New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen has spent three years attempting to clean up the mess led by his predecessor, Dave Gettleman, and has done an admirable job. Although the team carries more dead cap than they’d like, things have largely been sorted out.
But no one is perfect and mistakes, which are subjective based on personal interpretation, are made.
Vinnie Iyer of The Sporting News recently released his 2024 All-Overpaid Team and two members of the Giants were among those listed. But before you assume quarterback Daniel Jones is one of them, pump those brakes. He isn’t.
Deshaun Watson got the nod at quarterback, saving Jones from another all-too-common round of criticism.
So, which two Giants made the cut? First up was one of Schoen’s major offseason signings, guard Jon Runyan Jr.
Jon Runyan, Giants ($10 million)
The Giants also overspent inside in free agency for the fading former Packer.
It’s a tough sell to suggest the Giants overpaid for Runyan. The veteran’s contract is the going rate for starting guards and even if it is on the high side, it’s what the market has dictated, says an NFL executive.
“Runyan was a market deal even though it was expensive,” an executive from another team told The Athletic. “He’s not a $10 million player, but that’s what the market dictates.”
Next up for the Giants is veteran kicker Graham Gano.
Graham Gano, Giants ($5.5 million)
Gano has limited range and has started to become less reliable on field goals at 37.
“Limited range” is a curious criticism of Gano. Before his injury-riddled 2023 campaign, which he initially tried to play through, Gano was about as automatic as it came.
In 2022, Gano connected on 90.6% of his field goal attempts, including eight of nine from beyond 50 with a long of 57. Even last season, the veteran boomed one through from 57 yards out (he has a career-long of 63).
Iyer also notes that had Darren Waller not retired, he would have been listed as the most-overpaid tight end in the NFL. Instead, that honor went to Noah Fant (Seattle Seahawks).
