The New York Giants were prepared to enter the 2020 season relatively thin at the cornerback position, but they couldn’t have prepared themselves for what was to come.
DeAndre Baker found himself in hot water following an arrest for an alleged armed robbery in Florida, ultimately landing him on the commissioner’s exempt list, and then Sam Beal decided to opt out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
An already thin group became a dire cause for concern, and with training camps now underway, the Giants find themselves running out of time to locate reinforcements.
We’ve broken down similar lists earlier this year, but now is the time to do it again. Here are seven cornerbacks the Giants could potentially turn to in the coming days, weeks and months.
Logan Ryan
This will sound like a broken record, but Ryan is the most obvious choice for the Giants because he’s arguably the best cornerback remaining on the free agent market. He’s also been connected to the team quite a bit through rumor and speculation.
Back in March, Ryan praised Giants head coach Joe Judge, while Giants Wire also listed him as an under-the-radar free agent to sign around the same time.
The former Rutgers and New England Patriots star should be very high on the Giants’ shopping list. They need a veteran corner who knows the ropes and how to win and the connection to Joe Judge and Patrick Graham has to come into play here.
Dre Kirkpatrick
The 30-year-old Kirkpatrick missed 10 games during the 2019 season as the result of a knee injury, and it’s clear his best football is behind him. Still, there are precious few fish swimming around in the free agent pond at this point, so if nothing else, Kirkpatrick would provide New York a quality veteran presence.
Kirkpatrick had drawn interest from the Las Vegas Raiders before they signed former Giant first-round pick Prince Amukamara, but nothing materialized.
It’s likely Kirkpatrick could be had for a cost-effective one-year deal, so the salary cap impact would be minimal. And while head coach Joe Judge isn’t interested in adding “teachers,” that’s exactly the type of role Kirkpatrick could come in to play while also serving as a quality depth presence or even temporary starter across from James Bradberry.
Ross Cockrell
Cockrell is a former Giant and while he didn’t exactly light things up during his stay in East Rutherford, he was serviceable.
Cockrell has had his moments in recent years, but it’s been somewhat of a roller coaster — some really good, some really bad.
In 2019, Cockrell allowed a passer rating of 68.6, a completion percentage of 55.2 and just a single touchdown. Since 2010, he’s also among the NFL’s best cornerbacks in forced incompletion percentage.
Trumaine Johnson
After bombing with the Jets, previous few will be excited to see Trumaine Johnson’s name listed here as a potential option. But don’t get mad at us, get mad at DeAndre Baker for creating a void and COVID-19 for putting Sam Beal on the sidelines.
The Jets ate a substantial amount of dead cap just rid themselves of Johnson, who missed 15 games over two seasons for Gang Green, but there was a reason they signed him to a five-year, $72 million deal in the first place.
While with the Rams, Johnson had excelled and established himself as one of the better cornerbacks in football. Could he turn back the clock? Would a one-year, prove-it deal help motivate him?
At the age of 30, Johnson’s career is winding down and he could likely be had for cheap.
Brandon Carr
The 34-year-old Carr may not seem like an ideal option for the Giants, but they aren’t exactly in an ideal situation.
On the plus side? Carr has never missed a game over his 12-year career and logged an impressive 748 defensive snaps for the Baltimore Ravens in 2019. He finished the year with a 67.5 grade courtesy of Pro Football Focus, which isn’t terrible, all things considered.
Carr wouldn’t be a long-term answer for the Giants, but if he could be had a one-year deal or a one-year deal with second-year option, why not? They need all the help they can get.
Morris Claiborne
A first-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the 2012 NFL Draft, Morris Claiborne certainly has some familiarity with the NFC East. Moreover, he spent two seasons with the New York Jets, so he’s also familiar with the area, the weather and MetLife Stadium.
Last season, the 30-year-old Claiborne won a Super Bowl title with the Kansas City Chiefs, so now he’s also seen what it takes to win firsthand.
That all amounts to a lot of positives when considering the dire situation the Giants currently find themselves in, and all of those experiences could make Claiborne an ideal fit for New York at the current time.
Claiborne is obviously not a superstar and some would be wary of him and his 63.9 PFF grade lining up alongside James Bradberry, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers.
Tramon Williams
At 37 years of age, there’s little surprise that Tramon Williams remains unsigned. However, this is poised to be a unique season with unique circumstances, and the Giants can already attest to that.
Williams broke into the NFL as an undrafted rookie free agent with the Houston Texans before almost immediately finding his way to the Green Bay Packers, where he remained through the 2016 season.
Williams then had stints with the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals before returning to the Packers in 2018. Now an unrestricted free agent, some up in Wisconsin are confused as to why he hasn’t been brought back.
Williams has appeared in 199 games (152 starts) over his 13-year NFL career and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2010. He finished last season with a 75.1 PFF grade and would not only give the Giants a solid option alongside Bradberry, but a wealth of experience for the young players to learn from.
