Giants signing former Bills CB would be huge for Deonte Banks

With a lot of moves made during the first week of free agency, the NY Giants are likely still looking for secondary help to bolster a defense that on paper, already has a tremendous front seven and a lot of potential to be pretty good.

On paper, a defense that just acquired Brian Burns to go with Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Bobby Okereke and Micah McFadden is pretty scary to look at. Plus, add in Jason Pinnock and Deonte Banks, who also are strong players and the leaders of the secondary. However, said secondary can always use more help.

The Giants tried to pursue veteran Darious Williams before he signed with the Los Angeles Rams. Some thought the price tag for Williams might have been why the Giants didn’t land him in free agency. If the Giants are looking to stay on the cheaper side, but are also looking for a solid veteran, here’s one for them, and a player they know well: Tre’Davious White.

The Giants targeting Tre'Davious White in free agency must happen

White's a former member of the Bills that Giants general manager Joe Schoen helped draft back in 2017 when he was the assistant GM. Also, Brian Daboll knows him from his days as the Bills offensive coordinator, so the familiarity is already there.

White was released after seven seasons with the Bills and has yet to be signed during the first week of free agency in the NFL. White is coming off an Achilles tear suffered in Week 4 that limited him to just four games played. He also suffered a torn ACL back in 2021 and didn’t return to the team until late 2022, playing in the final six games.

So yes, the injuries on White are a concern. But again, the Giants are likely looking for an affordable player, so White may not be able to look for top dollar in free agency like he once could. White had previously signed a four-year, $69 million contract extension with Buffalo for how well he played, but with his injuries, he can’t expect that now.

However, before the Achilles injury, White was still playing at a high level in 2023, as Pro Football Focus had him at a 79.0 grade for coverage and a 68.0 overall grade on the season. With Adoree’ Jackson potentially not coming back to the team and Tre Hawkins still developing, White is someone the Giants could look at on a one-year, prove-it type deal to see if he can still be the same high-level cornerback that can come to the Giants and be another strong part of a defense that has high expectations for 2024.

White would also be a great player for Banks to play alongside of and learn from given White’s success in the league. Banks had a good first season, but with someone that has the veteran presence like White, Banks, and Hawkins too, could benefit a lot from a really good veteran corner to help guide them.

If the Giants are still looking at free agency to add a veteran cornerback, depending on what the price tag is and what he may be looking for in a contract after his release, White should be on Schoen’s radar and someone the Giants try to land.