The New York Giants could be mortgaging their future

The New York Giants have been big spenders during two straight off-seasons, obviously a depiction of their win-now mentality. But will this heavy spending limit their future success?

An interesting point came up recently on Twitter by David Helman, a staff writer for DallasCowboys.com. It’s a point that I myself started to wonder after news broke of a possible extension between the New York Giants and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul:

I'm not a salary cap guru, but I'm pretty curious to see how the Giants manage to afford ODB & Landon Collins in 1-2 years 🤔
— David Helman (@davidhelman_) March 17, 2017

In 2016, the New York Giants spent a shipload of money to bolster their defense:

Damon Harrison – five year, $46.25 million contract w/ $24 million guaranteed (signed through 2020)

Olivier Vernon – five year, $85 million contract w/ $52 million guaranteed (signed through 2020)

Janoris Jenkins – five year, $62.5 million contract w/ $28.8 million guaranteed (signed through 2020)

With these three contracts, the Giants invested over $193 million into three defensive players. A heavy price that seemed to pay off during the 2016 season. The New York Giants went 11-5 before losing in the playoffs to the Green Bay Packers. Their tenacious defense was one of the top in the league and created a lot of pressure up front.

Fast forward to 2017 and reports have announced that the Giants have agreed to a new four-year, $62 million contract ($40 million guaranteed) with Jason Pierre-Paul. This brings the total investment of all four contracts to $233 million. Add in the signings of Brandon Marshall and D.J. Fluker (although either not very long-term) along with upcoming draft picks and there’s a chance the Giants will find themselves cap-strapped in the not-too-distant future.

Jason Pierre-Paul signed a four-year deal that @JordanRaanan reports will pay him $62 million, including $40 million guaranteed.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2017

While this may not seem like a bad approach, especially if they make it to a super bowl next season, taking a look at upcoming deals may create some worry among Giants’ fans.

Odell Beckham Jr. is one of the top and most dynamic wide receivers in the league. His price tag is likely to be extremely high, considering his impact on this offense. This brings us to his rookie contract, one that will expire after the 2017 season. Now, the Giants can always initiate the fifth-year option, keeping him here through 2018. But none of the heavy contracts the Giants signed will expire until two years after that. While they could, and likely will, franchise tag him, the price of the tag will be outrageous.

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Landon Collins has risen to become one of the best defensive players in the league. His contract will expire after the 2018 season and with the fifth-year option not available, will have to be resigned. Due to his ascension in the league, you know that is not going to come cheap.

Justin Pugh will be a free agent after the 2017 season and with so many holes on a lackluster offensive line, signing him to an extension will be crucial. The Giants will also have to look at adding talent at other spots up front, if they hope to protect Eli Manning.

While I could go on and on, I think I’ve made my point. The Giants will have some interesting cap decisions to make and will be forced to give OBJ and Landon Collins deals that will make them the highest paid players at their respective positions. Factor in years of draft picks, a potential new quarterback, and any potential needs that arise in the future, and you may have quite a conundrum on their hands.

I’m sure Jerry Reese has thought this through, in detail, and knows the implications of each deal he signs. It’s just difficult to see a scenario that doesn’t result in the Giants mortgaging their future to win now. This a situation that won’t likely see any attention until after next season. But if you’re a Giants fan, it’s definitely one you should be watching.

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