One of the best moves from the NY Giants this offseason was signing offensive guard Jon Runyan Jr. The former Packers lineman is set to be a big piece of the puzzle for Big Blue, but thanks to Hard Knocks, we've found out he nearly didn't make his way to New Jersey.
Actually, let us rephrase, he almost didn't make his way to the right part of the state. As it turns out, Runyan could have been Florham Park-bound, as the New York Jets had a top offer on the table for him. However, Joe Schoen didn't want to lose out on him, so he upped his offer and ultimately landed his signature. Take that, Robert Saleh and Aaron Rodgers!
This is a cool glimpse into the free agency process within an NFL front office. The #Giants learn that the #Jets have a better offer on the table for G Jon Runyan Jr.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) July 17, 2024
Giants then make a counter offer to get the deal done. pic.twitter.com/sKBis9SLth
Jon Runyan Jr. nearly signed with the Jets over the NY Giants
In the clip above, Hard Knocks revealed that the Jets had their eyes on both Runyan and Jermaine Eluemunor, who both ended up with the G-Men. With Runyan, Gang Green offered him a two-year, $18 million contract with $17 million guaranteed.
Schoen found out about this and didn't want to lose out on the veteran guard. Therefore, he went back to Runyan's reps and put a three-year deal worth up to $30 million on the table, matching the $17 million guaranteed. Luckily for the Giants GM, that package got things done.
Interestingly enough, this clip also shows that the Giants had serious interest in stud guard Robert Hunt, but he ended up inking with the Panthers for $100 million over five years, with $63 million guaranteed. Rather than breaking the bank for Hunt, the Giants ended up with Runyan and Eluemunor, which plenty of fans are thrilled about.
Revamping the offensive line was obviously a huge focus for the Giants this offseason. In 2023, the team gave up a league-worst 85 sacks, which led to offensive line coach Bobby Johnson being shown the door. Runyan was a splash move on Day 1 of free agency, but goodness, it sure looks like the Jets were close to reuniting him with Rodgers. Thankfully, that didn't prove to be the case.