by Adam Nardelli @adamnardelli
With NFL Free Agency quickly approaching us, let’s look at four free agents the Giants should target come mid-March. 2021 is obviously a critical year in determining the futures of Daniel Jones at quarterback and Dave Gettleman as the General Manager. A few big hits in free agency could go a long way in getting Daniel Jones some more weapons and helping this team churn out a few more wins, something Dave Gettleman desperately needs to remain at the helm.
I’ll give a contract prediction for each player based on Spotrac.com’s market value estimator and PFF’s contract prediction.
Obviously the Giants don’t have the cap space to sign all of these free agents (and may not have the cap space to sign any of them), but if they are able to clear enough space and have room for one big splash move in free agency, these are a few of the best guys to target.
- WR Corey Davis: Davis had a breakout season in his final year under contract with the Titans, but the big question is if he can propel his 2020 campaign into long-term success. Davis catches everything and can be a great compliment on the outside to Sterlinghepard who is at his best in the slot.
Contract prediction: 4 years, $50 million
- CB William Jackson III: The CB2 spot was a glaring area of need in Patrick Graham’s defense last season. Adding William Jackson III would give the Giants one of the best CB tandems in the NFL, if not the best. Jackson’s never named with the other top corners in the league, such as Jalen Ramsey or Tre’Davious White, but he’s always around the ball and disrupting plays as his 11 passes defended in 2020 shows. I’m not sure if Dave Gettleman will invest highly at CB in two straight off-seasons, but if some other top free-agent targets aren’t available, it isn’t the worst position to throw money at.
Contract: 3 years $40 million
- EDGE Yannick Ngakoue: The Giants pass rush could use an upgrade and there’s no denying that Ngakoue can get after the quarterback. According to CBS Sports, Ngakoue is one of just three players with eight or more sacks over the past five seasons (Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack are the other players). He also has 18 forced fumbles since 2016, which lags only behind Mack’s 20. His disruptiveness is evident, and as he approaches just 26 years old, he’s younger and probably a bit cheaper than Shaq Barrett, the current prize of the edge rusher free-agent class.
Contract: 4 years $65 million
- WR Kenny Golladay: In 47 career games with the Detroit Lions Golladay has 3,068 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. In Calvin Johnson’s first 47 career games he had 3,166 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns. Does anyone need more reason why Golladay should be the Giants #1 free agent target? With the news coming down that Golladay won’t be franchise tagged allowing him to hit the open market, it’s clear he’s in for a huge payday. The Giants may not have the cap space to bring him in, but if they can manage it this move would give Daniel Jones a true #1 receiver on the outside, something you can argue he’s never had. A healthy Saquon Barkley and the addition of Golladay would be massive upgrades for Daniel Jones, and would greatly help the Giants know where they stand with Jones as their quarterback.