The Giants restructured cornerback Adoree’ Jackson’s contract on Monday to free almost $6 million in salary cap space.
GM Joe Schoen would prefer not to kick any more salary cap pain down the road. He only wants to restructure contracts as a last resort.
But the Giants are in such dire need of cap space for 2022 that they’ve now restructured two players in the last two weeks: kicker Graham Gano and Jackson.
Monday’s restructure of Jackson converted $8.965 million of his contract to a signing bonus and added a fourth void year in 2024, per ESPN, to create $5.98 million of cap space this season.
That followed the Gano restructure, which converted $2.63 million of his salary to a signing bonus and added a fifth void year in 2024 to create $1.753 million in cap space.
It’s important to note that the Giants’ decision to restructure Jackson, 26, was not just financial. It also reflects their personnel preferences.
They could have saved cap space instead by extending James Bradberry to reduce his untenable $21.8 million cap hit. But the team has shown no interest in doing so.
They prefer Jackson the player to Bradberry, with new defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale bringing an aggressive, press-man scheme.
“I think he’s a good player for us,” head coach Brian Daboll said Monday of Jackson. “The restructures and all of that stuff, I think that’d probably be a better question for Joe. Just happy [Adoree’] is here. Energetic. Good being around him this morning.”
The Giants also are carrying $11.45 million in dead money for Logan Ryan to not be on the team. That was a release motivated by a desire to get the defense’s leader off the field and out of the locker room.
Jackson has not played well enough yet to justify his initial three-year, $39 million contract. He’ll have to elevate his performance significantly to match the team’s current investment.
League sources still expect Bradberry to be traded soon, meanwhile, with the Chiefs, Texans and Colts as teams to watch. The veteran corner is doing his own thing while he waits for the Giants to find a resolution to their predicament.
Safety Xavier McKinney said it “sucked” to see Ryan released and acknowledged Bradberry was not with the team for the start of the offseason program. He said this is typical of the turbulent NFL start he’s experienced with the Giants.
“I was actually talking to J.B. a day ago and I told him these two years, it has felt like I’ve been in the league for six years,” McKinney said. “Just with all the COVID stuff and just the staff movements and things going around in the organization.”
DRAFT SHUFFLE
Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman traded two of his three first-round picks on Monday to get an extra first-rounder from the Saints in 2023. And New Orleans now holds two first-rounders of its own in this month’s draft.
The Eagles entered Monday holding picks No. 15 (from Miami), No. 16 (from Indianapolis) and No. 19 in the first round. They traded Nos. 16, 19 and a sixth-rounder (No. 194) to the Saints.
In exchange, New Orleans gave Philly its first-rounder this year at No. 18, a third-rounder (No. 101), a seventh rounder (No. 237), a 2023 first-rounder and a 2024 second-round pick.
The Saints have an obvious need at receiver and are trying to continue competing in Dennis Allen’s first season. So now they have enough capital to draft a wideout plus another key player to help their team. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, meanwhile, is taking a long-term view.
LINE DANCE
The Giants hold picks No. 5 and 7 (from Chicago) in this NFL Draft. They are expected to use one of those picks on an offensive tackle to start on the right side this fall. Daboll was asked on Monday if it’s more important that a lineman run block or pass protect in his offense.
“The job of an offensive lineman, particularly for our tackles, is going to be to be able to keep the width of the pocket, protect them inside out and get movement at the line of scrimmage,” Daboll said. “Those are the two main things we look for in our offensive linemen, and that’s what we’re going to continue to look for. I don’t think there’s…some guys are better at one than the other thing, but at the end of the day, they have to be able to do both to be an effective player for us.”
THE SKED
The next item on the Giants’ schedule is a voluntary pre-draft minicamp from April 19-21 at the team’s facility, culminating in a Schoen press conference on April 21. The Giants are hosting prospects on top 30 visits and completing evaluations as phase one of their team’s offseason gets underway, as well.
()
Source: Berkshire mont
Be First to Comment