The New York Giants have a void to fill in their secondary opposite second-year cornerback Deonte Banks. Veteran CB Adoree’ Jackson is unlikely to return in 2024, meaning the Giants will need to search for his replacement this offseason.
Thankfully, a robust market of veteran cornerbacks awaits Big Blue in free agency. A handful of veteran corners will be available for the Giants to target.
Giants already meeting with recently-released Jaguars cornerback
The Giants have already begun expressing their interest in the veteran cornerback market in free agency. They will be hosting CB Darious Williams on a free-agent visit on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Williams was recently cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars after two seasons with the team.
In 2023, Williams turned in the best season of his career, totaling four interceptions, 19 pass defenses, and 53 combined tackles. Pro Football Focus gave him a 79.5 overall grade for the season with an 85.3 coverage grade which ranked fourth among all defensive backs in the NFL.
Williams will be 31 years old this season, but he is still playing at a high level and could bring some stability to New York’s secondary in 2024. He has been on the field for 900 or more snaps in each of the past three seasons. Signing Williams would be an upgrade for the Giants, but they would have to cough up a fair amount of salary cap space — he has a projected market value of $12.8 million per season, according to Spotrac.
Reuniting a veteran cornerback with the Giants’ new defensive coordinator
New defensive coordinator Shane Bowen will be implementing a new scheme this season. Bringing in familiar faces could be a helpful way for Bowen to install his system and maintain some sense of continuity. Veteran CB Sean Murphy-Bunting could be an option to reunite Bowen with a defensive back who has experience playing in his system.
Murphy-Bunting is a 26-year-old cornerback who spent the 2023 season with the Tennesse Titans where Bowen was the defensive coordinator. He totaled 57 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, eight passes defended, and snagged two interceptions in 14 starts in 2023 as one of the Titans’ starting outside cornerbacks.
If the Giants want to target a cheaper option in free agency, Murphy-Bunting would fit the bill. Spotrac projects a market value of $6.7 million per season for Murphy-Bunting’s services, an affordable figure for the Giants who currently have around $38 million in cap space.
Upgrading the nickel cornerback position
If the Giants want to improve their coverage in the slot, Kenny Moore II will be among the top nickel cornerbacks in free agency. After seven seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, Moore will be a coveted free agent this offseason. He’s coming off of a career year and could be an attractive option for the Giants who plan on running more nickel and dime packages under Bowen in 2024.
In 2023, Moore racked up 93 combined tackles with eight tackles for loss, three interceptions, and six pass defenses. He took two of those interceptions back for touchdowns, both against the Carolina Panthers in Week 9.
Right now the Giants have a bit of a question mark inside at cornerback. Cor’Dale Flott is the projected starter but the third-year cornerback has struggled to outright win the starting job to this point. Moore would step in as an immediate upgrade to the Giants’ slot cornerback position.
PFF projects a two-year contract worth $6.75 million per season for Moore in free agency, making him another affordable target. Signing Moore would still leave the Giants with a void on the boundary, but the value of a shutdown nickel cornerback should not be underestimated in the modern NFL.