The New York Giants elected to decline the option on free safety and Antoine Bethea on Wednesday, opening up $2.7 million in cap space, according to The Athletic’s, Dan Duggan.
General manager Dave Gettleman has made a series of moves to open up more cap to allocate in free agency. I imagine they will likely spend some money at the position, as Bethea was poor in coverage last season. He posted just one interception, which came within five yards of the line of scrimmage, six passes defended, and 110 combine tackles. He acted as a better strong safety, moving up to stop the run.
However, with Jabrill peppers returning in 2020, Bethea’s skill set isn’t needed any longer.
Who’s left on the market for the New York Giants?
The options still available on the market include Malcolm Jenkins, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Clayton Geathers, and several other options.
I imagine that Clinton-Dix and Jenkins are the two more appealing options for the Giants if they elect to go that route. Clinton-Dix, who is 27 years old and formally of the Green Bay Packers, could be a decent option, especially with the recent trend for Big Blue including former Packers’ players.
They could also look to the NFL draft to sure up the free safety position, but they would have to accept the fact that a decline in experience and quality would accompany that decision. They could also plug Julian Love into that role, who recorded in interception last season at the position.