G-Men looking to Golden as defensive anchor
EAST RUTHERFORD » What was expected became official at 4 p.m. Wednesday: Markus Golden will be back with the Giants this season.
New York placed its unrestricted free agent tender on Golden on April 27, meaning the 29-year-old outside linebacker had until July 22 to sign with another team. He now must sign the one-year tender with the Giants by Week 10 or have to sit out the entire season.
The tender is worth 110 percent of a player’s salary from the previous year, so Golden will have to settle for $4.1 million in 2020. He can also earn another $1 million in incentives with a double-digit sack season.
That’s undoubtedly a disappointing reality for Golden, who proved himself healthy and productive on a one-year contract last season with team highs in sacks (10), tackles-for-loss (13) and quarterback hits (27).
But since he has little leverage, don’t expect him to hold out in hopes of a longterm deal from the Giants. General manager Dave Gettleman gambled on Golden’s market not materializing this offseason — a gamble which has now paid off.
It’s a significant development on the eve of training camp for the Giants, who didn’t add a dominant pass-rusher this offseason. Essentially, the plan for Joe Judge and the fresh coaching staff has been to develop young players and scheme better pressure up front after the team severely struggled in that department last season.
“I have a lot of respect for him as a player,” Judge said of Golden on May 12. “He’s a great person, he’s a hard worker. He’s a productive player so we have a lot of respect for him. He’s definitely someone that I have spoken to in terms of possibly adding to the roster.”
Training Camp Approaches
Giants rookies, quarterbacks and rehabbing players were scheduled to report to the team’s training facility in East Rutherford on Thursday for COVID-19 testing.
The rest of the roster is slated to report for testing next Tuesday, which is the official start of training camp. The Trentonian previously ran a 10-part series previewing each position group entering the 2020 season.
The exact structure of camp remains uncertain as the league and players association continue to negotiate health and safety measures. The players want a longer acclimation period for their bodies and not practice with pads until the 20th day of camp, NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport reported Tuesday.
The network also reported Wednesday that the two sides are in agreement on playing zero preseason games this year, and camp rosters are expected to be at 80 players per team instead of the usual 90, which means several undrafted free agents won’t get a chance to compete for roster spots.
No Fans at MetLife
The regular season remains scheduled to begin Sept. 10, but several other issues still need to be resolved including how the owners and players will handle significant revenue shortfalls without nearly as many — if any — fans at games.
As of now, the NFL is leaving fan attendance up to individual teams.
The Giants and Jets released a joint statement Monday in response to Governor Phil Murphy announcing that his Executive Order limiting outdoor gatherings to 500 people or fewer applies to events at MetLife Stadium until further notice.
“Until circumstances change, both the Giants and Jets will play our games without the benefit of fans in attendance,” the teams said. “Although we would prefer to have fans at MetLife Stadium for our games, we will continue to work with Governor Murphy’s office and will provide updates if necessary. Additionally, out of an abundance of caution, each team’s 2020 Training Camps and practices will not be open to the public.”
In start contrast, the Atlanta Falcons announced Wednesday that they intend to host between 10,000 and 20,000 fans at their games this season. NFL PR spokesman Brian McCarthy said Wednesday that fans at all stadiums will be required to wear face coverings.