With free agency almost here, the NY Giants need to make strategic decisions if they want to make a return to the playoffs. With 26 of their own players set to hit the market, one name that likely isn't coming back is cornerback Adoree' Jackson.
Jackson signed with the Giants before the 2021 season after being cut by the Titans during free agency. Jackson's had a decent tenure with the Giants, but his play dwindled this past season. No contract extension talks before the 2023 season began also indicated that the Giants didn't see Jackson in their future plans.
With a solid rookie season from Deonte Banks, the organization needs to find a suitable corner to pair with their first-round pick, assuming Jackson doesn't return. Enter Sean Murphy-Bunting, who started his career with the Buccaneers before signing a one-year deal with the Titans last year. WithShane Bowen making the move from Tennessee to New York, it'd make sense for Murphy-Bunting to do the same in order to replace Jackson.
Sean Murphy-Bunting is a perfect Adoree' Jackson replacement
Murphy-Bunting's one season in Tennessee under Bowen, where he played 14 games, was quite head-turning. In those games, he appeared in 846 snaps, 753 of those coming at outside corner. He was truly used on the outside, logging just four snaps in the slot.
He recorded 57 tackles, three tackles for loss, eight pass deflections and two interceptions. In coverage, he allowed two touchdowns on a 63.8 percent completion rate and a 91.8 quarterback rating. In comparison to Jackson's 2023 season, Murphy-Bunting had the slight edge in coverage. Jackson had a 65.9 percent completion rate when targeted as well as a 95.5 quarterback rating.
The one underrated area Murphy-Bunting was better at than Jackson was tackling, asserting himself as a willing tackler. In 2023, he missed just two tackles, the least of his career. Jackson missed nine tackles, the most in his career.
Adding Murphy-Bunting shouldn't break the bank by any means. He signed a one year, $3.5 million deal with the Titans last offseason and should receive a similar deal soon. Spotrac has his value at $6.7 million per year, with a projected two-year, $13.5 million deal. It's a big step down from Jackson's projected average annual value, which is set at $11.3 million per year.
The Giants currently have just four cornerbacks rostered: Banks, Cor'Dale Flott, Aaron Robinson and Tre Hawkins. Adding Murphy-Bunting to a young, mostly inexperienced defensive backs room would help tremendously in terms of learning Bowen's system. He's also relatively young, as he'll be 27 years old by Week 1. Another thing Murphy-Bunting brings to the table? He knows how to win, as he helped the Buccaneers defeat the Chiefs in Super Bowl 55.
The Tennessee free agent is a solid player that can more than hold his own on the outside and has the experience in this system to do so. The Giants should absolutely bring in Murphy-Bunting to fill their cornerback void.