NY Giants near top of NFC East in cap space over next three years
Dave Gettleman and the NY Giants are surprisingly well positioned under the cap over the next three years
The NY Giants seem primed to take the leap from rebuilding to contending in 2021, with a playoff roster assembled through smart drafting and big spending in free agency the past two offseasons, yet still are positioned to bolster the roster in coming years.
This offseason, general manager Dave Gettleman and the Giants were among the biggest spenders in the league, handing out upwards of $200 million to the likes of wide receiver Kenny Golladay, tight end Kyle Rudolph, cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, and re-signing defensive lineman Leonard Williams, among others expected to be key contributors in 2021.
As the NY Giants aim to overtake the Washington Football Team as the NFC East champions in 2021, Gettleman and Co. are well positioned not only to take care of their own via long-term contract extensions over the next several years, but continue to be big spenders in free agency, as well.
With the salary cap expected to exceed $208 million in 2022, the NY Giants currently sit 13th in the NFL in effective cap space, second to the Washington Football Team in the NFC East.
According to Pro Football Focus, the NY Giants have the 13th best cap situation over the next two offseasons, which trails only Washington inside the division:
"Even with a huge spending spree this offseason on the likes of interior defender Leonard Williams, wide receiver Kenny Golladay and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, among others, the Giants’ excellent draft trade with the Chicago Bears sets them up nicely going forward. The Giants now have flexibility depending on the progression, or lack thereof, of quarterback Daniel Jones.If Jones struggles again in 2022, the Giants should be able to select a quarterback near the top of the draft, and if they need help moving up a bit, the Bears’ first-rounder will likely be a top-20 selection barring a great rookie season from Justin Fields."
Over the next three offseasons, PFF projects the NY Giants to have a combined $80.629 million in cap space to spend.
By comparison, the Washington Football Team sits 10th in cap health rank, the Dallas Cowboys are 25th and the Philadelphia Eagles 29th.
The financial flexibility under the cap, and Gettleman’s acquisition of additional draft capital in 2022 have positioned the NY Giants to prop open a window to compete either by continuing to build around Jones or moving on from him next spring.
Regardless of this season’s outcome, the NY Giants’ salary cap situation is markedly improved moving forward from when Gettleman first arrived. Now, it’s imperative that the wins begin to arrive.
Hot. NFL agent projects Giants' next three contract extensions. light
Matt Lombardo is FanSided’s National NFL Insider and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday. Email Matt: Matt.Lombardo@FanSided.com, Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL