As the NFL gears up for the official start to the new league year and the annual free agency frenzy, teams are beginning to make cuts in an effort to secure more salary cap space and spending money.
As a result of those cap cutting measures, two prominent former members of the New York Giants now find themselves on the open market.
Early on Friday afternoon, the Chicago Bears announced that veteran cornerback Prince Amukamara was among their cuts.
#Bears roster update:
We have released DB Prince Amukamara and WR Taylor Gabriel.— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) February 21, 2020
A first-round pick of the Giants in the 2011 NFL Draft, Amukamara spent the first five years of his career in East Rutherford before signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent in 2016 and then moving onto the Bears.
Amukamara’s time in New York was an interesting one. He started off a little sluggish and was a frequent hazing target, at one point getting thrown into the cold tub courtesy of defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul.
However, Prince eventually commanded respect in the locker room and on the field, having matured into the quality player many expected when he was first drafted. In fact, if the Giants are looking for a leader at the cornerback position, they may consider bringing Amukamara back to New York.
Later on Friday evening, Amukamara was joined on the chopping block by defensive tackle Damon Harrison, who was released by the Detroit Lions.
From Damon: pic.twitter.com/zpDVxIaj7H
— Damon Harrison Sr. (@snacks) February 22, 2020
After going undrafted in 2012, Harrison spent the first four years of his career with the New York Jets before signing with the Giants as a free agent in 2016 — the year of the big defensive spending spree.
That season, Harrison was named a First Team All-Pro and continued to play at a high level in 2017. In 2018, things got off to a rough start as Snacks swung a helmet at the unprotected head of then-rookie offensive lineman Will Hernandez and was later spotted challenging fans to fights on Twitter.
In late October, general manager Dave Gettleman made the right call in pulling the plug, sending Harrison to Detroit in exchange for a fifth-round pick, which the Giants used as part of a package to trade up in Round 1 to select cornerback DeAndre Baker.
At the end of the 2019 season, an emotional Harrison met with reporters and acknowledged his body was beginning to break down. Whether or not he returns in 2020 remains to be seen.
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