The New York Giants have an abundance of needs entering free agency and the last thing they want to do is create more personnel issues, but that may be the route they choose to take.
Among their biggest pending decisions is what to do with safety Xavier McKinney.
The franchise tag window opened on Tuesday but general manager Joe Schoen does not seem eager to use that option on either McKinney or running back Saquon Barkley. Accordingly, both are likely to hit the free agent market on March 13.
A similar situation played out for the Giants a year ago when safety Julian Love became a free agent and landed a contract with the Seattle Seahawks. Schoen had offered him a deal but it was well below what Love had been seeking.
Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, during a recent appearance on Talkin’ Giants with Bobby Skinner and Justin Penik, said he expects a near-mirror image of that this offseason.
“No, I don’t believe (McKinney) is going to be back,” Dunleavy said. “Positional evaluation. They didn’t pay Julian Love; they replaced Julian Love with dirt-cheap Jason Pinnock.
“Generally speaking, if you don’t believe in paying a running back (then) you don’t believe in paying a safety.”
The problem for the Giants is that McKinney is one of their best players and they already have an abundance of depth issues at nearly every position. Those of us at Giants Wire previously argued that the safety should be a priority to re-sign.
Schoen apparently disagrees and that may have a little something to do with what McKinney is expected to seek in terms of contractual value.
“I think Xavier McKinney sees himself as a top 5-paid safety. He told me this year he believes he’s a Hall of Fame-caliber player,” Dunleavy said. “He is not going to be looking for a hometown discount. And I think the Giants will make him an offer but I don’t think it’ll be what he’s looking for. Think he’ll hit the open market.”
Add safety and possibly running back to the growing list of Giants needs this offseason.
