New York Giants fans were left shocked after the team opted not to place the transition tag on star safety Xavier McKinney. McKinney is a 24-year-old phenom who played college ball at Alabama and is coming off a career year for the G-Men. So, why wouldn't the Giants tag him?
Giants' fans certainly have reasons for pause after Joe Schoen let Saquon Barkley and McKinney escape without a contract extension or tag. However, much to the happiness of Giants' fans, McKinney went on air with Kay Adams and shared his thoughts on the current situation. More importantly, he also discussed where his preference lies regarding what city he calls home come Week 1 of next season.
"I'm big for the Giants right now. That's where I want to be."
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) March 7, 2024
Xavier McKinney talks about his free agency https://t.co/nnELXjEXMj
(via @UpAndAdamsShow) pic.twitter.com/nYt5J7sieM
The Giants are hoping to keep Xavier McKinney in town
Adams even considering McKinney in Philly is a thought no Giants fans want to see. With rumors that the Birds also have interest in Barkley, the worst-case scenario would be to see two star players head to a division rival. Luckily, the Eagles already saw how taking defensive backs from East Rutherford has hurt them, as James Bradberry didn't live up to the hype.
In any case, despite initial outrage, Giants' fans are quickly coming around to the idea that transition tagging McKinney wasn't the right idea. With so many variables at play, what was initially unclear is now playing out exactly how Schoen planned.
To the disappointment of McKinney and all NFL safeties, the market is cratering, much like the running back market on the other side of the ball. Just this offseason, we've seen many of the league's best safeties surprisingly be released by their respective teams. Seeing All-Pro players like Justin Simmons and Jordan Poyer hit the open market for no return seems crazy. In reality, what it says is that NFL teams don't value the safety position as they do others and are willing to cut ties with these stars to trim their salary cap hit for 2024.
Unfortunately for McKinney, this doesn't bode well for his efforts to cash in on a big-time extension that he was hoping for. With the position's value at an all-time low, outside of enigmas like Kyle Hamilton and Antonie Winfield Jr., McKinney won't get the payday he deserves. Just maybe that means a return to NY is more possible than fans might've thought.
The NFL is moving away from quarterbacks hurling deep balls, with many teams opting to complete a majority of their passes at or behind the line of scrimmage. With this, a safety's responsibility is becoming less and less, ultimately decreasing their value proposition for NFL GMs. It will be fascinating to see how the safety market affects a potential deal with McKinney. Let's just hope that we see No. 29 flying around wearing Big Blue next season. It's clear he wants to stay with the Giants for the long haul.