Assessing the Giants' free-agent moves

by Ed Valentine on Feb 25, 2009 12:00 PM EST in News Comment 19 comments

The NFL free agent signing period starts Friday. With that in mind, let's look at what our New York Giants have already done with their own free agents.

The following summary comes from Yahoo! Sports. My thoughts or additions are in italic.

Franchise Player: RB Brandon Jacobs: Tendered at $6.621M. Great move by the Giants here. Jacobs will get his long-term deal, and the Giants keep the guy who sets the tone on offense.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

• SS James Butler was a first-time starter last season and played well, but his place will be taken by last year’s No. 1 draft pick Kenny Phillips. Butler will be missed more than many Giants fans want to believe.

• K John Carney did well for the Giants on an interim basis but will not be offered a new contract at the age of 44. Hello again, Lawrence Tynes.

• DE Jerome McDougle is unlikely to return. And we care why?

• CB/KR R.W. McQuarters is on the bubble and if he’ll take a reduced salary he might be re-signed. Somehow, McQuarters always manages to stick around. He probably will again.

• G/C Grey Ruegamer is a 10-year veteran and is useful; he is also not overly expensive. He is a quality backup center, and the Giants should keep him.

• LB Rich Scanlon probably won’t be back. Rich, we hardly knew ye.

• WR Amani Toomer, the Giants’ all-time leading receiver, will probably not be offered a new contract after 12 years with the team. Probably? How about no chance?

• RB Derrick Ward gained 1,025 yards and is the perfect backup for Brandon Jacobs but it is unlikely that the team can keep two such highly-paid running backs. Somebody will pay him to be a No. 1 back, and they might be disappointed.

• QB Anthony Wright spent the year on injured reserve and probably won’t get even that chance again. He's still around?

• DE Renaldo Wynn was a stop-gap signee and should be dispatched. Thanks, Renaldo. Now, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

• CB Kevin Dockery will be tendered. That has already been done, and it's a good move.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED

• QB David Carr: Potential UFA; $2.1M/1 yr, $1M SB. I hope the Giants never need the guy, but keeping him around was an excellent signing.

PLAYERS RELEASED

RB Reuben Droughns, SS Sammy Knight (released), CB Sam Madison. All classy veterans, but none with much left to offer on the field.

-- Tomorrow we will look at some potential free-agent targets for the Giants.

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Comments

I half suspect that Derrick Ward...

… is less effective without Jacobs. Just a gut feel, though I wish him well. I’m curious to see how Bradshaw does with more playing time. He looked impressive during the later half of 07/08 season.

"No matter where you go, there you are"

by coops2001 on Feb 25, 2009 1:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

More then a Gut feeling

The games that jacobs was out his Ypc went down to <4.0 And when Jacobs started he was over 5.0 ypc.

I don’t know the numbers off the top of my hand.

by Woogie526 on Feb 25, 2009 1:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Butler

You are expecting I will miss Butler? Fat chance!

More seriously though, I know he has some positives, like he worked his butt off and knew the defense very well, which put him in great position on the field.

On the other hand, he’s simply not that talented nor very athletic. If the Giants want to keep improving their roster with young talent, then this is precisely one of those positions they should do it and this is a great time to do it. Make the move to KP & Johnson now to give them the experience they need to flourish.

by potroast on Feb 25, 2009 1:56 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I know Butler's no star

but if he walks we’re awfully thin at safety. I’d rather keep Butler and not feel I had to use one of my first or second round picks on another young safety. I’m excited for Phillips to get more playing time, but having a back up who’s been a starter in the past is a good thing.

I also think Rugamer should be kept if possible. He’s filled in competently when he’s been called on and I have some concerns about the depth of our O-line.

by Tucker Fredrickson on Feb 25, 2009 2:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Bulter's non-tackle of Nate Washington

is one of the most embarrassing DB moves by a Giant since Sehorn’s pants fell down.

by queler on Feb 25, 2009 2:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sehorn's pants fell down?

When was that and against who?

by brisulph on Feb 25, 2009 2:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Against Detroit, 2000, at Giants Stadium

Giants fan from the womb to the tomb

by Jim Schmiedeberg on Feb 25, 2009 2:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

depth

I agree with you about depth, but Butler wants starter money (because he’s been a starter) and why give him that kind of dough for depth? Hopefully the Giants find depth via the draft or FA.

by potroast on Feb 25, 2009 2:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I won't miss Butler

The guy is a pair of brown shoes on a tuxedo defense.

I think Danny Ware and Ahmad Bradshaw are very capable of filling D-Ward’s shoes.

I was so wrong about McDougle, I thought the change of scenery was going to do him a world of good. Thank God the Giants didn’t waste a first rounder on him way back when, because they came very close to doing so.

RW McQuarters has naked pictures of Tom Coughlin, I just know it.

Keeping Ruegamer is a good move, and widely applauded by guys like me, who see a little more of me turning gray everyday.

Carney, thanks for the 48 yarder in the Pro Bowl……

Giants fan from the womb to the tomb

by Jim Schmiedeberg on Feb 25, 2009 2:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Please don't even use that naked picture blackmail thing agian!!!

by NY17NE14 on Feb 25, 2009 9:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I have faith....

that Ware could be as good as Ward in our system. It would be nice if we could keep Butler, but only at a reasonable price. Other than that I don’t see Reece chasing any of these guys. with big bucks.

by giant fan since 57 on Feb 25, 2009 5:38 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Have to agree w/ you again G57

Ware impressed me more in the Vikings game than AB and Butler’s (over-agressive) mistakes have outshadowed his GOOD! He isn’t worth BIG money but compensate the guy and sleep well at night, instead of worrying about a DB injury making the secondary a weakness again.

by NY17NE14 on Feb 25, 2009 9:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

I’ve been a big Ware fan all season, and I’m excited to see what he can do next year. Plus, how can you not love a guy who wears spirit stickers for his alma mater:

by cjmulrain on Feb 25, 2009 11:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

CJ? what's the deal with the picture

To insert one, it’s got to come from the web (URL) it can’t just be a .jpg you copied and pasted off your harddrive? Thanks

by NY17NE14 on Feb 26, 2009 8:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yea, gotta be from the web

not sure why that is, though I actually like it, since you don’t have to download pictures you want to post. Still, they should probably have an option to post stuff from your hard drive to.

To post a picture, right click the image you want, select “copy image location”, then when typing the post click the little picture icon (it’s the far-right one) up above the comment box, and then just paste the image location in the pop-up box.

by cjmulrain on Feb 26, 2009 12:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs