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NY Giants Cap Space: How Dave Gettleman can add more space in 2021.

By Danny Friedman

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 13: The New York Giants wait in the tunnel prior to taking the field against the Arizona Cardinals before their game at MetLife Stadium on December 13, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 13: The New York Giants wait in the tunnel prior to taking the field against the Arizona Cardinals before their game at MetLife Stadium on December 13, 2020 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /
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Golden Tate of the New York Giants (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Golden Tate of the New York Giants (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

Golden Tate has likely played his last game as a New York Giant.

To start off, there shouldn’t be an easier roster decision for the Giants than to cut Golden Tate. Simply put, he hasn’t done nearly enough to live up to the 4-year, $37.5 million contract doled out to him in 2019.

In 2019, Tate started the season off suspended the first four games due to the use of a PED even though it was only for fertilization. Regardless, there’s no excuse for Tate to not know what he puts in his body and he lost a quarter of his first season in the Big Apple.

In 2020, Tate failed to have any 50-yard games, he only caught five or more passes twice (both in the first two games), and he only caught two touchdowns, his lowest since his rookie year.

Tate was also suspended for a game this year after some selfish behavior and was caught yelling into an ESPN camera, “Throw me the ball!” On Monday Night Football. Joe Judge would not tolerate this behavior and laid down the law and made it clear nobody is bigger than the team.

Tate’s numbers across the board were his worst since 2011. He no longer possesses the speed or quickness to get away from defenders and no longer reigns as the league’s “YAC King”.

Tate enters 2021 with a $10.8 million salary.

There is almost no chance that will happen with the Giants. New York can cut him and get back $8.5 million with only a $2.3 million dead cap hit if they cut him after June 1st. If they decide to cut him before June 1st, the team will only get back around $6.1 million while incurring a $4.7 million dead cap hit.

It seems like a no-brainer that Tate should be the team’s most obvious post-June 1 cut. The Giants can use that money to sign a good portion of their 2021 draft class along with signing some free agents in the summer and other guys who may become surprise cuts.

Getting back about $8 million dollars is an easy choice for a franchise that needs to get younger and faster at the wide receiver position. The Giants have already openly expressed they will add playmakers this offseason and Tate is a big reason why the team needs to blow up their receivers room.

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