NFL FREE AGENCY PREVIEW EW
O-line will be a Giant priority during the signing season
On Dec. 29, the day he was introduced as the new general manager of the Giants, Dave Gettleman made one thing perfectly clear: “We’ve got to fix the O-line, let’s be honest,’’ he stated. “Let’s not kid each other.’’ Now, the personable Gettleman can be something of a kidder, but he is deadly serious about fixing the most glaring deficiency in the team he inherited. The time for planning and talking is over. It is time for action, as the desultory Giants’ offensive line needs a major revamping, and hoping and wishing for help are not going to get it done.
For the Giants, the start of NFL free agency — they can officially open up negotiations with agents on Monday and announce signings Wednesday — will be a case of maximizing their money. Yes, they need players — any team with a record of 3-13 has numerous roster deficiencies — but no, there will not be a spending spree because the Giants simply do not have the salary-cap room to do so.
Gettleman got off to a roaring start, trading this past week with the Rams for Alec Ogletree, who instantly becomes the team’s most accomplished linebacker. Before that deal, the Giants were about $24 million under the newly inflated salary cap of $177.2 million. Ogletree is on the books to count $10 million on the cap, but the Giants can turn his $7 million roster bonus into a signing bonus and trim more than half off Ogletree’s 2018 cap hit. So, figure the Giants head into free agency about $19 million under the cap. Their priority is obvious: Offensive line help. This cannot be achieved solely in the draft. The Giants want to add three new start
ers to their five-man line and can reasonably expect to find only one of them early in the draft.
There are two ways for Gettleman to go here, and the most anticipated path leads directly to Andrew Norwell, the top guard on the market. Expect the Giants to make an immediate call to Norwell. As the Panthers’ general manager, Gettleman signed Norwell in 2014 as an undrafted free agent from Ohio State. Securing Norwell this time will be far more expensive, because he likely will exceed the $12 million per year the Browns paid Kevin Zeitler last year (five years, $60 million, with $31.4 million guaranteed). To get this sort of deal done, the Giants will have to backload the annual salaries to ensure a relatively low 2018 cap hit.
Not long ago, this type of investment was considered exorbitant for an interior offensive lineman, but times have changed.
“There isn’t a quarterback alive who’s gonna get in the huddle and say, ‘OK boys, let ’em up the middle and I’ll deal with it,’ ’’ Gettleman said. “You need to be firm in the middle. At the end of the day, it’s keeping your quarterback upright and out of the hospital.
“I mean, there’s a bunch of guards now that are getting paid, and when you think about it, they’re closer to the quarterback. Listen, it’s the market. Is that car worth $150,000? If someone buys it, I guess it’s worth it, you know what I mean?’’
This will frustrate many Giants fans, but the anticipation is left tackle Ereck Flowers will return and start at one of the tackle spots. Brett Jones, a restricted free agent, will be tendered and is the favorite to retain his starting center job. All other spots on the line are up for grabs. Gettleman recently resigned John Greco, a veteran guard picked up by the Giants in mid-November.
What the Giants need most of all is an offensive tackle, either to supplant Flowers at left tackle or to start at right tackle. Alas, the available talent at tackle is not strong. Nate Solder of the Patriots is 29 and coming off a subpar season, yet he will command big bucks — probably too big for the Giants to consider.
“There are decisions you make in free agency, and I kind of like the way it plays out,’’ new head coach Pat Shurmur said. “You pick a couple of guys that you add to your team, and you use the draft to supplement that. A lot of attention has been given to the offensive line, but we have to get better at all the groups. Some of it means the guys who are there have to play better and some of it means we’re going to add some new faces to each group. That’s just the reality of it.’’