Tag: Xavier McKinney

Giants named a ‘perfect team fit’ for edge rusher Bryce Huff

ESPN named the New York Giants as a “perfect team fit” for impending free agent edge rusher Bryce Huff (New York Jets).

The New York Giants will have roughly $21.8 million in salary cap space when free agency opens, but they could create as much as $80 million with several cuts and restructures.

The number could also rise depending on where the NFL sets the cap ceiling, which is an announcement that will be made in the very near future.

So, what will the Giants do with that money as they prepare their roster ahead of the 2024 NFL draft? Some expect general manager Joe Schoen to target an edge rusher, including ESPN’s Matt Bowen, who recently named Bryce Huff a perfect fit.

With a new defensive coordinator in Shane Bowen, the Giants would benefit from adding Huff — a flamethrower off the edge — to play opposite Kayvon Thibodeaux. Last season with the Jets, Huff produced 10 sacks and logged a pass rush win rate of 21.8% (eighth in the league). The Giants, meanwhile, were tied for 28th in sacks with 34.

Huff has been with the New York Jets since being inked as an undrafted free agent out of Memphis in 2020. He came into his own this past season with 10.0 sacks after having a second-round tender placed on him by the Jets in March.

The Giants were hoping that Azeez Ojulari would be that bookend for Kayvon Thibodeaux, but he has not been able to stay healthy. It could be time to move on and Huff could be had at a reasonable price.

Meanwhile, Giants running back Saquon Barkley was named a perfect fit for the Houston Texans and safety Xavier McKinney for the Green Bay Packers.

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Could Giants use the rare transition tag on Xavier McKinney?

The New York Giants are reportedly considering the rare transition tag for impending free agent safety Xavier McKinney.

Xavier McKinney was selected by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. His four years suiting up in blue were up and down, but last season McKinney took his game to a new level.

And he knows it, which is kind of bad news for the Giants.

In a few short weeks, McKinney becomes an unrestricted free agent unless the Giants re-sign him or tag him. The option to place the franchise tag on players began on Tuesday, but it doesn’t seem the Giants want to use it just yet. And they haven’t re-signed him, either.

But there is one more option — one that is rarely used in the NFL. The transition tag. It’s an option that’s very much in play, reports Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.

They will negotiate with McKinney’s representatives and if a deal cannot get done — there is no reason to believe an agreement will be reached — they have until March 5 to apply the lesser-used transition tag on him. That is a possibility, the Post has learned.

McKinney’s franchise tag cost is $16.2 million, while the transition tag cost is $13.9 million. Essentially, what the transition tag does is give McKinney an offer. Then he can test the market to see what other teams will offer him. When he gets an offer he likes, he presents it to the Giants, who then have a chance to match.

If the Giants don’t want to match, or can’t, McKinney is free to accept that offer. The Giants receive nothing.

But, this tactic allows both sides to continue working on a long-term deal while McKinney looks for offers.

For McKinney, like many players, he just wants to feel appreciated.

“I want to be appreciated in every way for what I do and bring to the table. As a player and as a leader. I’ve stood by myself ten toes through the critics, the hate etc. sacrificing what those around me didn’t want too or were afraid too for those same people to make it a better situation for all of us,” McKinney posted last week. “May not always have been beneficial for me but it was for US. Don’t let that go over your head. And I’d do it 10 times over again.”

It’s already been discussed that re-signing McKinney has to be a priority, but whether the Giants feel that way remains to be seen.

McKinney looks to command a high dollar amount, and we saw this at the end of the 2022 season with Julian Love. He went elsewhere. Which, unfortunately, may be exactly what happens with McKinney.

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Packers picked as best fit for free agent safety Xavier McKinney

Xavier McKinney was one of the best safeties in football in 2023, and the Packers have a huge need at safety entering the 2024 offseason.

ESPN’s Matt Bowen picked the Green Bay Packers as the “best fit” for free agent safety Xavier McKinney in his review of the site’s top 50 free agents entering the 2024 offseason.

For the Packers, McKinney provides the ideal combination of talent, production and potential at arguably the team’s biggest roster need.

McKinney, 24, was a second-round pick of the New York Giants in 2020. He’s played in 49 career games over the last four seasons, tallying nine interceptions, 27 passes defensed, six tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 1.5 sacks. In 2023, McKinney played 100 percent of the defensive snaps for the Giants.

The Packers have to address the safety position this offseason and could see McKinney as the type of young, ascending player worth spending on in free agency.

From Bowen:

This might be a stretch given the Packers’ history in free agency, but McKinney can play both safety spots, with the ability to cover down and create range in the post. He had three interceptions last season with the Giants, and I see him as a good fit for a Packers defense that will change its coverage and pressure tendencies under defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.

At Pro Football Focus, McKinney ranked fourth in overall grade among safeties in 2023. He missed only seven tackles and was the position’s highest graded player in coverage. McKinney allowed only 8.7 yards per completion, intercepted three passes, didn’t allow a touchdown pass and gave up a passer rating of 53.3 into his coverage last season.

McKinney played snaps at free safety, in the box and in the slot for the Giants defense in 2023. He could represent the ideal single-high safety for Hafley, who is going to need a reliable coverage player and tackler at the backend of the secondary.

Cost will be an issue. McKinney is a talented player at a position lacking difference-makers across the league. Even if interested, the Packers won’t be alone — and Green Bay might not have the kind of salary cap flexibility to pay up for a safety.

Could Brian Gutekunst make a splash in free agency? Adding an ascending talent like McKinney would be one way to attack the team’s biggest roster need.

Giants and safety Xavier McKinney headed for a divorce?

The New York Giants and safety Xavier McKinney appear to be headed for divorce based on GM Joe Schoen’s views on positional value.

The New York Giants have an abundance of needs entering free agency and the last thing they want to do is create more personnel issues, but that may be the route they choose to take.

Among their biggest pending decisions is what to do with safety Xavier McKinney.

The franchise tag window opened on Tuesday but general manager Joe Schoen does not seem eager to use that option on either McKinney or running back Saquon Barkley. Accordingly, both are likely to hit the free agent market on March 13.

A similar situation played out for the Giants a year ago when safety Julian Love became a free agent and landed a contract with the Seattle Seahawks. Schoen had offered him a deal but it was well below what Love had been seeking.

Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, during a recent appearance on Talkin’ Giants with Bobby Skinner and Justin Penik, said he expects a near-mirror image of that this offseason.

“No, I don’t believe (McKinney) is going to be back,” Dunleavy said. “Positional evaluation. They didn’t pay Julian Love; they replaced Julian Love with dirt-cheap Jason Pinnock.

“Generally speaking, if you don’t believe in paying a running back (then) you don’t believe in paying a safety.”

The problem for the Giants is that McKinney is one of their best players and they already have an abundance of depth issues at nearly every position. Those of us at Giants Wire previously argued that the safety should be a priority to re-sign.

Schoen apparently disagrees and that may have a little something to do with what McKinney is expected to seek in terms of contractual value.

“I think Xavier McKinney sees himself as a top 5-paid safety. He told me this year he believes he’s a Hall of Fame-caliber player,” Dunleavy said. “He is not going to be looking for a hometown discount. And I think the Giants will make him an offer but I don’t think it’ll be what he’s looking for. Think he’ll hit the open market.”

Add safety and possibly running back to the growing list of Giants needs this offseason.

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Ranking 2024’s top 12 free-agent safeties

The 2024 offseason’s top 12 free-agent safeties

The Carolina Panthers probably won’t be hunting down some of the best safeties on the open market this offseason. Heck, they’re likely to depart with a pretty decent-sized name of their own.

Nonetheless, let’s wrap these rankings up and give you the top 12 safeties of free agency.

Should the Giants prioritize re-signing Xavier McKinney?

Should the New York Giants prioritize re-signing safety Xavier McKinney, who has begun lobbying for a new deal?

In less than one month, the 2024 NFL free agency season begins.

The New York Giants have had a lot to consider this offseason, and not just on the coaching side. They have 30 players entering some form of free agency — that’s more than half of their 53-man roster.

General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have to prioritize who to keep and who to let test the waters.

One of those free agents is safety Xavier McKinney, whose rookie contract is coming to a close. Selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft, McKinney is coming off his best season by far. He appeared in every game and, alongside linebacker Bobby Okereke, was one of four defenders in the entire NFL to not miss a single snap all year.

With all of the players the Giants have to consider, though, should McKinney be a priority to re-sign during free agency?

The short answer is yes, they absolutely should. It’s not just about his stats, which were the best he’s had in his career, but it’s about his leadership on the field. His tenacity. His desire to be out there and do his job.

Even if the Giants use a franchise tag, they have to find a way to keep McKinney around. He recorded 116 tackles (78 solo) this season, 0.5 sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and 11 passes defensed.

The only player who had more tackles than McKinney was Okereke (149, 92 solo).

The Giants simply cannot afford to lose that production on the defensive side of the ball. McKinney should absolutely be a top priority for the Giants during free agency.

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FOX Sports ranks 2 Giants among top 50 impending free agents

FOX Sports released their list of the top 50 impending free agents and two New York Giants made the cut (as did a pair of former Giants).

The New York Giants have yet another crucial offseason ahead of them with plenty of work to do following a season of regression last year.

General manager Joe Schoen and the front office will be busy at work but at the forefront of their priority list is deciding about their own players set to become free agents when the new league year begins on March 13.

FOX Sports recently released their list of the top 50 free agents and two Giants players made the cut.

Former Giants Leonard Williams (17) and Kevin Zietler (36) also made the list.

The list also included potential landing spots for all 50 players and the Giants were only listed for two other players other than their own: running back Josh Jacobs (15) and wide receiver Marquise Brown (32).

While it may be obvious who the two Giants are who made the list, let’s see where they fell.

10 safeties the Colts should target in free agency

Taking a look at some safety options for Indy in free agency.

There are plenty of question marks that surround the safety group for the Indianapolis Colts entering the 2024 offseason.

The first is whether Chris Ballard will re-sign Julian Blackmon. He’s the proven player of the group and if he does depart this offseason, then it would leave a glaring hole on the defense.

There is promise with Nick Cross but it’s a bet on his development this offseason while Rodney Thomas II has to rebound to how he performed his rookie season or he could be fighting for a roster spot.

With or without Blackmon on the roster, a veteran option should be considered by Ballard. The good news is that there is a quality group of safeties set to hit the market.

We should note that we understand a handful of these players won’t even hit the market, but we’re working under the hypothetical scenario that they become available, regardless of how slim the chances are.

If Chris Ballard decides to add to the position group via free agency, here are 10 players that the front office should target.

ESPN ranks 2 Giants among top 50 pending free agents

ESPN has released their list of the top 50 pending free agents and two New York Giants made the cut.

The new league year and the official start of free agency are just around the corner, and that will mark a busy time for NFL teams.

Free agency is always a frenzy, and the New York Giants will likely be quite active this year. They have multiple in-house free agents they must make decisions on and then determine what positional needs to address prior to the 2024 NFL draft.

ESPN recently took a look at the free agent pool and determined the 50 best players available. Among them were two Giants.

First up is running back Saquon Barkley, whom ESPN had ranked No. 27 overall.

Barkley has the traits to produce in any pro system, thanks to his ability to hit home runs. He’s a true lead back: a volume player who has amassed 288 receptions and 47 total touchdowns over his six pro seasons, and he tied for ninth this season in runs for 10-plus yards (26). But while he is averaging 98.8 scrimmage yards per game over his career, he has played only two full seasons since being draft No. 2 in 2018.

Barkley was the most obvious choice, and next up isn’t much of a surprise, either: safety Xavier McKinney at No. 34 overall.

Here’s a versatile safety with the ability to cover down, the post range that NFL teams covet and the ball skills to produce takeaways. McKinney had three interceptions this season, and he has nine picks and 14 pass breakups in his four pro seasons.

Former Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who was traded to the Seattle Seahawks midseason, also made the list. He was ranked higher than both Barkley and McKinney at No. 16 overall.

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3 Giants ranked among PFF’s top 100 free agents

Three members of the New York Giants have been named among Pro Football Focus’ top 100 impending free agents.

The New York Giants have three players ranked in Pro Football Focus’ top 100 free agents.

Big Blue had a down year in 2023, only winning six games after winning a playoff game the year prior. The team struggled with a multitude of issues but the highlights were the inconsistency in quarterback play and the long-withstanding issues amongst the offensive line.

Due to these shortcomings, some talent (that was in the last year of their contracts) went to waste.

Here are PFF’s top players from the Giants who are slated to hit the market.