Ranking NY Giants’ 5 biggest risks taken in 2021

Losing Dalvin Tomlinson was a tough pill to swallow

By all means, the NY Giants wish they had Dalvin Tomlinson back in 2021.

Tomlinson was a model teammate and a key cog of the Giants’ defense the past four years. Tomlinson was never a part of a winning team in New York, but his hark work and blue-collar attitude made him one of the easiest guys to root for on the roster during some very empty, losing seasons.

Tomlinson rounded into form and became a leader on and off the field. Dalvin became a team captain for the defense and his work in the community off the field started to gain far more attention.

Tomlinson’s free agency picture immediately became very complicated once Leonard Williams was traded for and then the writing was on the wall after Williams’ franchise tag in 2020. Once Williams arrived coinciding with the drafting of Dexter Lawrence, Dalvin was no longer a much-needed valuable piece to the defensive line.

Tomlinson immediately became the odd man out in the future business implications of the Giants’ defensive line. The Giants were always going to prioritize Leonard Williams after sinking endless resources into him and Dex Lawrence’s upside is through the roof.

The Giants made a mistake not negotiating a year earlier with Tomlinson and avoiding this likely situation from ever occurring. New York let Tomlinson go for nothing, something John Mara said was one of the hardest decisions he’s made in a long time.

It’s a lesson the Giants can learn from and start negotiating second contracts earlier with their most important players and upcoming future free agents. Tomlinson was a much-respected, well-valued player who was important to the Giants’ defense. He will be missed and his time in Minnesota will be watched closely from East Rutherford.