Monday was a somewhat encouraging day for Daniel Jones.
The Giants didn’t sign Mitchell Trubisky to compete with him, and they landed two new starters for his offensive line: the Buffalo Bills’ Jon Feliciano to play center, and the Indianapolis Colts’ Mark Glowinski to play right guard.
They also agreed with two depth receivers: Robert Foster, 27, a former Brian Daboll player at Alabama and Buffalo who spent most of last season on the Cowboys’ practice squad; and C.J. Board, 28, a re-signing whose 2021 Giants season was cut short by a broken left arm.
One after another, the Giants’ own free agents strolled out the door: tight end Evan Engram to the Jacksonville Jaguars, special teamer Keion Crossen to the Miami Dolphins and defensive lineman Austin Johnson to the L.A. Chargers.
That’s the result of the Giants making low-ball offers, though, and saving the money they do have for targeted signings at positions of desperate need.
New Giants GM Joe Schoen agreed with Glowinski, the team confirmed, on a reported three-year, $20 million contract that includes $11.4 million guaranteed. And Feliciano, a guard/center who plans to play the pivot for Jones, is joining the Giants on a one-year deal with undisclosed terms, per Syracuse.com.
Feliciano is a controversial personality. He tweeted last summer that “it’s been proven that Covid was made in lab. Fauci also a part of Pfizer. That’s why ppl don’t want to get the vaccine. Sad to come to the realization that you can not trust the government. #dontshootthemessenger.”
And he tweeted the hashtag “#FauciLiedPeopleDied” about Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical advisor to the President of the United States.
These signings are designed to fill two of the four holes on the Giants’ five-man front.
Trubisky, the Bills’ backup quarterback, agreed to a reported two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he’ll have a chance to start.
Trubisky had been named in several reports as a Giants target, but signing him would have kicked off an ill-advised training camp competition and undone John Mara’s January commitment to Jones for a fourth pro year.
It’s important to note that signing Glowinski, 29, does not guarantee the Giants are rock solid at right guard. Glowinski platooned/split reps with Colts guard Chris Reed for several games midseason in 2021 after Reed had filled in well for injured Quenton Nelson on the left.
Glowinski has had struggles in pass protection. He allowed 38 pressures in 16 games last season, per Pro Football Focus. That’s a higher rate than the player he’s replacing. Will Hernandez surrendered 36 in 17 games last season.
Feliciano also has played in only nine games in each of the last two seasons and logged only eight snaps at center in 2021, per Pro Football Focus, playing mostly guard.
The Giants simply are putting their trust in offensive line coach Bobby Johnson to get the most out of this group. Johnson came from the Bills, so he knows Feliciano well. And the Giants don’t have the money to compete at the top of the guard market for a player like the Niners’ Laken Tomlinson, who went to the Jets on a three-year, $40 million deal with $27 million guaranteed.
Their salary cap crunch was created by former GM Dave Gettleman’s woeful mismanagement and ownership’s ill-advised 2021 spending spree to go all-in and abandon a plan to rebuild.
By contrast, it had to be tough for Giants fans to watch the Jets open their wallet for Tomlinson and reported deals for Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah (three years, $24 million), and re-signings with receiver Braxton Berrios (two years, $12 million, $7 million guaranteed) and Tevin Coleman.
The Jaguars charged out of the gate as the biggest spenders of the NFL’s 48-hour free agent negotiating period, a window that will run into the start of the new league year on Wednesday afternoon, when all of these agreements will become official.
Jacksonville inked reported deals with Cardinals receiver Christian Kirk (four years, $72 million, $37 million guaranteed), Raiders receiver Zay Jones (three years, up to $24 million), Engram (one-year, $9 million), Washington guard Brandon Scherff, Falcons LB Foye Oluokun (three years, $45 million) and Jets NT Foley Fatukasi (three years, $30 million).
The biggest quarterback news of the day was that the Houston Texans’ Deshaun Watson met with the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints as his two preferred suitors in a potential trade, per Pro Football Network.
Watson could end up in the same division as Tom Brady, who unretired on Sunday to play a third season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Noteworthy top tier free agents at several other positions cashed in, too.
Patriots corner J.C. Jackson agreed with the Chargers on a reported five-year, $82.5 million deal. Seahawks tight end Will Dissley stuck in Seattle on a three-year, $24 million contract with $15.98 guaranteed.
Former Giants third-round pick B.J. Hill got paid to re-sign in Cincinnati on a reported three-year, $30 million deal with $15 million in year one. And two NFC East teams paid pass rushers to chase Jones around the Giants’ backfield:
The Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence agreed to a three-year, $30 million extension to stay in Dallas, according to a source, making him the first defensive end in NFL history to have seven straight seasons of full guaranteed deals.
And Panthers edge rusher Haason Reddick, of Camden, N.J., and Temple University, went home to the Philadelphia Eagles on a reported three-year, $45 million deal with $30 million fully guaranteed. ESPN and NFL Network reported a majority of the contracts on Monday.
The Giants still have needs all over their roster and created another one by losing Crossen, who signed what Pro Football Network reported as a three-year, $10.5 million deal. Johnson reportedly inked a two-year contract worth up to $14 million with incentives.
They have decisions to make on trades or releases for corner James Bradberry, who has a large cap hit; safety Logan Ryan, whom some in the front office want out; and running back Saquon Barkley, whom the team has had conversations about possibly moving.
They’re expected to shop in the bargain bin or use their nine draft picks, undrafted free agent signings or other teams’ roster cuts to fill most of their needs.
Quarterbacks Jacoby Brissett and Tyrod Taylor are names to watch as backups. Ravens linebackers Josh Bynes and Chris Board are likely targets for Wink Martindale’s new defense. And while the Giants did sign Jamie Gillan to a futures deal and cut Riley Dixon, keep an eye on the market for both long-snappers and punters.
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Source: Berkshire mont
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