The New York Giants went on a completely unexpected spending spree in free agency despite having limited available cap space entering the new league year, but that was all part of the plan.
Assistant general manager Kevin Abrams told reporters on Tuesday during a pre-draft Zoom conference that the Giants planned to be more aggressive from the onset and had been given the okay from team ownership.
Abrams is very blunt in answering the questions. Said the Giants knew they could afford a few big salaries headed into free agency.
— TheGiantsWire (@TheGiantsWire) April 20, 2021
VP Football Ops/Asst. GM Kevin Abrams: "We knew we were going to be aggressive" in free agency.
— Dan Salomone (@Dan_Salomone) April 20, 2021
Although the Giants were able to create enough cap space to allow for several big-ticket free agent signings, which included handing out the third-most guaranteed money in the NFL, the same scenario is unlikely to play out in 2022.
Abrams said the Giants have a “conservative estimate” about where the cap will reside in 2022 and admits it could be “more challenging” to manage.
“2022 could be a little bit of a challenge depending on where the cap goes to,” Abrams said. “Then beyond, I’m more optimistic that nothing that we’ve done this year puts us in any kind of precarious position, but the next year could be a little bit of a challenge.”
The good news is that after a potential hiccup in 2022, Abrams believes the Giants will be in good cap shape — something that will possibly be benefitted further by a significant increase to the league’s cap ceiling.
“It’s going to depend on science and state legislatures, and fans in stands, and a lot of other variables. We’ll see how it goes,” Abrams said. “I don’t think we’re in a bad spot cap wise, but you know, next year could be a little more challenging than, than probably the years after that.”
The risk here is that the 2021 free agents don’t pan out and the Giants find themselves in a position where they are unable to correct their mistakes a year from now. However, neither Abrams nor general manager Dave Gettleman seem at all concerned with the players they signed and don’t envision that issue cropping up.
And, according to Abrams, they’re not yet done adding to that 2021 free agent tally.
