Fansided

NFL free agency 2019: Grades for every team

By Kevin Parvizi

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 25: Odell Beckham #13 of the New York Giants yells prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 25, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 25: Odell Beckham #13 of the New York Giants yells prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on November 25, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 23: Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver Golden Tate (19) looks on during the game between the Houston Texans and the Philadelphia Eagles on December 23, 2018, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia,PA. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 23: Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver Golden Tate (19) looks on during the game between the Houston Texans and the Philadelphia Eagles on December 23, 2018, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia,PA. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

New York Giants

Key Additions: WR Golden Tate, EDGE Markus Golden, OG Kevin Zeitler, S Antoine Bethea, S Jabrill Peppers

Key Departures: WR Odell Beckham Jr., SS Landon Collins, EDGE Olivier Vernon, OG Jamon Brown

Grade: D

It’s tempting to be more critical of the New York Giants because of Dave Gettleman’s inexcusably awful decision to trade the team’s best player, Odell Beckham Jr., but the organization did admittedly add an assortment of talented players.

Still, trading Beckham Jr. sent such a damaging statement, because Gettleman and the franchise essentially branded a hard-working, talented, and hungry player as a “distraction”, and they were simply never going to get a fair return for the NFL’s most individually gifted skill position player.

The Giants also made a misstep by trading Olivier Vernon, because while Kevin Zeitler is one of the league’s best guards, there’s no way a guard is as valuable as an edge defender. They did make up for it by signing Markus Golden, who may turn out to be a better player than Vernon for the Giants, and Jabrill Peppers is, likewise, a good replacement for superstar strong safety Landon Collins.

That said, the Giants could have easily held onto Collins with the franchise tag, especially since Collins will end up making $45 million in guaranteed money from a division rival; he would have been worth the $11.15 million tag.

The Giants defense will miss Collins and Vernon, but at least Peppers and Golden can make up for it. And on offense, the Giants did somewhat soften the blow of losing Beckham Jr. by inking veteran wideout Golden Tate, whom the Giants should not miscast as a slot receiver or gadget player, to a contract.

Of course, the Giants biggest problem is something free agency can’t resolve, and it’s an organizational failure. Eli Manning is no longer a starting quarterback in this league, and while the Giants loyalty to the two-time Super Bowl champion is heart-warming, it is also foolish and is holding back others on the roster. Odell Beckham Jr. found greener pastures in Cleveland with Baker Mayfield.

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