Free agency is just around the corner. In March, each of the thirty-two NFL teams will be competing with each other to sign free agents on the open market. The New York Giants are estimated by Spotrac to have over $69 million in cap space before they start trimming the fat and cutting veteran contracts. They can be big-spenders in free agency if they want to be.
The Giants have a need at one of the sport’s most premium positions. Pass-rushers always get paid the big bucks in free agency because they have such a great impact on the game. Luckily for the Giants, the 2020 free agents class is loaded with big-name pass rushers. If the Giants break the bank, they could turn this position of weakness into a position of strength.
Jadeveon Clowney
The top free-agent edge rusher in 2020 is Jadeveon Clowney. The former number-one-overall pick was traded to the Seattle Seahawks this year. It is very possible that Clowney’s stint in the Emerald City will only last one year.
Jadeveon Clowney has never had a season with double-digit sacks. However, he is still regarded as one of the NFL’s most disruptive pass-rushers. Clowney is constantly in the face of the quarterback. He had 48 pressures in 2018 and 30 pressures in 2019.
Jadeveon is also a dependable player. He will show up and perform week-in and week-out. He has played over 800 snaps in each of the last three years (PFF). Clowney is also one of the best run-defending edge rushers in the league. If the Giants want to improve both their run defense and their pass-rush, Clowney is their best option. However, he will not come cheap.
According to Spotrac, Jadeveon Clowney has an estimated market value of $20 million on average annually. This would make him one of the highest-paid players at his position. It might be hard for the Giants to commit that amount of money to a player that has a career-high of 9 sacks.
Shaquil Barrett
Shaquil Barrett is another player that switched team in 2019. Barrett is a stud young pass-rusher that started his career in Denver and spent five years there before signing a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019.
Barrett signed a one-year “prove-it” deal last offseason worth $5 million. He definitely proved himself worthy of a higher salary this season and is bound to get paid big-time in 2020. Shaquil led the NFL this season with 19.5 sacks. He was constantly getting to the quarterback with 51 pressures.
The 27-year-old edge rusher is going to get a massive deal this offseason, though not as expensive as Clowney’s. Shaquil Barrett has an estimated market value of $15.7 million on average annually (Spotrac). This is a more competitively-priced contract. If Barrett can uphold his 2019 production standards then this salary will be well worth it. Unfortunately, it seems like Barrett plans on staying with the Buccaneers (Sports Illustrated).
Yannick Ngakoue
The Jacksonville Jaguars have made it clear that resigning stud edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue is their “number one priority.†However, the two sides have not come close to making a deal. Last offseason, Ngakoue held out of training camp in hopes of a contract extension. The two sides have not been able to agree on a deal, which will lead to Yannick testing the market in 2020.
Through 4 seasons, Ngakoue has totaled 37.5 sacks. He has not had a single season in his career with less than 8 sacks, hitting that number in all 4 seasons including a career-high 12 sacks in 2017. Additionally, Ngakoue has totaled 122 combined tackles over 4 years.
At only 24 years-old, Yannick Ngakoue would be a vital building block for the future of the Giants’ future. However, Yannick’s talents would not come cheap. The pass-rusher has an estimated market value of $17.1 million on average annually, according to Spotrac.