Giants free agents 2015: Keep or cut Walter Thurmond?

When cornerback Walter Thurmond signed a one year free-agent contract with the New York Giants last off-season he did so with a little swagger, calling himself the best slot corner in the NFL. He never really got to prove it in 2014, though, going on season-ending injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle after only two games.

Should the Giants give Thurmond, 28 next season, another chance to prove his value to the Giants? Our own 'Invictus' recently answered that with an emphatic 'yes,' writing that if he were GM he would go so far as to offer the five-year veteran a four-year, $20.5 million deal with $11.5 million guaranteed.

Honestly, the view here is that it should not take nearly that much to retain Thurmond's services for 2015, which is something the Giants would be wise to do. One of the arguments for keeping Perry Fewell as defensive coordinator is that because of the season-ending injuries to Thurmond and Prince Amukamara and because Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was limited much of the season the Giants never really saw the development of the top-flight secondary they thought they were going to have. Regardless of who the defensive coordinator is next season, bringing back Thurmond would give the Giants a do-over.

Thurmond would like to return.

"You can never have too many corners. You see that this year, we went through four corners. That shows how much depth we had before everyone started getting injured here," he said recently. "Everyone is a great, quality player and like I said, hopefully we can work something out."

Thurmond spent four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, and going all the way back to 2014 training camp his teammates recognized how much Thurmond could mean to the secondary:

"We can be real good with the leadership ability that we have and then especially with Walt [Thurmond III] coming over and being a true student of the game, and understanding that he is teaching us a lot as a group," Rodgers-Cromartie said. "It seems like he was born for that [slot corner]. If you look at the practices and games, every time he is in the game you hear coach saying, ‘Look at Walt. Walt is doing this and that.' He fits there and he understands the game. He plays hard."

If the Giants were to move on without Thurmond, their options in the slot would likely include Trumaine McBride -- who also finished the season on IR -- and Mike Harris, who did a nice job at the end of the season afte being signed off the Detroit Lions practice squad.

Valentine's View: Keep Thurmond.

What's your view? Vote in the poll and let us know.