Get ready for impact.
There may be an avalanche of player movement in the coming weeks as there are people around the NFL bracing, as is the maneuver of teams to get under a COVID-19-driven salary cap deduction, for now, Not less than 180 million. It is expected that more veterans than usual will be released, resurfacing in new football houses, with free agency set to open for business on March 15.
On Wednesday, the Giants downed their roster, releasing receiver Golden Tate and linebacker David Mayo, taking a $ 8.4 million piece from the 2021 salary cap. While the signs of “under construction” remain above, there are many more players to consider as far as value versus field against the cap is concerned.
The Giants have a big net match. Surviving cancer with a young son battling cancer, Solder opted out last season and decided to count $ 16.5 million on the salary cap in 2021. The Giants can’t absorb that hit – not for a 33-year-old player next month. Play for a full season and his opening left tackle spot was picked by Andrew N. Thomas as the No. 4 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Will Solder return as a right tackle, a spot he hasn’t played in the NFL since his 2011 rookie year? If Solder is to continue his career, he will have to cut pay. If he is not with the team, the Giants make $ 6 million in cap space, but also $ 10.5 million in dead money.
Another decision on the offensive line is Kevin Zettler, the most consistent lineman on the roster. He started all 16 games last season on the right track and showed no signs of slowing, with 943 (93 percent) playing offensive snacks. He is solid and reliable, not a star but hard to replace, given the still-developed make-up of the line. The Giants saved $ 12.5 million (and $ 2.5 million in dead money) on the Capitol by releasing Zetler, something that is unlikely to happen. Perhaps reducing his 2021 cap hit by extending his contract makes more sense. Zeitler turned 31 on Monday.
The other players on the offensive line who watch are Will Hernandez, who was allotted to the bench by the judge’s coaching staff after playing every snap at left guard in Hernandez’s first seven games. After testing positive for COVID-19, Hernandez missed two games and then went the rest of the way. He did not make it to the regular season finals. If the Giants are confident that Shane Lemieux is an upgrade, Hernandez could be expensive, unless he is fit for a backup swing tackle role. Cutting it would save only $ 2.2 million on the cap and create $ 875,000 in dead money.
A clean break from tight end Evan Engram, gives the Giants $ 6 million on cap and no money. Engram, however, is one of the few players on capable offense due to matchup problems for opposing players. Moving weapons away from this repeated attack is not what the Giants are after, even though the Engrams may exaggerate with their penchants for huge drops.
To take the $ 2.9 million on the cap, the Giants can part with tight end Levin Tilolo, who was signed as a blocker last year and did not exceed an extra run, playing only 25 percent of offensive snaps. Special teams Ace Cody missed the entire 2020 season with a torn Achilles tendon; Releasing him saves the Giants $ 2 million on the cap. Isaac Yiadom started 10 games at the cornerback and will be searching for a replacement in contrast to the Giants in free agency or drafted James Bradbury. The issuance of Yiadom saves $ 2.2 million on the cap.
The Giants rewarded Riley Dixon with a three-year deal worth $ 8.7 million just after the 2019 season. Dixon struggled in 2020, though ranked 25th in the league in net punting average. If he is replaced, Dixon’s absence would exceed the 2021 cap by $ 2.7 million.
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