Jones scores, but Engram jumps to Jags
Monday was a somewhat encouraging day for Daniel Jones.
The Giants didn’t sign Mitchell Trubisky to compete with him, and they landed two new starters for his offensive line: the Bills’ Jon Feliciano to play center, and the Colts’ Mark Glowinski to play right guard.
They also agreed with two depth receivers: Robert Foster, 27, a former Brian Daboll player at Alabama and Buffalo who spent most of last season on the Cowboys’ practice squad; and C.J. Board, 28, a re-signing whose 2021 Giants season was cut short by a broken left arm.
One after another, the Giants’ own free agents strolled out the door: tight end Evan Engram to the Jaguars, special teamer Keion Crossen to the Dolphins and defensive lineman Austin Johnson to the Chargers.
That’s the result of the Giants making lowball offers, though, and saving the money they do have for targeted signings at positions of desperate need.
New Giants GM Joe Schoen agreed with Glowinski on a reported three-year, $20 million contract that includes $11.4 million guaranteed. And Feliciano, a guard/center who plans to play the pivot for Jones, is joining the Giants on a one-year deal with undisclosed terms, per Syracuse.com.
Feliciano is a controversial personality. He tweeted last summer that “it’s been proven that Covid was made in lab. Fauci also a part of Pfizer. That’s why ppl don’t want to get the vaccine. Sad to come to the realization that you can not trust the government. #dontshootthemessenger.”
These signings are designed to fill two of the four holes on the Giants’ five-man front.
Trubisky, the Bills’ backup quarterback, agreed to a reported two-year contract with the Steelers, where he’ll have a chance to start.
Trubisky had been named in several reports as a Giants target, but signing him would have kicked off an ill-advised training camp competition and undone John Mara’s January commitment to Jones for a fourth pro year.
It’s important to note that signing Glowinski, 29, does not guarantee the Giants are rock solid at right guard. Glowinski platooned/split reps with Colts guard Chris Reed for several games midseason in 2021 after Reed had filled in well for injured Quenton Nelson on the left.
Glowinski has had struggles in pass protection. He allowed 38 pressures in 16 games last season, per Pro Football Focus. That’s a higher rate than the player he’s replacing. Will Hernandez surrendered 36 in 17 games last season.
The Giants simply are putting their trust in offensive line coach Bobby Johnson to get the most out of his new group. And they don’t have the money to compete at the top of the guard market for a player like the Niners’ Laken Tomlinson, who went to the Jets on a three-year, $40 million deal with $27 million guaranteed.
Their salary cap crunch was created by former GM Dave Gettleman’s woeful mismanagement and ownership’s ill-advised 2021 spending spree to go all-in and abandon a plan to rebuild.
By contrast, it had to be tough for Giants fans to watch the Jets open their wallet for Tomlinson and reported deals for Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah (three years, $24 million), and re-signings with receiver Braxton Berrios (two years, $12 million, $7 million guaranteed) and Tevin Coleman.
The Jaguars charged out of the gate as the biggest spenders of the NFL’s 48-hour free agent negotiating period, a window that will run into the start of the new league year on Wednesday afternoon, when all of these
agreements will become official.
Jacksonville inked reported deals with Cardinals receiver Christian Kirk (four years, $72 million, $37 million guaranteed), Raiders receiver Zay Jones (three years, up to $24 million), Engram (one-year, $9 million), Washington guard Brandon Scherff, Falcons LB Foye Oluokun (three years, $45 million) and Jets NT Foley Fatukasi (three years, $30 million).
The biggest quarterback news of the day was that the Texans’ Deshaun Watson met with the Panthers and Saints as his two preferred suitors in a potential trade, per Pro Football Network.
Watson could end up in the same division as Tom Brady, who unretired on Sunday to play a third season with the Buccaneers.
Noteworthy top-tier free agents at several other positions cashed in, too.
Patriots corner J.C. Jackson agreed with the Chargers on a reported five-year, $82.5 million
deal. Seahawks tight end Will Dissley stuck in Seattle on a three-year, $24 million contract with $15.98 guaranteed.
Former Giants third-round pick B.J. Hill got paid to re-sign in Cincinnati on a reported three-year, $30 million deal with $15 million in year one. And two NFC East teams paid pass rushers to chase Jones around the Giants’ backfield:
The Cowboys’ DeMarcus Lawrence agreed to a three-year, $30 million extension to stay in Dallas, according to a source, making him the first defensive end in NFL history to have seven straight seasons of full guaranteed deals.
And Panthers edge rusher Haason Reddick, of Camden, N.J., and Temple University, went home to the Eagles on a reported three-year, $45 million deal with $30 million fully guaranteed. ESPN and NFL Network reported a majority of the contracts on Monday.