.

The primary issue is that Golden cannot produce enough of an initial push to put opposing quarterbacks under immediate pressure. This is ultimately what caused the Giants’  defense to lack sacks and pass-rush support for the secondary, who were thrashed weekly.

The New York Giants need more than just Golden on the line:

While dishing out a big-contract to Golden isn’t necessarily a problem, it’s the void on the other side of the defensive front that poses a concern. The Giants need more push, and Gettleman still needs to allocate cap-space to the tackle position and secondary. The Giants do have the 4th overall pick available, but Isaiah Simmons offers too much value in the middle of the defense to pass on. Unless the Giants trade back, grab an offensive tackle, and collect another second-round pick to spend at the linebacker position, they should take the sure-fire player in Simmons.

The reality is, Big Blue has too many holes and not enough cap-space or draft picks to fix with premium talent. Golden is a good risk for solid production, but he’s by no means a dominant player.

New York Giants could pursue former Falcons pass rusher in free agency

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New York Jets, Vic Beasley

With New York Giants GM Dave Gettleman ensuring the fan-base that the pass-rushing unit will be addressed this offseason, it’s time we begin to shuffle through the options available in free agency.

The more potent names remain Chase Young as a draft option if he falls to the 4th pick, which is unlikely, Yannick Ngakoue and Jadeveon Clowney, who will also be on the market.

However, one new addition to the lot is former Falcons pass-rusher, Vic Beasley, who was publically released of any contractual negotiations by Atlanta’s Twitter account last week. After making it known that the team wouldn’t extend him beyond the 2019 season, it opened up the doors for other clubs, including the Giants.

Does Vic Beasley make sense for the New York Giants?

Beasley posted decent numbers last season, earning 8.0 sacks, 42 combined tackles, 12 QB hits, and two forced fumbles. One thing to like about Beasly is his health history, as he’s only missed two games in his entire career, however, he has failed to start a good chunk due to poor play.

Spotract has the pass-rusher valued at $7.3 million, which would be a very nice contract if the Giants could land him for that number. The reality is, though, that he will likely earn at least $10-12 million in free agency, and even then, the Giants would be smart to consider him on the defensive front.

With Markus Golden also up for a contract extension after reaching double-digit sacks (10.0), retaining him and adding Beasley would give the Giants two quality pass-rushers to lean on while allocating more cap-space towards the offensive line and secondary. Factor in the draft capital they are preparing to spend, and the defense could see a nice upgrade this offseason.

It could be that Beasley needs a change of scenery moving forward after spending five-seasons in Atlanta. Coming to a team led by Joe Judge, who’s preparing to maximize every player on the roster, could help him reach his potential. It’s important to note that Beasley did log 15.5 sacks in 2016, a year in which he was an All-Pro and set a benchmark for his highs. If the Giants are confident they can reunite his previous form, kicking the tires on Beasley could bd worth it.

New York Giants could lock up two quality edge rusher in free agency

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New York Giants, Markus Golden

With the New York Giants switching to the 3-4 scheme the past two seasons, they heavily utilized two outside linebackers in their pass-rush program, which benefitted Markus Golden, who signed a one-year deal with the team in 2019.

Golden became the first linebacker since Lawrence Taylor to reach double-digit sacks, finishing at 10.0 after a lucky stat-correction, which subsequently activated a $1 million bonus. The Giants will enter the offseason with about $80 million in cap space, opening up the potential for a Golden return (pun intended).

Not only did Golden lead the team in sacks, but he was a fantastic locker room addition, activating his leadership abilities and helping to mentor the younger players. Having been the first pass-rusher to reach double-digit sacks since Jason Pierre-Paul in 2014 (12.5), the probability of retention is likely. It ultimately boils down to his price-tag and what he’s willing to accept on a three-year deal.

The New York Giants have another option in FA that could be enticing:

Aside from Golden, one free agent option that fits the bill entirely is Tampa Bay Buccaneers’, Shaq Barrett. Barrett showed off his skill-set against the Giants this past year, logging 4.0 sacks and finishing with 19.5 on the year.

At 27 years old and a relatively clean bill of health, Barrett would be a safe addition in free agency, and the fact that he plays outside linebacker only increases his fit with Big Blue’s defense now led by Patrick Graham, who will utilize a blend of formations.

What I love about Barrett is his motor and ability to get into the backfield. Aside from his 19.5 sacks, he recorded 37 QB hits, 58 combined tackles, six forced fumbles, and one interception. While his numbers from last year are an outlier among his career totals, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic he can produce moving forward. This was his first season on a new team after spending four years with the Denver Broncos.

It seems as if Barrett needed a change of scenery to reach his potential finally, and Tampa Bay offered him that chance. The Giants would be a good landing spot with a new coaching staff in place to help him grow and maximize his efforts.

New York Giants have a real shot at Yannick Ngakoue in free agency

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New York Giants, Yannick Ngakoue

Everything the New York Giants have suffered through has finally come to a point. The organization has lost touch with the fan base and have hired their third head coach in four years with Joe Judge taking over, but there’s reason for hope. Judge has begun hiring his coaching staff, a group of unknown individuals who have proven their worth over time in different positions.

Factor in the $80+ million in cap space and valuable draft capital, and you can justify giving Judge and the Giants a third chance at success. However, this offseason is more critical than most, and its success relies on Judge doing his due diligence on every player before settling on any decisions ahead of free agency.

The New York Giants won’t sleep in free agency:

Despite the ongoing talent evals, several players are favorites for the Giants to pursue. Remember, some have already stated that they prefer to land on a winning team, as Jadeveon Clowney so happily expressed after losing to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

The Giants, unfortunately, are no winning team, but hey, they have lots of money and dedicated fans! Despite the losing record and demoralized fan-base, some players can’t avoid the allure of New York City, a place where players either thrive and are engraved into the Empire State Building, or fall into the East River, Ice Man style.

One player that seems keen on considering Big Blue in free agency is Yannick Ngakoue, one of the league’s best pass rushers.

Yannick posting a picture of Lawrence Taylor might be an indication of where he intends on playing in 2020, and he’d be bringing a ton of production with him. In 2019, Ngakoue earned 8.0 sacks, 41 total tackles, four forced fumbles, one interception, 15 QB hits, and 13 tackles for a loss. His statistical output doesn’t seem elite but factoring in the trading of Jalen Ramsey and the demise of the Jaguars last season, and it’s hard to justify his season.

If the Giants also re-sign Markus Golden, who finished with 10.0 sacks, they could be in a great position moving into 2020. If they bring in Yannick and draft a player like Isaiah Simmons, the defense could be stocked full of defensive talent. However, knowing GM Dave Gettleman, the reality we seek will most certainly not be the reality we endure.