Giants exercise 5th-year option on Prince Amukamara

Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

After much (unnecessary) deliberation, Giants brass has come to a decision on the fate of Prince Amukamara. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team has picked up its fifth-year club option on the 25-year old cornerback, and he’ll earn $6.898 million in 2015.

“Prince” isn’t a lockdown CB per say, but watching him game in and game out you develop an appreciation for his style. In other words, the deep stats — which aren’t pretty — don’t illustrate his true worth. Pro Football Focus graded him at -3.7 in coverage with 65% of passes thrown in his vicinity finding their desired target. However, he wraps up after short completions (five missed tackles) and doesn’t get burned by the big play (two touchdowns allowed).

For those not familiar, here’s how the rookie wage scale instituted in 2011 works: under the NFL’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, all rookies are required to sign four-year contracts. For players selected in the first round, the drafting team is granted an option to extend the rookie contract for a 5th season. The salary is guaranteed for serious injury only, so cutting a player loose is fair game.