GIANTS 101

It’s now safe to say that “find safety help” has been lowered on Jerry Reese‘s to-do list, if not crossed off altogether.

After making New York the first stop on his “Pay Me My Money” free agent tour, former Arizona Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle didn’t leave town without signing a contract, as per NY Giants custom.

Mike Florio from PFT indicates that it is a 5 year-deal in the ballpark of $37 million. From PFT:

“Per a league source, it’s a five-year deal worth $37 million, an NFL record for a safety.  Rolle gets $15 million guaranteed and $22.5 million over the first three years.”

Although Ralph Vacchiano’s early report that Rolle was taking a physical basically confirmed the existence of an agreement, the negotiations were amped up by last minute drama:

Vacchiano asserted that other teams could still be in play for Rolle, while Mike Garafolo reported that the Giants had already reached out to backup plans Darren Sharper, Antoine Bethea and Oshiomogho Atogwe. Big Blue fans waited nervously for hours after these reports, wondering if perhaps Arizona had tried to match the Giants offer.

(G101 Editorial Interpretation: If Rolle’s agent can use Vacchiano to squeeze out a few more bucks, the Giants can use Garafolo to call their bluff)

*THE CONRACT*

While earnable bonuses and escalators make these deals almost impossible to read from the outside, this big-money deal doesn’t quite reach the astronomical values that some had predicted.

It falls short of an $8MM yearly average, but pays Rolle more than $7MM per year, through the first three years. From where I stand, the Giants did a good job: they outbid the market without going overboard.

UPDATE: Florio came through again, late night, with a full breakdown of the numbers. Seems like they actually are pretty damn good…for Antrel Rolle. However, Rolle better be doing his best to make himself indispensable to the organization by the time those fourth and fifth years roll around. Back to PFT for the details:

“In year one…Rolle will get $10 million.
After two years…Rolle will have made a total of $15.5 million.
Through three years…Rolle will have $22.5 million.
After four…$29.75 million for Rolle.
After five…$37 million for Rolle.”

It may seem like a lot of money (and it is) for a player who isn’t quite considered “elite,” but fans/writers/commentators need not concern themselves with the Mara and Tisch family expenditures, so long as Rolle’s contract doesn’t prohibit the Giants in other ways as they move forward.

If, for instance, the Giants gave Rolle this contract and then can’t find the money for Barry Cofield, Steve Smith, and Mathias Kiwanuka when the time comes…then yeah, that’s a problem.

But this is not an Eric Mangini system they’re running here, folks.

The Giants have uncharacteristically given out big contracts in consecutive offseasons, but it would be rash to accuse the front office of being impulsive, desperate or acting without forethought.

The organization is not abandoning it’s core philosophy of developing and retaining it’s young players. Hopefully, that money is set aside already.

The danger is when the guys already in the locker room feel that Rolle’s money came from a pile that should have been waiting for them.

*WHAT’S IT MEAN?*

Although the Giants (and Miami Dolphins) had been rumored to covet both Rolle and Karlos Dansby, Rolle’s signing all but takes NY out of the running for Dansby (update: as does the fact that Dansby has agreed to terms with the Dolphins).

But now that the first domino has fallen, what have we learned about the Giants offseason plan to improve their roster?

This signing clearly indicates that the Giants saw their need for safety help as too immediate to relegate to draft day, where there’s no guarantee that your guy (if you’re lucky enough to get your guy) will be ready to contribute right away, the way Rolle will be expected to.

Did the Giants prioritize solidifying the safety position as opposed to the MLB position in free agency? Not necessarily.

All we know for sure is they preferred to spend their money on Antrel Rolle, who plays safety, rather than on Karlos Dansby, who plays middle linebacker.

Most likely, the Giants’ “reported interest” in Dansby was a smoke screen aimed at disguising real interest in Rolle, and perhaps coercing the competition (Miami) into prioritizing Dansby over Rolle.

*WHAT’S NEXT*

There’s not much left in unrestricted free agency, so it’d be hard for the Giants to make anything close to this kind of splash even if they wanted to. A few veteran deals perhaps, but those usually take place closer to or after the draft.

There’s hardly any way of knowing if the Giants will play the RFA market. They showed a willingness to engage it by reaching out to reps for O.J. Atogwe, Darren Sharper, and Antoine Bethea, although it’s unclear how much of that was posturing during the Rolle negotiations.

Perhaps the sexiest thing the Giants may get involved in would be trades, whether Reese was intent on picking up talent or draft picks. As I’ve said (to some support and some valid rebuke), I’d increase draft ammo by trying to trade a few players.

But by removing, or at the very least lowering, safety from the draft day shopping list, Jerry Reese can focus his higher draft picks on other perceived positions of need: DT, OL and perhaps MLB.

*MLB IMPLICATIONS?*

I couldn’t help but wonder if this signing indicated anything about how, or if, the Giants plan to upgrade the MLB position this offseason.

Before we start  with the insinuations that this all means that Giants are targeting Alabama’s Rolando McClain in the draft (although, Miami’s acquisition of Dansby increases the likelihood that McClain slips to 15), let’s face facts: the Giants’ big bucks moves on the first day of free agency are not in any way influenced by the hope/possibility that a top-ten talent MLB slips to them in late April.

Although it could change if the Giants do aggressively pursue McClain or Oakland RFA Kirk Morrison, the decision not to seriously entertain Karlos Dansby implies that the Giants are either comfortable with, or willing to settle for, Jonathon Goff as the starting MLB next year.

Apparently, they were not so comfortable with the idea that their starting safeties would be Michael Johnson and the better of a C.C. Brown/Aaron Rouse competition.

*THE DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD*

Rolle’s addition immediately (and forcefully) bolsters a unit that fell apart last year when Kenny Phillips went on IR. Although Rolle’s presence becomes paramount if Phillips’ injury prevents him from returning to field or form, a healthy tandem of Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle gives the Giants the best starting safety duo in the NFC East.

With Rolle now in the fold and assuming Kenny Phillips returns (and according to Kenny, he’d be ready to play “tomorrow”), Aaron Ross will return to cornerback, and Michael Johnson will slide down the depth chart to become the 3rd safety.

Most Giants fans will expect C.C. Brown to get his walking papers as soon as the ink is dry on Rolle’s contract.

That would leave Aaron Rouse with a tenuous grip on the last spot on the depth chart, although he will have to hold off practice-squadders Vince Anderson and Shareff Rashad, not to mention fellow mid-season waiver claim D.J. Johnson, and any draft pick that falls into the Giants lap.

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