New York Giants Top-5 cornerbacks to replace Deandre Baker
By Ed Stein
No way
There are a few cornerbacks on the market that have had success in the past, who are in the “No chance in Hades” New York Giants General Manager Dave Gettleman should even consider.
Eli Apple – Been there, done that, burned the tee shirt. GMDG already got rid of him once because of his character issues. Additionally, he not that good.
Trumaine Johnson – Big Blue played their cross-stadium rivals once during the regular season. So Giants fans didn’t get to see the level of awful Johnson was in 2019 for the Jets. He was maybe the worst starting corner in football. Pro Football Focus graded Johnson’s performance at a 53, last year. For reference, they consider players who score 59 and under as replaceable.
Not ready
Darnay Holmes – The Giants fourth-round pick this year is an intriguing project. There are indicators that he could be a good NFL corner. It would be close to a miracle if that were to happen by opening day of 2020.
Just Missed
Brandon Carr
Brandon Carr is in the “steady but unspectacular” category. At 34-years-old, he probably isn’t a better option than anyone in the top five. Carr will likely look to get paid somewhere near $5M per season, which is out of the Giants price range for what he does.
Ross Cockrell
He had a mediocre 2019 season with Carolina. More importantly, Ross Cockrell didn’t impress very many people when he was with the Giants in 2017.
Logan Ryan
Logan Ryan is the best available cornerback. He has been rumored to sign with the Jets once Trumaine Johnson’s bloated contract comes off their books on June 1. Until then, the key member of the Tennessee Titans secondary in 2019 is still a free agent.
He would be a great addition to the New York Giants. Before signing with Tennessee in 2017, Ryan played the four previous seasons with the New England Patriots. He started as a member of the Pats special teams, so he has a relationship with Joe Judge.
As satisfying as it would be for Big Blue to sign Ryan, they don’t have the money to do so. The two time Super Bowl champion made $10M, with bonuses, last year. He earned his money with career highs in tackles (113), passes defended (18), and forced fumbles (4). Unfortunately, Ryan isn’t exactly a pass coverage star. He’s more than serviceable, but a lockdown guy, not really.
Ryan said he isn’t willing to take a pay cut from 2019. His salary demands put him well out of New York’s price range. Even if they could afford him, his shortcomings in coverage, for the money he wants, make him an unlikely candidate.