J.J. Watt makes sense for NY Giants, but they don’t for former Texans star
In the aftermath of J.J. Watt being granted his release by the Houston Texans Friday, several teams will understandably be interested in the future Hall of Fame defensive lineman, and for a lot of reasons the NY Giants should be among them.
NY Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has made no secret of his steadfast belief that championships are won on the back of dominant play along both lines of scrimmage — admittedly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just reinforced that philosophy in Super Bowl LV Sunday evening.
Watt’s best days are behind him, at age 31, besieged by injuries in recent years, but he remains a productive player. Last season, Watt produced five sacks and 45 pressures in 581 pass-rush snaps, while garnering an 85.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. Clearly, some team is going to be getting a player plenty capable of being more than a rotational lineman.
Which therein lies the problem for the Giants.
The Giants will likely put on a full-court press to re-sign defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who produced a team-high 11.5 sacks last season, and have every interest in bringing homegrown Dalvin Tomlinson back alongside him. But, they might not have the means, entering the offseason with just $1.26 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap.
Watt’s production in 2020 and his leadership qualities will likely draw the attention from teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers — offering a chance to play alongside his younger brothers — the Green Bay Packers, perhaps even the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts.
A strong market, and teams such as the Dolphins and Colts being flush with cap space to spend, would likely make it difficult for the Giants to compete for Watt’s services. Likewise, Watt will presumably be seeking to sign with a team that gives him a chance to compete for a Super Bowl in 2021, and the Giants’ roster simply isn’t ready to make that leap.
While Watt might be a legitimate insurance policy for the Giants’ possibly losing Williams and/or Tomlinson via free agency, the draw doesn’t seem to be there for the former face of the Texans’ franchise to make this union fit.
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Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.