The Giants would risk losing Xavier McKinnie to free agency.
According to NFL Network, the Giants opposed applying the transition tag, which would have been a one-year, $13.8 million bid, in exchange for retaining the right to match any contract offer that McKinnie signs with another team after free agency begins on Monday. He said he chose to do so.
Tuesday’s decision leaves only six days left in an exclusive negotiating period to reach a multi-year contract extension, but there’s still a chance the teams could reunite after exploring alternative terms next week.
McKinney’s negotiations with the Giants seemed like an ideal time, as the transition tag is rarely used, but the open market could determine his value.
The thinking around the league was that there would be a huge gap between the Giants’ opinion of McKinney and the opinion they had of McKinney himself.
McKinney’s agent, David Mulugeta, brought safety Landon Collins to Washington from the Giants in a record deal in 2019 and has since negotiated three of today’s eight richest safety contracts. All cases range from $14.7 million to $19.1 million. Year, by spotrac.com.
For the Giants, it would be a shame to send the 24-year-old straight-A two-time captain, who played every defensive snap last season, especially considering new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s scheme features a versatile safety. It’s a strange custom.
In particular, with no other obvious candidates for multi-year extensions emerging, general manager Joe Schon was able to re-sign left tackle Andrew Thomas and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence last offseason. It defied the Giants’ losing history.
The consensus among NFL agents is that McKinney is the top safety available in free agency, but Bowen’s history at Tennessee with Kevin Byard, who was recently released by the Eagles, creates an interesting wrinkle.
The Giants also have a number of holes on the roster at premium positions that could be considered more pressing than safety, such as cornerbacks, receivers, and offensive linemen.
