The New York Giants and general manager Dave Gettleman had a strong offseason, adding several key free agents at areas of need and then, by most accounts, nailing the 2020 NFL Draft.
Despite that, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell still views their offseason work near the middle of the pack, recently ranking their offseason at No. 14 overall.
What went right in Barnwell’s mind? The additions of cornerback James Bradberry and linebacker Blake Martinez for starters.
What went right: The Giants needed a lot this offseason, and general manager Dave Gettleman addressed many of the biggest concerns. Help in the secondary? They signed corner James Bradberry from Carolina. A fix for the rotating void at inside linebacker? Blake Martinez came over from Green Bay. Protection for Daniel Jones? They used the No. 4 overall pick on tackle Andrew Thomas, who should start his career at right tackle before replacing Nate Solder on the left side.
It remains to be seen whether Joe Judge will be up to the task as a first-time head coach, and his name didn’t exactly excite Giants fans, but new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was once one of the league’s most promising playcallers. (Remember that Garrett was the Ravens’ first choice to replace Brian Billick in 2008.) Recent league history is littered with guys like Pat Shurmur, Gary Kubiak and Todd Bowles, each of whom looked behind the times and overwhelmed as head coaches before revitalizing their careers when moved back into a coordinator role. Garrett could do the same in New York.
And what went wrong for the Giants? Ironically, it was the additions of cornerback James Bradberry and linebacker Blake Martinez coupled with the team’s decision not to sign a top-tier pass rusher.
What went wrong: Bradberry and Martinez both signed expensive deals, with Martinez’s three-year, $30.8 million contract sticking out at a typically low-cost position for a player some Packers fans were happy to see leave town. The Giants also didn’t address what might be their biggest position of need by adding an edge rusher; they haven’t been able to re-sign Markus Golden and only added Kyler Fackrell, whose 10.5-sack season in 2018 sticks out like a sore thumb, given that he had six sacks across his three other seasons combined.
Barnwell was also critical of the Giants’ decision to place the franchise tag on defensive lineman Leonard Williams — a common gripe, it seems.
Gettleman also placed the franchise tag on defensive lineman Leonard Williams, doubling down on the inexplicable trade he made to acquire Williams for a going-nowhere Giants team last season. Williams will make $16.2 million and attempt to have his long-awaited breakout season in 2020, while New York will send a fourth-round pick in 2021 to the Jets to go with the third-rounder it shipped this past draft. Williams proceeded to file a grievance in the hopes of being repositioned as a defensive end, which would earn the former USC star an additional $1.7 million.
Unsurprisingly, Barnwell believes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the league’s best offseason, while the Houston Texans just made a mess of things.
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