Yesterday, the New York Giants brought in veteran defensive back Jason McCourty for a visit. The Tennessee Titans drafted McCourty with the 203rd pick in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
The 2021 NFL Draft is two weeks away and the Giants have six picks. McCourty is a New Jersey native & has familiarity with head coach Joe Judge. The real question is: should the Giants add more to a loaded secondary, by giving McCourty a contract?
Should The New York Giants Sign Jason McCourty?
A Veteran Option
James Bradberry, Logan Ryan, and Jabrill Peppers are the established veterans of the Giants’ secondary. Other than that, the defensive back room is full of young talent. Darnay Holmes is an up-and-coming solid slot corner as free-agent signing Adoree Jackson is only 25.
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From there, the New York Giants have a lot of unproven young cornerbacks. Julian Love is coming off a season with mixed results at the cornerback and safety position. Isaac Yiadom improved down the stretch last year but is not cut out to be a starter in the NFL. Sam Beal sat out the 2020 season, as the other reserve defensive backs have similar storylines.
Enter Jason McCourty. McCourty adds more veteran experience and leadership to the cornerback room. He also adds versatility as he played snaps at free safety and slot cornerback for the Patriots in 2020. Despite not having a great 2020 season, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham can put McCourty in a situation to succeed, if McCourty were to come to New York. Graham did a similar deed when the Giants flopped between multiple players at the second cornerback spot in 2020.
Signing McCourty to a low-risk/high-reward contract would be beneficial for both sides. The New York Giants can try to squeeze the gas left in McCourty’s tank at a cheap price, while the New Jersey native gets a shot at proving he can still play.
Little Gas Left In The Tank
McCourty is 33 years old and is coming off a bad season in New England. The veteran cornerback gave up 29 receptions on 45 targets, allowing a completion percentage of 64.4. He allowed 417 yards on those 29 receptions (14.4 yards per reception) to go along with a 131.4 passer rating and five touchdowns.
If the Giants insisted on picking up the former Knight, they would need to hope he returns to his form from two seasons ago. Unfortunately, that is not an easy task for an aging veteran in the NFL.
The New York Giants have nine cornerbacks on the roster at the moment. The NFL Draft is less than two weeks away. If the Giants feel they need a cornerback, they can take one in the draft or sign an undrafted free agent for cheap. Overall, the leftover cap space should be allocated towards rookie contracts and post-draft signings.
Jason McCourty Not Right For New York Giants
The New York Giants should ride into the NFL Draft without making another signing. Yes, McCourty provides a veteran presence in the locker room, but the Giants have Logan Ryan and Jabrill Peppers to provide veteran leadership in the secondary.
Dave Gettleman signed a lot of aging veterans in the Pat Shurmur era. Staying away from these types of signings may prolong his tenure as the general manager.
With enough leadership in the locker room and more than enough depth at the defensive back position, the Giants can afford to skip on Jason McCourty. The New York Giants can allocate the $3.8M+ cap space to rookie contracts and post-draft signings.
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