2016 NFL free agency: Who signs Prince Amukamara?

In 2016 NFL free agency, who takes a chance on the talented, but often-injured Prince Amukamara?

The 19th-overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, cornerback Prince Amukamara is set to hit free agency after five seasons with the New York Giants. Amukamara played collegiately at Nebraska and was a highly touted prospect coming into the league. So far he has shown flashes of his potential, but injuries have taken their toll as the young defensive back has played 16 games just once in his career.

In 2014, Amukamara managed eight games but seemed to have turned a corner as he did record a career high three interceptions that year. A torn biceps ended that season and he was never able to fully bounce back in 2015 as he struggled through a torn pectoral.

Vitals

Age: 26
Notable stat: 7 career interceptions
Pro Bowls: 0
All-Pro Teams: 0

Contract comparison

Figuring out a contract for Amukamara won’t be easy because teams will be hesitant to throw a lot of guaranteed money on a guy who has yet to stay healthy. Still, teams can’t ever have too many cover guys and Amukamara has been a good corner for the Giants, even if he hasn’t lived up to his draft expectations.

Finding comparable players isn’t an easy task either, but another former first-round pick at corner, Kyle Wilson, signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2015 and received just a one-year deal for $825,000.

Wilson may not have shown the same potential as Amukamara, but a similar mid-level starter did get paid handsomely last season. The Seattle Seahawks signed Cary Williams to a three-year $18 million deal. However, he proved that was too much for his skill level as Seattle cut him before the first year of that deal was up.

Amukamara is younger than Williams and better than Wilson, but the injuries still look to be the biggest deterrent to a large deal for him. He will earn more than Wilson but won’t find a team as generous as Seattle was to Williams.

Estimate: 3 years/ $20 million/ $9 million guaranteed

Will he stay?

Amukamara says he wants to stay in New York, but that’s pretty much the standard line isn’t it? The truth is the Giants defense has been really bad over the past couple of seasons and they may be looking to have a complete overhaul.

With that in mind, Prince most likely isn’t back with the Giants unless he takes a minimum deal after they fail to land a replacement in either the draft or free agency. In the end, look for him to find a home with a cornerback needy team willing to give him an incentive based deal with minimal guaranteed money.

If he goes…

A team like the Dallas Cowboys come to mind as such a group willing to kick the tires on a former first-round pick. Dallas has needed to upgrade the secondary for years and and a player like Amukamara could at least be a solid second corner alongside Byron Jones, the team’s first-round pick in 2015.