Jermaine Eluemunor just agreed to a deal that might make the rest of the offensive tackle market look completely ridiculous when free agency is all said and done.
The New York Giants brought their starting right tackle back on a three-year, $39 million contract, which feels like a horrifically reasonable price for an under-the-radar offensive lineman who's a sneaky great pass-protector. At roughly $13 million per year with $26 million guaranteed, the Giants locked in the right side of their line without having to jump into the usual free agency bidding madness. Seriously, this is highway robbery.
There was speculation the 31-year-old could get upwards of $20 million per season, which could spell doom for another tackle still sitting on the market.
Somewhere out there, Rasheed Walker’s agent is sweating bullets. Because with Eluemunor signing for cheap, the tackle market just got twisted into a bit of a contract pretzel.
According to Spotrac, the former Green Bay Packer is expected to get a bag this offseason -- four years and $81 million -- but for teams not looking to become the league’s next punchline, it might be tough for the 26-year-old to find that market. And that's all thanks to Eluemunor.
Jermaine Eluemunor just made Rasheed Walker’s payday a lot more fuzzy
Although age will definitely play a large factor in the difference in their contracts, the biggest difference is that Walker has played left tackle while Eluemunor has played right. Teams will pay significantly more for a left tackle than a right one.
Even still, Walker is a good-not-great option that the Packers were okay with letting go, which should tell you all you need to know about his upcoming deal.
A couple of teams make some sense for Walker. The Patriots, Titans, Browns, Raiders, and Steelers all stand out as possible landing spots. But if you look at where those teams are right now, it’s easy to see how one of them could end up overpaying for the former Penn State Nittany Lion.
Except for the Steelers, all of them have or will soon have a young quarterback leading the charge who needs a bouncer. And because the tackle market is light this year, that’s exactly the kind of circumstances where a classic overpay happens. Which, in turn, makes the Giants look even better for locking in a borderline unreal deal with Eluemunor while the rest of the league fights over the only remaining option and risks looking foolish when the dust settles.
That’s the beauty of it.
The Giants locked down Elu for $13 million a year while the rest of the league prepares to throw Monopoly money at one of the last ones remaining. If someone ends up paying Rasheed Walker $81 million (or even more), things could get silly fast. You can almost guarantee they're going to instantly regret letting Big Blue get such a great deal with Eluemunor.