New York Giants: What Will It Take To Retain Robert Ayers?

The New York Giants need a lot of help in the pass rushing department, and retaining Robert Ayers would certainly help. But, what would it cost to bring him back into the fold?

The New York Giants defense was a disaster during the 2015 season. There was not many positives to come from the unit, but one bright spot throughout the season was Robert Ayers. Despite battling multiple injuries and appearing in 12 games, Ayers put together the best season of his career, and it could not have come at a better time as Ayers is about to hit the free agent market.

Ayers originally signed with the Giants in 2014 for two-years and $3.75 million. He quickly outplayed the worth of that contract despite being stuck behind Jason Pierre-Paul for most of the two seasons. That didn’t stop Ayers from producing though, as he racked up 14.5 sacks in his two seasons with the Giants after getting only 12 in his five previous seasons with the Denver Broncos.

This past season, with Pierre-Paul sidelined for a majority of it, Ayers took over as the Giants leader on the defensive line and the results were magnificent. He had a career-high 41 tackles with 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and four passes defended. He also received outstanding grades from Pro Football Focus, grading out as their sixth best 4-3 defensive end in 2015, which followed up his impressive ranking of fifth in 2014.

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Ayers graded out as a strong defensive end, but he is versatile enough to move inside as well. He registered 2.5 sacks from the prototypical defensive tackle spot, kicking inside sometimes once Pierre-Paul returned to give the Giants a pass rushing threat from the interior.

That makes Ayers a valuable asset for the Giants, but also someone that other teams around the NFL are undoubtedly going to be interested in signing. The Giants got a steal in 2014 with the contract they landed Ayers with, but this time around it will certainly cost them more.

Jordan Ranaan of NJ.com took a look at the impending free agent Ayers and discussed what he could garner on the open market. Ayers has been arguably the Giants’ best defender in his time with the team, and will greatly increase his salary on the open market. Ranaan projects Ayers to land a contract worth $18 million over three years with $9 million guaranteed.

Here is what Ranaan has to say about what Ayers brings to the field, and his chances of returning to the Giants:

"Versatility. Ayers played well on the edge and as an interior pass rusher the past two seasons with the Giants. He’s also known as a hard-worker who is serious about his craft. He’s a good locker-room presence.Ayers won’t break the bank but would give the Giants a pass rusher they can count on for several seasons. They need that right now, and it would still give them the flexibility to sign a more expensive option for the other side. Right now, the Giants don’t have a defensive end under contract with more than 1.5 career sacks. It also helps that Ayers is a New Jersey native and enjoys living and playing in his home state."

Ranaan gave the Giants a 65 percent chance of retaining Ayers, as there are a number of 4-3 base defensive teams that are looking to add pass rushers. The versatility that Ayers would deliver would entice them, as the contract being projected for him also wouldn’t crush a team’s cap number.

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For a team that needs as much help as the Giants, it would be tough to let Ayers walk as a free agent. The Giants are in a transition with Ben McAdoo taking over as head coach for Tom Coughlin, so they could use all the experience and leadership that Ayers would bring.

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