It didn't take long for the New York Giants to move on from cornerback Cor'Dale Flott -- or at least try to anyway.
On Monday, the 24-year-old agreed to terms with the Tennessee Titans on a three-year, $45 million deal that will make him the face of Robert Saleh’s secondary. As it turns out, former Giants head coach and new Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll got Saleh on the phone with Flott at the last minute to help sway him to Nashville.
That left general manager Joe Schoen and head coach John Harbaugh in a pickle, and the Giants with a gaping hole at CB2 opposite Paulson Adebo.
Well fret not, because on Tuesday morning they wasted no time looking at alternatives, eventually taking a flier on 2021 first-round pick Greg Newsome II to help fill the void in defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson’s new defense. According to Jordan Schultz, it's a one-year deal, worth up to $10 million.
Giants take a flier on Greg Newsome II after losing Cor’Dale Flott
Even with Newsome in the mix (on a great deal), this secondary still has plenty of questions. The idea of Newsome has always been better than the player. And the one-year contract all but screams what the actual plan is.
The 25-year-old gives them a stopgap option opposite Adebo so they’re not forced to reach or overpay for another corner in free agency -- like a Riq Woolen or Nahshon Wright. But long-term, the position still needs a real solution. Unless Big Blue still wants to add either one of them over the next couple of days. I wouldn't hate it.
Wilson’s defense leans heavily on physical press-man corners, and the current roster doesn’t have nearly enough of them. That makes cornerback a position to watch closely when the 2026 NFL Draft rolls around. Names like Mansoor Delane (LSU), Jermod McCoy (Tennessee), Colton Hood (Tennessee), and Brandon Cisse (South Carolina) all could make some sense come April.
The former Northwestern standout might/could/potentially/hopefully help patch the Flott-sized hole for now. But if the G-Men are serious about revamping this secondary, the real answer probably isn’t on the roster yet. Newsome gives New York an option for now, but replacing Flott was never going to be that simple, which is why it stunk so bad losing him.