The New York Giants and winning football haven’t exactly been synonymous over the better part of the last decade. There are almost too many reasons why that’s the case, but poor roster management and head-scratching decision-making sit at the top of the list.
General manager Joe Schoen is still running things after going 22-45-1 over the last four seasons. It’s truly shocking, but if there were ever a time for him to reach into his bag of tricks and make something happen, it’s now. The G-Men have more than 25 players set to hit free agency, and while most won’t be worth bringing back, there are a select few he should be fired for letting walk out the door for nothing -- something he’s grown way too fond of.
Many Giants fans will be familiar with the big three -- Jermaine Eluemunor, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Cor’Dale Flott -- but sometimes prioritizing a key depth piece for pennies on the dollar is just as important as locking up the stars. Fifth-year safety Dane Belton could be a can’t-miss piece Schoen can’t afford to let walk out the door.
The Athletic's Dan Duggan made it impossible for the much-maligned GM and Co. to overthink bringing Belton back... although, the 46-year-old tends to have a mind of his own when it comes to letting players walk in free agency:
"Belton is the type of player winning organizations re-sign. The 2022 fourth-round pick has developed into an excellent special-teamer who makes plays when filling in at safety."
Re-signing Dane Belton should be easy offseason call for Giants
Before any roster cuts, contract restructures, or trades, Big Blue will enter free agency with around $5 million in cap space. That number should climb once the usual offseason dominoes start falling, but the reality remains the same: they’re going to have to get creative when it comes to filling out this roster.
Belton’s valuation is all over the place. Spotrac projects him at $6.2 million per year, while Over the Cap has him closer to $2.6 million.
If I were a betting man, I'd say the final number is on the lower end of that spectrum. The reality is the 25-year-old is not a starting-level safety, but he's an integral piece to the special teams unit. Teams aren't paying top dollar for break-glass-in-case-of-emergency spot-starters whose talents are best suited for the return game. Which could be great news for the Giants.
That doesn’t mean you let them walk, either. As Duggan explained earlier, Belton is the type of player winning teams re-sign. After watching players like Julian Love, Xavier McKinney, Daniel Jones, and Saquon Barkley walk and find success elsewhere over the past few seasons, it’s time to rethink the strategy and make sure the guys already in the building are part of this team getting over the hump.
Not every move needs to be a home-run swing. Sometimes it’s the under-the-radar signings that end up making all the difference.