Without the New York Giants’ free-agent signings this past off-season, they would not be in a position to compete for first place in the NFC East and a potential playoff spot.
The Giants took down the Philadelphia Eagles in week 10, the first time they have won at home against this team since 2016. This victory was a huge blow to a Philadelphia team that was a clear favorite in the NFC East-leading up to this contest.
Beating them by a 10 point margin was significant, and it showed how far the Giants have come in such a short period of time. They previously lost to an Eagles squad that was down several players in the waning moments. The reality, the Giants, should’ve won that game as well and are currently 3-2 in the division. With the Dallas Cowboys trending down, they should be able to overcome them in week 17. The race for a playoff spot may come down to that matchup.
Without the signing of James Bradberry, the Giants would be nowhere close to the team they are right now. Hosting a 74.2 overall grade this year, Bradberry has allowed just 26 yards and three receptions over the last two games.
He has been elite in coverage, starting off the season even better, limiting star receiver Allen Robinson to just one catch and 14 yards, including an interception and three pass breakups. On the year, Bradberry has 32 combined tackles, 14 passes defended and has allowed a 61.5% completion rate. He has missed a few tackles and allowed three touchdowns, but overall, these numbers seem to be anomalies in the grand scheme.
Signing him to a three-year, $43.5 million deal, this is seeming to be a steal of a contract for one of the best corners in football.
Another stellar signing was Blake Martinez, a former Green Bay Packer linebacker. When the New York Giants signed Martinez, most were concerned about his coverage abilities, but the scheme he is playing in, formulated by Patrick Graham, has extracted his strengths and made him one of the best run-stopping defenders in the NFL. Thanks to team nutritionists, Martinez discovered an egg and dairy allergy, which was slowing him down. He has since eradicated these factors from his diet and is playing his best football because of it.
Against Philadelphia, he had his worst games of the season, ironically, but has been stellar in run defense and solid in coverage the entire year. He currently leads the NFL with 96 combined tackles, also tallying five quarterback hits, six tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one interception. Impressively, he has also recorded 2.0 sacks and 41 stops, showing how essential he is to the middle of the defense and how the Giants have utilized him through 10 weeks.
Having signed a three-year, $30 million deal, it seems as if Big Blue walked away with another steal of a contract and a player who fits perfectly into their system.
Graham Gano has played so well this season, he earned a contract extension (though 2023) after the week 10 win against Philly. He connected on two field goals, helping the Giants extract their first one since 2016.
Gano has only missed one kick this year, coming against the Chicago Bears, and it was a 50+ yard attempt. He has connected on four 50+ yard field goals this year, three of which came against the Dallas Cowboys. He hasn’t missed an extra point and has been reliable in every scenario.
There are several other players who could claim the number three spot for the best free-agent signings this past off-season, but leaving Gano out would simply be foolish. He has been the most consistent and arguably the Giants’ best player through 10 weeks, based on his point production.
This post was published on 2020-11-16 10:00
