Day 1 of the “legal tampering” period across the NFL has come and gone, and to say there was quite a bit of activity would be an understatement.
There was a fever pitch league-wide as massive contracts were handed out or agreed to, but none of those came by way of the New York Giants, who were unexpectedly silent throughout much of the day.
That’s not to say the Giants completely hid under a rock, however. There were some clear indications that they may focus heavily on the linebacker position in free agency, while the trade rumors surrounding Odell Beckham Jr. refuse to die.
Here’s a quick recap of what happened in Giants land on Monday:
Spencer Pulley re-signed
When the Giants re-signed center Jon Halapio over the weekend, many assumed that meant the end of the line for Spencer Pulley.
Not so fast.
The Giants not only re-signed Pulley on Monday, but gave him a three-year deal worth $9.6 million, which seemed preposterous for a backup interior lineman, but that came prior to indications of what the market will bare. And what it will bare is substantial.
As an example, the Cincinnati Bengals re-signed right tackle Bobby Hart, who was the weaker of a pairing with Ereck Flowers, to a deal worth over $21 million.
Allow that to register. Bobby Hart cashed in to the tune of $7 million-plus per year. Bobby Hart.
Not such a bad deal for Pulley in immediate hindsight.
Landon Collins is now the enemy
After general manager Dave Gettleman failed to slap the franchise tag on safety Landon Collins, it was apparent he’d be playing elsewhere in 2019. But, as it turns out, he’ll be staying close.
The Washington Redskins will sign Collins to a whopping six-year, $84 million deal, which makes him the highest-paid safety (on average) in the NFL.
Collins to the Redskins also means that the former Giants second-round pick is now the enemy and will have to be dealt with at least twice a year.
It’s a nice story for Collins, who is a deserving player and has dreamed of playing for the Redskins, but it’s a lose-lose situation for the Giants.
Odell Beckham Jr. won’t be traded. Or will he? Who knows.
The Odell Beckham Jr. trade rumors simply will not fade away despite wildly inconsistent reporting and the fact that, financially, it makes little sense for the Giants to deal him to another team.
Like a wrecking ball, Monday ushered in a new wave of these rumors with several outlets reporting the Giants were openly discussing trading the superstar, several other outlets suggesting the team is not actively looking to move Beckham, even more outlets suggesting there’s no truth to this and a handful of reporters throwing their hands up because it’s all so ridiculous.
The truth behind all of this is that nothing has changed. The Giants, as Dave Gettleman said, did not sign Beckham to a massive long-term deal only to trade him away.
Will they refuse phone calls from teams offering things for Beckham? Of course not, but short of a historic haul the likes of which we’ve never seen, Beckham isn’t going anywhere.
With that in mind, prepare yourselves for an advancement of these unfounded rumors on Tuesday.
Giants sniffing around linebackers
While the Giants didn’t come to terms with any free agents on Monday, they did do some sniffing around. More specifically, they seemed to zero in on the linebacker position.
The Giants reportedly have “significant interest” in linebacker Preston Smith, and they were also in contact with linebacker Deone Bucannon.
While nothing seemed to materialize with those two players on Monday, keep an eye on some developments on Tuesday.
Giants were in on Kareem Jackson
We learned overnight that the Giants had been in contact with defensive back Kareem Jackson prior to him agreeing to terms with the Jacksonville Jaguars on a three-year, $33 million deal with $23 million guaranteed.
With limited cap space available, the Giants weren’t serious contenders at those numbers, but they may not be far off.
After the first round of players all break the bank, the Giants may become more involved on the second tier as they bargain hunt.
