The New York Giants have intricate financial decisions approaching and may have to choose between keeping Odell Beckham Jr. or Landon Collins.
Once the dust settles and the smoke clears around the New York Giants and their polarizing quarterback situation, difficult personnel decisions will be fast approaching on the Big Blue horizon.
It’s anyone’s guess if Eli Manning will still be on the roster in 2018. That decision won’t just affect the Giants from a directional standpoint, it will also have significant financial and motivational effects.
Manning has a cap hit of $22.2 million in 2018, including $12.4 in dead cap, per Spotrac.com. So, his status on the roster will greatly determine the financial flexibility the Giants have moving forward. Obviously, the new head coach and general manager will be influential in the status of the quarterback next season–something that could weigh heavily on the futures of team stars Odell Beckham Jr. and Landon Collins.
Beckham has made it no secret that he’s loyal to the almighty dollar. The highest paid wide receiver in the league isn’t his goal; the league’s highest paid player is in his crosshairs. That figure may be a little optimistic (to put it gently) but if the Giants don’t pay Beckham, there’s no doubt he’ll have a long list of interested parties willing to write an obscene cheque.
Consider this–if Manning isn’t the stabilizing force at quarterback for the next few years and the Giants enter a re-build, do you think Beckham will want to stay in New York for the long term during his prime years? He may lean towards signing with the highest overall bidder, but his decision could be made easier if the current mess in East Rutherford doesn’t establish a positive direction before his contract expires.
Losing Beckham would be a devastating blow for the Giants and not just from an on field production standpoint. Walk around the tri-state area and look at what the kids are wearing–you can be sure to see #13 jerseys everywhere. To say OBJ is marketable would be an epic understatement. Nonetheless, his departure is a legitimate possibility.
Playing devil’s advocate for a minute, let’s say the Giants get Beckham the extension he covets. Is it now possible to sign all-world safety Landon Collins?
The Cheifs’ Eric Berry is currently the highest paid safety in the league at around $13 million per season–a mark Collins would likely eclipse. Collins, whose rookie contract expires after 2018, ends at the same time Beckham’s fifth year player option expires.
I’ll take salary cap conundrums for $800, Alex.
The question is simple–do the Giants extend their best offensive or defensive player? Both are not out of the question, though the front office will have to get creative with restructuring contracts, roster cuts, trades and hitting on majority of their draft picks.
In Beckham, the Giants have arguably the most exciting and most marketable player in the NFL. They also will have to pay him at least more than the approximate $17 million Antonio Brown receives from Pittsburgh. It would be impossible to replace Beckham–is there a chance his sideline antics and ankle injury put the team off? 2018 will be a telling year for he and the Giants to paint a clear picture of the road ahead.
In Collins, the Giants have one of the most dynamic defensive players in the game. His price tag won’t be as high as Beckham’s nor does he carry the same eccentric personality. Beckham may be irreplaceable, but Collins’s loss would leave a mammoth hole in the Giant defense.
It’s still too early to comprehend how the team plans to address such complex questions. If there’s one thing that’s certain, John Mara and company will have the chance to either win over or further alienate themselves from what’s currently a highly emotional fanbase.
