The Giants waited patiently this offseason to sign a cornerback to support the CB2 position alongside second-year defensive back Deonte Banks. Banks is slated to be the CB1, especially with Adoree Jackson initially leaving in free agency. However, the Giants brought Jackson back this past week to strengthen the unit.
Jackson’s Recent Performance and Potential with the Giants
Jackson is coming off his worst season as a professional, but at 28 years old, he still has the potential to help the Giants reinforce a position that is extremely thin this season. The former first-round pick from 2017 allowed 750 yards, two touchdowns, and recorded six pass breakups over 792 snaps in 2023.
The Giants experimented with Jackson in the slot, which proved to be a mistake. They quickly transitioned him back to the outside, but by then, the damage had been done, and a midseason injury further derailed his campaign. Jackson had a few standout performances but was generally inconsistent, and the Giants need more reliability from the seasoned veteran.
Contract Details and Financial Considerations
On Wednesday, Jackson signed a one-year, $1.75 million deal with no guaranteed money, according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic. He will have a $1.5 million base salary and can earn an additional $250K in per-game roster bonuses. The cap hit is just $1.7 million, which is extremely low. If Jackson secures a spot on the Week 1 roster this upcoming Sunday (which is expected), his $1.5 million base salary will become fully guaranteed, a minimal expense for the team.
Recently, the Minnesota Vikings handed out a one-year, $10 million deal to Stephon Gilmore, a significant overpay aimed at revitalizing their cornerback room. Gilmore is coming off a season where he served as the Dallas Cowboys’ CB1 after Trevon Diggs sustained a season-ending injury.
Giants’ Expectations for Jackson
The Giants are now relying on Jackson to step up, capitalizing on his familiarity with new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. Bowen was a linebackers coach when Jackson was with the Tennessee Titans years ago, but they share a common coaching background, which should help Jackson integrate seamlessly into the defense.
Current Cap Space and Roster Strategy
Currently, the Giants have $2.2 million in available team cap space, according to OverTheCap.com. This figure is before Jackson’s deal is factored in, leaving them with approximately $1 million available if needed, which isn’t much. The team can always restructure a contract as a last resort to free up additional cap space.
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The Giants were heavily relying on Cor’Dale Flott and Nick McCloud to step up and secure the CB2 job, but neither player showed the desired level of performance. The fact that Jackson is stepping in just a week before the regular season and is already being considered a potential starter highlights the team’s concerns about their secondary’s current state.