The New York Giants were in the mix to re-sign free agent linebacker Lorenzo Carter last week but were simply outbid by the Atlanta Falcons.
Carter was a starter and rated as a player in the compensatory mix for the Giants for next season. Where the Giants stand right now is still fluid, but the Carter loss should work in their favor, reports Zack Rosenblatt of NJ Advance Media.
The Giants supposedly were pushing to bring back Carter but presumably weren’t willing to go too far above the minimum. The Falcons have caught flak for signing Carter to a compensatory-eligible deal, thus cancelling out a fourth-round comp pick they would get for losing linebacker Foyesade Oluokun. But the Giants certainly aren’t mad about that decision: OTC estimates Carter’s deal valued as a seventh-round comp pick.
Before free agency, the Giants had several free agents that — if signed away — could factor into the formula that would gain them consideration in the compensatory draft pool next year.
Over the Cap rated their potential to cash in as low in a recent assessment of next year’s comp picks:
The new front office in New York has been aggressively cutting salary in more than just an effort to get cap compliant. This would indicate that may be interested in making several top moves in free agency to churn the roster to their liking. They have a few players (Will Hernandez, Evan Engram, Jabrill Peppers) that might get good deals elsewhere, but those CFA losses could be offset by CFA signings on the Giants’ end. Potential: Low
Over the Cap’s comp pick cancellation chart is currently rating the Carter signing as adding any picks for the Giants next year.
Currently, they are projected to get a 5th rounder for Engram (who was signed by Jacksonville and a 7th for Keion Crossen, who was signed by Miami.
The losses of Carter and defensive lineman Austin Johnson are being offset by the Giants’ signings of offensive lineman Mark Glowinski and quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
The signings of running back Matt Breida and defensive end Jihad Ward are not eligible for compensation.
