This week many NFL teams will be faced with the decision whether or not to exercise the fifth-year option on their first round-picks from 2017.
For the New York Giants, that player is tight end Evan Engram, who they selected with the 23rd overall pick that year.
They also hold the option for another first-round pick in that draft. Safety Jabrill Peppers was selected 25th by the Cleveland Browns. Peppers, of course, was traded to the Giants last year in the Odell Beckham Jr. deal.
The one-year extension would be guaranteed for injury only and the price for players selected outside of the top 10 (picks 11-32), which Engram and Peppers were, is the average of the third through 25th highest salaries at a player’s position.
“We’ll make the decisions this coming week, general manager Dave Gettleman said on Saturday. “With the craziness on and off the field so to speak over the last six weeks, we’ve had preliminary conversations. We’ll make those decisions pretty quick.”
The Giants are expected to exercise both player’s options, even though both are coming off season-ending injuries.
Engram underwent surgery to repair a Lisfanc ligament in December and was still in a walking boot at the end of February.
“I haven’t seen him,” said Gettleman. “None of us have been in the building in over a month. As far as I know, he’s doing fine. That’s all I know.”
The restrictions have also kept the Giants out of the loop on Peppers’ condition as well. He missed the last month of the 2019 season with a transverse process fracture in his back, but is expected to be in training camp and regain his starting safety role next to rookie Xavier McKinney this summer.
