GIANTS 101

With Antrel Rolle making the New York Giants the first stop on his “pay me my money” tour, no one should be surprised that multiple outlets are reporting that the Giants are now front-runners to sign the top free agent safety on the market.

After all, the Giants generally only bring in players whom they plan to offer a contract, and they always aim to have that player signed before he has a chance to visit another NFL team.

Profootballtalk.com has reported that it’s down to three teams: Big Blue, Miami and Rolle’s old team, the Cardinals. NFL Network has reported that a deal with NYG is “95% done.”

UPDATE 9:45 p.m: Ralph Vacchiano from the NY Daily News is starting to get bad vibes about the lack of an announcement. He confirms that the Giants have reached out to Darren Sharper’s reps, and says that the longer this goes, the worse it feels.

“I don’t know if Rolle is still in the NJ area tonight, but I can tell you there is a lot of league buzz about the Cardinals making a last minute run at him, especially after losing out on LB Karlos Dansby”

The Giants and Dolphins had both been rumored as possible landing spaces for Karlos Dansby and Rolle. It would seem that both teams have made their priorities clear, now that Rolle’s in the Meadowlands and Dansby has made the Miami Dolphins his first visit (now signed).

With Miami apparently out of the running for Rolle, and taking us out of the running for Dansby, it’s time to look ahead at what the signing of Rolle would mean to the Giants’ roster and offseason plans.

(Remember, however, that until the deal is done, it ain’t a done deal. I wouldn’t rule out Rolle heading back to Arizona where he’s comfortable, particularly if the Giants offer doesn’t blow Arizona’s reported six-year, $38MM-ish offer out of the water. Over at the Blue Screen Ralph Vacchiano posits that “Rolle still pondering options”).

Rolle’s addition would immediately bolster a unit that fell apart last year when Kenny Phillips went on IR. Although Rolle’s presence is paramount if Phillips’ injury prevents him from returning to field or form, a healthy tandem of Kenny Phillips and Antrel Rolle gives the Giants arguably the best starting safety duo in the NFL.

Assuming Phillips returns (and if you ask him, he’ll tell you he’s ready to run tomorrow), Michael Johnson slides down the depth chart and becomes the 3rd safety. Most fans will expect C.C. Brown gets his walking papers as soon as the ink is dry on Rolle’s contract.

Aaron Rouse would seem to have 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.

This move would most likely remove safety from the list of Giants draft needs, although you never know. Almost no one expected them to select a DE when they took Kiwanuka in 2006.

Either way, it indicates that the Giants saw their need for safety help too immediate was to be relegated to draft day, where there’s no guarantee you get your guy or that he’s ready to contribute right away, the way Rolle would be expected to.

What is clear is that the Giants prioritized a safety over a middle linebacker with their free agency dollars. Of course, the Giants prioritized one player over another player, not a position over another position, but one has to wonder if this situation has implications on how or if the Giants will try to upgrade the MLB position.

My first though revolved around Rolando McClain. The Giants reported interest in Dansby indicated that they are interested in upgrading at MLB, and Miami’s acquisition of Dansby removes a primary roadblock from the “McClain available at 15” highway.

In actuality, the Giants big bucks free agency moves are not colored in any way by the hope that a top-ten talent MLB slips to them at fifteen in late April.

More likely, the “reported interest” in Dansby was a smoke screen aimed at disguising real interest in Rolle, and perhaps coercing Miami into prioritizing Dansby over Rolle, as Miami was also heavily linked to both players.

Although it could change if the Giants pursue McClain or Kirk Morrison (RFA from Oakland), the decision not to seriously entertain Karlos Dansby seems to imply this: the Giants are either comfortable with, or willing to settle for, Jonathon Goff as the starting MLB next year.

Of course, Rolle has and Dansby have yet to be signed, Phillips return to form is far from assured, the RFA market has yet to take shape, and the draft is still seven weeks away, so stay tuned to G101 and we’ll keep you updated with breaking news and analysis on all the offseason rumors and transactions as they happen.