The New York Giants made two major roster moves today. New York freed up $13.05 million in cap space after cutting linebackers Alec Ogletree and Kareem Martin. These cuts were expected to be made all offseason but are now official.
The Giants will save a nice chunk of cap space by letting Ogletree and Martin go. But they likely are not going to stop there. Here are a couple more veteran players the Giants might soon cut from the roster:
Rhett Ellison
The New York Giants signed Rhett Ellison in 2017. Since then, he has served as the second-string tight end behind Evan Engram. Engram has been used as the team’s receiving tight end since his speed and athleticism make him a bit of a matchup nightmare. But Ellison, on the other hand, has been used primarily as a blocker.
The Giants signed Ellison to a four-year deal worth $18 million. He has been making $4.5 million on average annually. 2020 is the final year on Rhett’s contract. New York can save $5 million in cap space if they cut Rhett Ellison this offseason.
Ellison has not had a huge role in the offense the past few years and it seems like the Giants have found a sound replacement in Kaden Smith. It would be a wise move to release the 31-year-old tight end.
Antoine Bethea
If the Giants cut Antoine Bethea like they are expected to, he will be a “one-and-done” player. Dave Gettleman and the Giants signed Bethea last offseason. Antoine’s performance in 2019 was disappointing, to say the least.
The Giants signed Antoine Bethea to a two-year, $6.5 million deal last year. Cutting Bethea this offseason would save the Giants $2.75 million in cap space for the 2020 season.
The Giants might already have Antoine’s replacement on the roster in Julian Love. Regardless, Bethea is 35-years-old and looks like a shell of his former self. The Giants are likely to move on from the veteran safety in the coming weeks.