When the New York Giants initially signed pass-rusher Markus Golden to a one-year prove-it deal in 2019, they anticipated a bounce-back season after struggling through injuries for several years. The last time Golden was useful was back in 2016 when he logged 12.5 sacks.
After two seasons of no production, Golden backed up his resume with a double-digit, 10.0 sack performance in 2019. Some believe that the Giants and GM Dave Gettleman should let the outside linebacker walk this offseason, as his sacks were primarily coverages sacks or finishing actions. However, it says something about Golden’s ability to be in the right place at the right time to clean up shop.
Golden will likely be in the market for a multi-year deal worth somewhere in the $16-18 million per season range. As a two-way player containing powerful hands and an unstoppable motor, he’s an asset to any team willing to dish out the cash. The only question is health, and betting on him to remain reliable is the most significant concern.
After a clean 2019, though, putting your chips on his wellness seems like a solid bet, and his statistical production only justifies that statement. According to Pro-Football-Reference, Markus racked up 72 combined tackles, 27 QB Hits, and 13 tackles for a loss.
The primary issue is that Golden cannot produce enough of an initial push to put opposing quarterbacks under immediate pressure. This is ultimately what caused the Giants’Â defense to lack sacks and pass-rush support for the secondary, who were thrashed weekly.
The New York Giants need more than just Golden on the line:
While dishing out a big-contract to Golden isn’t necessarily a problem, it’s the void on the other side of the defensive front that poses a concern. The Giants need more push, and Gettleman still needs to allocate cap-space to the tackle position and secondary. The Giants do have the 4th overall pick available, but Isaiah Simmons offers too much value in the middle of the defense to pass on. Unless the Giants trade back, grab an offensive tackle, and collect another second-round pick to spend at the linebacker position, they should take the sure-fire player in Simmons.
The reality is, Big Blue has too many holes and not enough cap-space or draft picks to fix with premium talent. Golden is a good risk for solid production, but he’s by no means a dominant player.