The New York Giants have been linked to star pass rusher, Jadeveon Clowney, this off-season, but general manager Dave Gettleman should be careful where he allocates his money. The Giants are expected to have around $80 million in open space to spend his free agency, but Clowney is asking for upwards of $22 million per season. That would slash about 25% of the Giants’ cap right off the bat, almost totaling their entire allocation towards the defense currently, at $29 million.
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Considering Gettleman intends to enter the 2020 regular season with $20 million in cap space left over, signing Clowney would ultimately write off 50% of all the allocations they have to spend this off-season. That would leave $40 million to address the linebacker position, cornerback, and offensive tackle depending on their draft selections.
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What the New York Giants should do instead:
While Clowney earned elite grades, according to PFF, with the 87.3 overall grade in 2019, he ranked 88th in sacks with just three, 12th in force fumbles with three, and 49th with 22 solo tackles. Clowney’s production does not scream elite by any means, but he is capable of shutting down an entire side of an offensive line, which makes him extremely valuable for any team.
Alternatively, for the Giants, they can pursue an option like Kyle Van Noy, who has been productive for the New England Patriots. While Van Noy hasn’t earned a Pro Bowl selection during his career, he has won two Super Bowl’s over the last three seasons with the Patriots. During that time frame, he has logged 16.5 sacks, to 189 combine tackles, and 37 quarterback hits. As an outside linebacker, he’s capable of rushing the passer and also dropping back into coverage, as he earned a 55.6% completion percentage in 2019. Also, his 9.7% missed tackle rate decreased significantly from 14.8% in 2018.
I believe pairing Van Noy, and Markus Golden on cheaper deals is far more valuable than signing Clowney for $22 million per season. Allocating that amount disables the Giants from addressing other positions of need. They are better off signing Byron Jones to lock down the number one corner spot, and Van Noy to act as a stopgap until they can find a better pass rusher.