The New York Giants Need An Upgrade At Free Safety – Here’s Who’s Available

Watching New York Giants free safety, Curtis Riley, try to tackle runners in the open field is about as bad as watching Nathan Peterman play quarterback.

Riley has been the Giants’ starting free safety throughout the current campaign. His performance has been mediocre, consistently missing tackles and taking bad angles in the open field. So far, he’s amassed 49 total tackles, two interceptions, and three passes defended. While those numbers don’t necessarily have “bad” written all over them, it’s the context that matters. A majority of the 2018 season has been a defensive battle, as the Giants’ offense has stalled early and often.

With the defense playing catch-up and suffering through fatigue, it’s only fair that we give them a little slack.

To give you an idea on how porous Riley has been, here’s a few tweets:

https://twitter.com/fifapex/status/1066774097059823616

These are just three of hundreds you can find by simply typing in, “Curtis Riley” on Twitter.

But, the point here is that the Giants will need to begin looking elsewhere to sure up the position in 2019.

Here are two free agents that could help the New York Giants at free safety in 2019:

       1. Lamarcus Joyner

First on the list is Joyner, a five year veteran that’s only 27 years old. The current Ram signed a one-year, $11.287 million contract for 2018, but will be a free agent in 2019. The Giants could look to him to sure up the secondary, but he will come with a hefty price-tag.

Joyner will likely be looking to earn a long-term deal, and it all comes down to the Giants’ salary cap space and if they’re willing to pay top-dollar for a quality free safety.

In 2017, Joyner had a breakout year, recording three interceptions and nine passes defended. He also had 49 total tackles and a pick-six. He would be an instant upgrade over Riley but will likely want something in the range of a three-year, $25 million deal.

         2. Tyrann Mathieu

The former Arizona Cardinal was a hot-commodity on the free agent market in 2018, signing a one-year prove it deal with the Houston Texans worth $7 million. Next season, he will be looking for a long-term payday, given he can remain healthy for the remainder of the year.

The free safety finished his first season completely healthy in 2017, which is why Houston managed to get him on such a great deal. He will be looking to prove he can stay 100% the entire season and be a regular contributor. The Giants aren’t looking for a liability, but two full seasons of health bodes well for the Texan.

So far this season, he’s amassed two interceptions, five passes defended, and 61 total tackles. Overall, he’s proven his worth, and he should be given a look by the Giants next offseason. I could see him signing with a team on a three-year deal worth around $25 million, similar to that of Joyner. Again, it will ultimately come down to general manager Dave Gettleman and his desire to open the check book.

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