General manager of the New York Giants, Dave Gettleman, has never been proactive in solving defensive secondaries, yet, he invested multiple draft picks in 2019 towards bolstering the cornerback unit.
Selecting DeAndre Baker in the first round, Julian Love in the fourth, and Corey Ballentine in the sixth was supposed to give the Giants plenty of options moving forward in the secondary. However, the lack of production from the draft picks was evident throughout the season. Hopefully, they can take a significant leap forward in 2020 after acquiring a year of experience under their belt.
The New York Giants need to sign a veteran:
Gettleman is apparently interested in former Dallas Cowboys corner, Byron Jones, who’s just 27 years old and presents the best option in free agency at the position. He will cost upwards of $17 million per season, but worth every penny in the process.
Another veteran option has become available this offseason, though, as the Chicago Bears cut former Giants, Prince Amukamara.
#Bears roster update:
We have released DB Prince Amukamara and WR Taylor Gabriel.— Bears Communications (@BearsPR) February 21, 2020
Amukamara was a first-round pick with Big Blue in 2011, and after spending five years in blue, he was allowed to walk in free agency. He spent one season with the Jacksonville Jaguars and then took his talents to Chicago.
With the Giants currently looking for an established veteran in the secondary, Amukamara could fit the bill, especially alongside second-year player, DeAndre Baker.
Prince earned a 68.2 grade via PFF, about 20 points better than Baker, who should slot in as the No. 2 option in 2020. After not recording an interception in 2019, he posted three in 2018, showing he can be a ball hawk at times. His 66.2% catch-rate was exponentially higher than his 2018 value of 57.3%. Seeing a significant increase in catch-rate is not a good sign for the veteran corner, but it could have been a product of his inept team that featured Mitchell Trubisky on offense.
If the Giants are looking for a cheaper corner with experience, Amukamara could fit the bill nicely.