Copr. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images 2024
Former Dolphins safety Jevon Holland highlighted day 2 of a three day exercise in signing young talent to aid the Big Blue in pass defense. The deals made today were sorely needed, as the Giants ranked 31st in the NFL in 2024 in opponent completion percentage allowed while only forcing five interceptions. Holland’s signing was met by a mixed reaction within the Giants community, with some praising the move being made at a relatively low asking price on Holland’s end, while others wonder why the Giants released former safety Xavier McKinney in the first place. Fear not Giants fans, this pickup also came with a 3rd round draft pick along with one of the better young safeties in the league.
Copr. Associated Press 2024
The Giants also loaded up their already scrappy defensive line with the signing of former Cowboys defensive end Chauncey Golston, who had 5.5 sacks and 56 total tackles this past season. Golston has a lot of upside to offer, and with a loaded front seven and a fresh young secondary seemingly on the rise, it seems the only one who can prevent the second coming of the Big Blue Wrecking Crew is defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, who was controversially kept on the roster for this upcoming season despite poor play calling.
Copr. Big Blue View 2023
Offensively, the Giants haven’t done much early in the free agency window to fix a unit that scored a bottom feeding 16.1 points per game in 2024 (31st in the NFL). Outside of signing some low tier backups for the offensive line, the only move of note was Darius Slayton receiving a 3-year, $36 million extension on Tuesday. The move angered some Giants fans, as Slayton’s mediocre career numbers along with letting running back Saquon Barkley walk as opposed to offering him a similar deal last season was viewed as salt in the wound to many.
Copr. Getty Images 2024
Big Blue also awaits two massive decisions to be made by free agent quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. Rodgers has been patient in revealing his plans for where he will land in 2025, but will most likely start the new season in the Giants blue & white or the Steelers black & yellow garb. Wilson, Pittsburgh’s current starting QB, has presented his interest in remaining in the steel city for the upcoming season but it’s unsure whether that interest is being returned by general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin. Wilson will meet with the Cleveland Browns on Thursday and the Giants on Friday as the future of Big Blue hangs in the balance with the alleged quality of a potential bridge quarterback and mentor to a rookie QB a major factor at play.
-Jack Barber
Works Cited
https://www.nfl.com/stats/team-stats/defense/passing/2024/reg/all
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/G/GolsCh00/gamelog/2024
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