5 realistic free agent signings to make NY Giants contenders
By Matt Clark
5. Conor Mcgovern – Center
The NY Giants need to move on from their current centers and look for the center of the future. While Tyler Biadasz of the University of Wisconsin represents an option in the draft, the Giants would likely need to use a first or second-round pick to get him, which is too much to give up for a center when there are so many other needs on the roster.
Luckily for Big Blue, there is a young potential franchise center available on the free-agent market this offseason. Connor McGovern is just 26-years of age, presenting an option that the Giants could sign and employ at the center position for the next six to eight years.
At 6’4″ and 310-pounds, McGovern is one of the strongest men in the NFL. A fifth-round pick by the Denver Broncos in 2015 out of the University of Missouri, McGovern has bounced between center and guard for the Broncos in his first five seasons, but center is by far his strongest position.
Last season McGovern played all 16 games at center for the Broncos, did not commit a single penalty and allowed just one sack in 1,013 snaps played. Compare that to the six penalties and two sacks allowed by Jon Halapio and Spencer Pulley last season in 1,075 snaps played and it’s obvious to see that McGovern is a clear upgrade.
It is expected that McGovern is going to receive a significant raise from the $2.025 million he made last year in Denver. With the Broncos needing to re-sign Derek Wolfe, Justin Simmons, and Chris Harris Jr., there is a good chance that they are not able to afford to re-sign McGovern as well.
If the Giants can sign him, they will likely have to pay him like a top-ten center in the league, due to his relatively young age and the recent success he has had in Denver. If they can sign McGovern to a long term contract, they would be potentially signing their center of the future.
A deal with McGovern would be reminiscent of when the Giants signed Shaun O’Hara after his rookie deal expired with the Cleveland Browns following the 2003 season. O’Hara went on to play seven seasons with the Giants, winning a Super Bowl and becoming a three-time Pro-Bowler.
If the NY Giants could similar career production out of McGovern as they did O’Hara, the franchise and Giants fans would be ecstatic. By signing McGovern, the Giants free up critical draft capital to use on more valuable positions, while locking up a crucial part of the line in front of Daniel Jones.
Proposed contract: 6-years $60 million ($10M/year)