Things only seem to get worse for the New York Giants after DeAndre Baker was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List and reserve corner Sam Beal opted out of the 2020 season. Supplementing the loss of two potential starting players is never an easy thing, and head coach Joe Judge will likely have to make a move.
While it is possible the Giants stick with their youth players like Julian Love, Darnay Holmes, and Chris Williamson, there’s also a good chance they look to a free agent.
Here’s one free agent, the New York Giants, should consider:
Reports have indicated that the Giants could supplement the CB2 spot with a free agent. The name Logan Ryan, Ross Cockrell, and Dre Kirkpatrick have all entered the fold following Baker’s increasingly problematic legal issues. While Ryan’s statistics are extremely enticing and Cockrell played well for the Giants back in 2017 (3 INTs), a cheaper, more reliable option would be Kirkpatrick.
Dre has spent the last eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, playing as a boundary corner and starting consistently throughout his career. A six-year span between 2013 and 2018 saw him miss just eight games. Last season in 2019, Kirkpatrick missed ten contests, playing in just 31% of defensive snaps. Injury significantly limited his production last season, but that might open the door for a cheap contract with the Giants.
How much cap space do the Giants have?
The Giants currently have about $21 million in cap space available, and the smart would move would be to roll over as much as possible into the 2021 campaign. Signing a veteran on a cheaper deal is the most efficient transit, and Kirkpatrick would fit the bill nicely with his experience in the NFL.
At 31 years old, he’s no spring chicken, but two years ago, in 2018, he recorded a 50% completion rate against an allowed two touchdowns over 774 snaps. He would pair nicely with James Bradberry, the Giants’ high-priced free-agent signing. On a one-year deal, it would give the Giants some time to work out the CB2 spot and not put their defense in danger.
The secondary has been extremely volatile the past few seasons with rookies and inexperienced players manning key positions, and adding an established veteran to compete would be a positive move. An incentive-laden deal with Kirkpatrick makes the most sense, paying him more if he starts a specific number of games for Big Blue. It would be a win-win for both sides, and the New York Giants would feel more comfortable going into the regular season without a preseason to iron out the position.