Julian Love: Contract talks with New York Giants ‘have ramped up’

Safety Julian Love said Friday on Sirius XM NFL Radio that “things have ramped up” in contract talks with the New York Giants since the team signed quarterback Daniel Jones and franchise-tagged running back Saquon Barkley earlier this week.

Love can be a free agent if he does not sign a new contract with the Giants in the coming days. The free agent negotiating window open on Monday, March 13. The signing period begins on Wednesday, March 15.

“They’ve [the Giants] constantly expressed interest,” Love told Bruce Murray and Mark Dominik. “Since the end of the season they’ve reiterated the interest to bring me back. I reiterated that I want to be back, hopefully, [if] we we can meet on the price.”

Pro Football Focus projects that Love will get a three-year, $25 million contract ($8.33 million per year) with $15.5 million guaranteed in free agency.

Spotrac projects a five-year, $39.811 million deal for Love, an average salary of $7.9 million per year.

Love, drafted in the fourth round by the Giants in 2019, called them “a top-tier organization.”

“There’s a sense of wanting to finish the job with the team that drafted you, but at the same time you just can’t settle,” Love said “[A] football career is so short that you have to get what you feel is fair while you’re in it.

“I’m human. Money is a huge part of the equation, but it’s not the end-all, be-all. It’s a huge point, but the feel has to be right. If you don’t believe in the organization and their ability to grow going forward, that says it all. There’s that balance.”

Love said it was a “no-brainer” for the Giants to bring Jones and Barkley back.

“You’ve got to reward guys who do well by you. Daniel, this year he played well. he got us to the playoffs. He managed games well. Quarterbacks don’t grow on trees. You’ve just got to put weapons around him. We’ve got to build the interior offensive line more, we have good young tackles, and we’ve got to bring receivers in.