Keep An Eye On These 11 New York Giants Entering Final Contract Year
By Neal Lynch
The New York Giants made a huge splash in free agency this offseason but which players will they have to make decisions on next offseason?
Right after last season ended, we reviewed the sizable crop of Giants players whose contracts were expiring and made recommendations on whether or not the team should bring them back or let them walk. So far, only a handful of free agents were retained: Jason Pierre-Paul, Jasper Brinkley, Zak DeOssie, Larry Donnell, Will Tye, and Orleans Darkwa among others.
After next season, there could be more than a dozen unrestricted free agents from the Giants roster entering the market. More times than not, you’ll see players go above and beyond expectations in the final year of their contracts to fetch the big bucks come the following March. It’s how Olivier Vernon, Janoris Jenkins, and Damon Harrison got Fortune 500 rich this past March.
So, here’s our countdown of the 11 Giants players who are entering the final year of their agreement with Big Blue and could be earning a fat contract following the 2016 season.
11. Kelvin Sheppard, LB (28)
2016 Cap Hit: $680,000
Sheppard signed a 1 year contract with the Giants that includes a base salary of $760,000 and a signing bonus of $80,000. Sheppard has a cap hit of $680,000 while his dead money value is $80,000. When we listed the positions Big Blue needed to address in free agency, middle linebacker made the cut and Sheppard was one of our recommended targets.
Kelvin had the best season of his five year career, collecting more than 100 tackles in 14 starts with two passes batted down. Sure, he’s been with three different teams – all in the AFC – but maybe joining the likes of returning Mike, Jasper Brinkley, and fellow free agent signee Keenan Robinson will turn the middle into the strongest position on the field.
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