Free Agency: Clowney in Blue?
The Giants have a lot of money to spend, and it seems like they aren’t going to hold back when it comes to building their defense. At the combine in Indianapolis, New York Giants’ general manager Dave Gettleman said that they didn’t have enough veteran New York Giants in the locker room. When March 18th hits, big blue will be heavily involved in free agency. Rumors circulating right now are linking the G-Men to one Jadeveon Clowney, who is known to be among the best game wreckers in the NFL. Clowney’s presence would quickly boost this Giants team, and give them more life on the defensive side of the football. His versatility when being able to play both linebacker, rush off the edge, and the elite run defense he provides seems like a perfect match for what Joe Judge is looking for in year 1. Throwing a third of your cap space on one player is risky. But a sixty-nine year old GM who has had back to back-to-back 10+ loss seasons may make that kind of move to save his job. If the Giants do decide to pay Clowney the 22-23 million he is asking for, critics may be confused, considering he only played 13 games last season. The front office and scouting department also needs to dig deep into the injury history of Clowney, which seems like the only thing holding him back from becoming one of the stars of this league.
If the Giants do indeed sign Clowney, the remainder of their free agent signees may not be the hottest names, but they will need to have more affordable players in mind if they are committed to giving Clowney the bank.
Frankly, Gettleman has struggled in free agency since he returned to New York. His tendency to sign older players to help mentor the franchises’ future will again fail as it did w Bethea and Kareem Martin. Fortunately, Giants’ fans have room for optimism which is that Judge strongly disagrees with that philosophy. At his latest press conference during the combine said “It’s important that we have a young team. They have fresh legs, and are impressionable. The coaches can mold them.”
Pat Shurmur’s opinion never seemed to really matter when it came to important decisions that big blue had to make in his two years. Whether it was the draft or free agency, the Maras relied on Gettleman too much to bring this team back from the dead. But this year has been different. The media has taken shots at Gettleman, and he has taken full responsibility and provided answers that seem to be based on Judge’s mindset to build this team. This is a positive for the Giants, it seems as if they are going to worry about bringing in versatile football players rather than scheme fits who look like a match for this team on paper. This off-season is obviously one of the most important ones for the Giants to build on for years to come, and they cannot afford another signing like the contract that was given to Nate Solder just two years ago.
What are the Giants going to do if Clowney is offered more money from another team? This question is an important one, and has no perfect answer. But, as Joe Judge continues to show he deserves to be coaching this legendary franchise, New York will become a more attractive destination for young, and talented players. Kyle Van Noy, who played under Judge for 4 years in New England, is on the Giant’s radar, and I can see him being the backup plan if Clowney doesn’t work out. This would provide more money to spend on their other needs in free agency. As well as an opportunity to plug one or two more holes before draft night. Which would allow the front office to take the most talented player on the board instead of reaching or trading down for a need. The NFL fanbase is ready for one of the most interesting offseasons this league has seen in years.
Writer/Gamer