As the free agency blitz continues to buzz along in the NFL, the NY Giants can rest well knowing they have done plenty of spending already to make a serious run for the NFC East crown in 2021.
NY Giants GM Dave Gettleman has not been shy about making his team better, and doing so now is a critical step for the franchise.
Parity was at a premium in a neck-and-neck division this past season, and it could be once again with the steps each team has taken towards improving.
The Dallas Cowboys shored up their defensive deficiencies with key additions across the D. S Damontae Kazee, DT Brent Urban, and OLB Keanu Neal present new challenges for Daniel Jones, who finally beat the ‘Boys this past January.
Philadelphia has only added one impact-free agent–S Anthony Harris–but the Eagles made a draft splash Friday, moving back to the No. 12 pick in a three-team swap that also included San Francisco and Miami. It’s not currently known who the No. 12 selection will be used on, but it will be a crucial chance for Philly to improve.
Meanwhile, the reigning division champion Washington Football Team added Ryan Fitzpatrick to their quarterback corps. With Taylor Heinicke having already been signed, and Kyle Allen being tendered, WFT figures to get the best out of whoever survives that gridiron gulag for the starting QB role.
For the NY Giants, free agency has been an unmitigated success, especially compared to the majority of their peers. Here are 5 specific reasons why that is, and why Dave Gettleman’s 2021 FA spending will pay dividends in the long run:
Reason #1 NY Giants’ FA spending could pay off: D-line solidified with a leader
Leonard Williams’ three-year deal (worth up to $63 million) was a step for Gettleman to placate one of the destructive forces of the defense. The DT’s 11.5 sacks put the heat on opposing offensive coordinators to worry extra about protecting their quarterbacks.
The Jets and Williams were unable to find common ground on a deal, so placing this confidence in him could elevate his own confidence and further fortify Big Blue’s D.
Reason #2 NY Giants’ FA spending could pay off: WR room among league’s best
Assuming his hip issues are behind him, Kenny Golladay figures to make life easier for Daniel Jones than it has ever been. The work-horse Golladay has been a consistent target for Matthew Stafford in Detroit since becoming a constant catch threat in 2018, but he now has a chance to gain more of a national spotlight with success in the Big Apple.
GMEN HQ’s Stephen Samra believes he could even be the Plaxico Burress to Jones’ Eli Manning:
"After a meeting that spanned days, the team’s brass signed off on his medicals, attitude and fit – giving him a four year deal worth a maximum of $72 million. Now, the former Northern Illinois Husky will try to be to his quarterback what Plaxico Burress was for Jones’ predecessor, Eli Manning."
Alongside Darius Slayton and Sterling Shephard, Golladay figures to help add extra touchdowns to Jones’ resume with his big-play abilities in a now stacked WR room that also includes John Ross, who signed a one-year deal.
Reason #3 NY Giants’ FA spending could pay off: TE ranks also improve
Kyle Rudolph has joined Jones’ stable of targets as well, and the veteran tight end will now serve as an alternative to Evan Engram, who will remain the WR1.
Going by the Eli Manning comparison, Engram and Rudolph could be Jones’ Jeremy Shockey/Kevin Boss (minus the season-ending rib injury that robbed Shockey of a Super Bowl appearance).
The number of weapons Jones now has at his disposal post-free agency should undoubtedly improve the NY Giants’ passing game in 2021 and beyond.
Reason #4 NY Giants’ FA spending could pay off: Adoree Jackson makes CB room scary
In poaching Adoree Jackson away from the Tennessee Titans, the NY Giants added more pass coverage to an already fearsome unit.
As GMEN HQ’s Stephen Samra opined in his grading of the Jackson signing (he gave it an A-), quarterbacks may hesitate to air it out even more so in 2021 with a new and improved depth chart:
"The National Football League is a passing league – your secondary has to be strong if you want to win in this age. Adding Adoree’ Jackson to a secondary that already features Bradberry, Logan Ryan, Jabrill Peppers, Darnay Holmes and Xavier McKinney gives New York one of the league’s best units. Quarterbacks avoided Bradberry when they could last season – picking on Ballentine, Lewis and Yiadom. With Jackson in the mix, offenses will be hard-pressed to find an easy-out."
Pepper in some kickoff/punt returning and Jackson is a threat that Big Blue fans should be thrilled moved north from the Volunteer State.
Reason #5 NY Giants’ FA spending could pay off: G Zach Fulton spruces up bottom-tier O-Line
Assuming Zach Fulton‘s 2020 season with a troubled Houston Texans franchise was just a pandemic-stricken down-year, the NY Giants’ offensive line brought on a massive body that has a career of consistency in non-COVID-19 years.
Fulton has allowed less than three sacks per season in the other six years he’s spent in the league since departing Rocky Top and moving on from Tennessee…a similarity he shares with former Volunteers departee and current Big Blue defensive assistant Jeremy Pruitt.
If he can return to form, the Giants’ O-line–ranked 31st in the NFL in QB sacked percentage–should ascend from the league’s basement.