Another week has come and gone, and Big Blue has made more moves in the offseason. Let’s dive into what the New York Giants have accomplished and the news surrounding the team.
The Giants have found their new offensive + defensive coordinators
After their hiring of Brian Daboll, Big Blue found new coordinators to work with their new head coach. Former Chiefs quarterbacks coach Mike Kafka comes to New Jersey and will serve as the offensive coordinator. On defense, the Giants bring in Don “Wink” Martindale, who recently coached for the Ravens with the same position.
My Thoughts: It’s a new era in East Rutherford. The Giants are bringing in coaches from successful teams (Chiefs, Ravens, Bills, etc.) Mike Kafka helped develop Patrick Mahomes into the superstar he is today. Martindale led a defense that ranked top 10 in efficiency from 2018 to 2020. There’s hope that Kafka can help get Daniel Jones to his full potential, and Martindale can get this defense back to a championship level.
Odell Beckham Jr. has a chance to win a Super Bowl Ring
After getting booted from the Giants and the Cleveland Browns, Odell finally found a home in Los Angeles. It’s safe to say the Rams were the perfect match for him, as they will face the Bengals this Sunday for the Lombardi Trophy. After not scoring a touchdown with the Browns this season, he has six touchdown receptions in 11 games with the Rams (regular season + postseason).
My thoughts: I’m thrilled to see Odell finally succeed on a winning team. It pains me to see him happy on a different team other than the Giants, but he’s gone through so much during his NFL career. His rapport with Matthew Stafford has improved over the weeks, and he’s one win away from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy with his teammates in their home stadium.
New York Giants & Salary Cap
Unfortunately, you need money to bring good players to your team. The Giants are at a bad spot, as they’re $23 million over the cap. General manager Joe Schoen wants to clear $40 million from the cap, which will allow the team to have $20 million to spend. There are tough decisions to be made, with players such as James Bradberry, Blake Martinez, and even Saquon Barkley on the trading block.
My thoughts: There’s always the possibility of restructuring the contracts of Bradberry and/or Martinez. Simply put, the Giants have some tough decisions to make. Sterling Shepard hasn’t been healthy on a consistent basis, but Daniel Jones targeted him a lot when healthy. James Bradberry is still a good cornerback, but he won’t fit the scheme of Martindale’s. Darius Slayton is still young, but he hasn’t produced for a team lacking in offensive weapons. To me, there are a few things the Giants could do to fix their cap space
- Trade Bradberry
- Cut P Riley Dixon (they signed former Browns P Jamie Gillian)
- Cut RB Devontae Booker, C Nick Gates, TEs Kaden Smith + Kyle Rudolph,
- Restructure LB Blake Martinez’s + WR Sterling Shepard’s contracts
If these things get done and other moves are made, the Giants should be able to reach their goal of opening $40 million+ in cap space.
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