Giants co-owner says it’s time for New York to start winning
By Scott Rogust
After spending massive money this offseason, New York Giants co-owner John Mara says it is time for the team to start winning.
The New York Giants were a Washington Football Team loss away from clinching the NFC East title last season, but a 6-10 record was not satisfactory for co-owner John Mara. At the start of the new league year, the Giants opened up their wallets and managed to re-sign defensive lineman Leonard Williams, while also making some huge additions in wide receiver Kenny Golladay, tight end Kyle Rudolph and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson.
Mara made himself available to the media on Wednesday following the NFL owner’s meetings, and said the reason why the Giants spent over $100 million in free agency was to win more games in 2021.
“It’s time for us to start winning,” Mara said, via ESPN. “That’s one of the reasons we spent the money we did.”
John Mara wants more wins from Giants, hence free agent spending spree
Giants football has not been the greatest in recent years, but the team showed promise under head coach Joe Judge following the disastrous tenures of his predecessors in Ben McAdoo and Pat Shurmur. Yes, the Giants lost 10 games, but five of those defeats were within one score. Taking that into consideration, the Giants decided to go all-in this offseason.
One of New York’s main detriments last season was their rather anemic offense. The Giants averaged 299.6 yards of offense and 17.5 points per game, both the second-fewest in the NFL behind the crosstown Jets. With quarterback Daniel Jones entering a pivotal third year of his career, the team decided to give him some help. The Giants secured Golladay on a four-year, $72 million contract to be their top wideout, while signing Rudolph to a two-year, $12 million contract to be the sure-handed security blanket for Jones.
The Giants did boast a sneaky good defense last season under coordinator Patrick Graham last offseason. Leonard Williams thrived as New York’s primary pass rusher by recording 11.5 sacks, something that Jets fans were looking for since the team drafted him in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. The Giants’ offseason acquisitions in cornerback James Bradberry, linebacker Blake Martinez and defensive back Logan Ryan paid immediate dividends, as the team surrendered an average of 22.3 points per game (ninth-fewest in league).
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Entering the new league year, the Giants negotiated a three-year, $63 million contract with Williams to avoid him playing on the franchise tag. New York lacked a true No. 2 corner on the depth chart, but luckily for them, they saw Jackson get released by the Tennessee Titans and signed him to a three-year, $39 million pact.
These are win-now moves by the Giants, who look to emerge as the favorites in a rather winnable NFC East division in 2021. Mara has seen a ton of losing since the team won Super Bowl 46 in 2012, and is hoping that these moves will lead to a return to Lombardi Trophy-contention.