By Shaun Church
The New York Giants are considering going after free agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
Suh, the best defensive player on the open market this offseason, could become the highest-paid defender in the NFL. That could be an issue for the Giants, who currently have around $10.9 million in cap space — good for just 23rd in the league. Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is the highest-paid defensive player as of now after signing a six-year, $100 million deal with $51.8 million guaranteed.
If the Giants were to top that for Suh, they would have to create more space underneath the salary cap. Even if they back-load the deal, that would leave about $5.9 million for Suh this season (assuming rookie contracts will use about $5 million). That’s simply not enough, especially given they have their own free agents to sign as well as adding outside free agents in hopes of improving on their 6-10 record from a year ago.
Suh racked up more quarterback pressures than any other defensive tackle in 2014, but he’s not just a pass rusher. He finished sixth in Pro Football Focus' Stop Percentage statistic, which the site describes as “the percentage of a player’s run defense snaps where he was responsible for a stop.
Putting Suh next to recently franchise-tagged defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and young defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins would give New York a terrifying new look that is sure to put the fear of God into NFC East offenses. It’s just a matter of being able to afford him.
The Giants are now a team to watch this offseason. If they start dumping hefty contracts and restructuring key players, you’ll know something is up.
The New York Giants are considering going after free agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
Suh, the best defensive player on the open market this offseason, could become the highest-paid defender in the NFL. That could be an issue for the Giants, who currently have around $10.9 million in cap space — good for just 23rd in the league. Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is the highest-paid defensive player as of now after signing a six-year, $100 million deal with $51.8 million guaranteed.
If the Giants were to top that for Suh, they would have to create more space underneath the salary cap. Even if they back-load the deal, that would leave about $5.9 million for Suh this season (assuming rookie contracts will use about $5 million). That’s simply not enough, especially given they have their own free agents to sign as well as adding outside free agents in hopes of improving on their 6-10 record from a year ago.
Suh racked up more quarterback pressures than any other defensive tackle in 2014, but he’s not just a pass rusher. He finished sixth in Pro Football Focus' Stop Percentage statistic, which the site describes as “the percentage of a player’s run defense snaps where he was responsible for a stop.
Putting Suh next to recently franchise-tagged defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and young defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins would give New York a terrifying new look that is sure to put the fear of God into NFC East offenses. It’s just a matter of being able to afford him.
The Giants are now a team to watch this offseason. If they start dumping hefty contracts and restructuring key players, you’ll know something is up.
