New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has been repeatedly shredded for his belief that defense wins championships (a quote taken out of context, mind you), but the actual finances show that he’s invested much more heavily in the offensive side of the ball.
In fact, after releasing linebackers Alec Ogletree and Kareem Martin earlier this week, the Giants now have the least amount of salary cap space allotted to their defense in the NFL.
The Giants currently have just $23.2M of their cap space for 2020 allotted to their defense. That’s less than Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald will count against their teams' cap. It's by far the least in the NFL, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next on the list at $42.9M.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) February 26, 2020
There certainly is a level of irony here given the narrative surrounding the Giants, including the one they’ve established for themselves.
The debate over defensive value aside, the Giants have an inordinate amount of holes on that side of the ball. Save for Markus Golden, an impending free agent, they lack a consistent pass rush, their cornerbacks are young and inexperienced, they need a free safety and it feels like it’s been decades since their linebackers were even respectable.
With a big pay day coming for defensive lineman Leonard Williams and all the other areas the Giants need to address this offseason, expect that $23.2 million number to balloon substantially.
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