What's Next for the NY Giants After Losing LB Jon Beason for the Season?

The official announcement from the New York Giants confirming that middle linebacker Jon Beason will have season-ending surgery on his troublesome big toe came as little surprise.

Once known as a top linebacker, Beason, a three-time Pro Bowler for the Carolina Panthers, has fallen on hard times with his health, playing in just 24 games since 2011 due to assorted season-ending injuries.

Last year, he enjoyed a bit of a rebirth, when he was traded to a rudderless Giants team stuck in the midst of a six-game losing streak.

He proved to be an instant upgrade to the linebacker corps, helping the Giants climb back into the NFC East race where they were until a Week 12 loss against the Dallas Cowboys ended any glimmer of postseason hope.  

Since then, Beason's status with the team appears to be at a crossroads thanks to his latest injury, announced by the team as a cracked sesamoid bone and torn ligament in the big toe on his right foot.

The injury, suffered on June 12 during an OTA, cost him training camp, the preseason and three regular-season games before he realized that enough was enough.

So where do the Giants go from here now that they will be without the man who has, on occasion in conversations with reporters, referred to himself as “five-two,” and who will be on the wrong side of 30 the next time he sees the playing field for a live game?

A Constant Presence

It’s usually rare that head coach Tom Coughlin allows for a player on injured reserve to continue to be a part of the team in some capacity.  

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There are exceptions, however, made for certain players whose leadership and whose voices carry weight in the locker room.

This year, receiver Victor Cruz, voted a team captain, is one such player. Beason, also a team captain, will be another.

“Hopefully we’re not going to lose anything in terms of his presence,” Coughlin told reporters. “I think he’s probably going to have to be away a little bit, but then he’ll return and we’ll have him in meetings.”

What can Beason bring to the meeting room if he isn’t playing?

“Jon is amazing,” linebacker Jameel McClain told reporters. “I know how much of a warrior he is and how competitive he is, so it’s disappointing on that side of it, to be in his shoes, because I’ve been there before.

“As a team, we lose a great leader. We lose someone in a certain aspect because I know Jon and Jon will be here and will be coaching us all up and giving us all of the tips that he has because he’s just a sharing person like that,” he added.

Picking Up the Pieces

Coughlin has already confirmed to reporters that McClain, initially signed to be the team’s strong-side linebacker, will stay in the middle and will wear the radio in his helmet, which is just fine with the rest of the defense.

“McClain — I’ve said this a number of times — hasn’t gotten enough credit or respect for how much he has contributed to our team,’’ defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka told reporters.

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“[Beason’s] been in and out and Jameel has stepped in every single time, no questions asked. He has moved over from one side to the other when Jon was back in so there is no doubt in my mind he can get the job done.’’

In his press conference Monday, Giants general manager Jerry Reese added:

"

Jameel McClain has done [a good job] right out of the gate...He was playing middle linebacker and did a pretty nice job in there, so we expect him to get back in that role and pull the defense together and play better defense.

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Rookie Devon Kennard, who finally kicked a hamstring issue a few week ago, will line up at McClain’s strong-side spot.

Kennard told me on Monday that he has taken some snaps at middle linebacker in the team’s nickel package, but as of now, he hasn’t done much in the way of taking snaps in the middle in the base defense. 

“He’s ready,” Coughlin said of the possibility of Kennard playing in the middle. “He’ll be a backup in there. He doesn’t have to be the starter.”

The Financial Implications…and the Future for Beason

Earlier this month, when it was pointed out that he was approaching the one-year anniversary of his trade from Carolina to the Giants, Beason, who per Over the Cap signed a three-year, $17 million contract that he negotiated for himself—broke out into a huge smile.

“It feels like it has been about eight and a half days—it has gone by fast,” he told reporters. “That means you’re having fun; you’re enjoying it.”

At the time, Week 5 of this season, Beason was hoping to celebrate his one-year anniversary as a Giant by playing in that weekend’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.

“I do feel at home,” he said. “I am anxious to get back out there and do what I love: play ball.”

With a projected $7.366 million cap figure in 2015, Beason might not get that chance with the Giants moving forward, especially if Kennard continues in his development and the team re-signs pending free agent Jacquian Williams.

The Giants, who may move on from pending unrestricted free agents Mark Herzlich and Spencer Paysinger, could also potentially move on from Beason.

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Why? Beason's projected 2015 cap figure seems a bit high for a player who, thanks to injuries, hasn’t had a positive overall grade since 2010, his last full 16-game season, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap broke down the cap implications of Beason’s financial hit on the Giant salary cap, noting that the 29-year-old linebacker will lose $450,000 this year that would have been paid out in a per-game roster bonus had he been on the 53-man roster the rest of the season.

Next year, $900,000 of Beason’s $3.6 million base salary is guaranteed. He is also due a $1.375 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the new league year, and has a $100,000 offseason workout bonus.

If Beason isn’t part of the Giants’ plans moving forward, Fitzgerald estimates that the termination of Beason’s contract will yield a $3.533 million cap savings.

What Should They Do?

With Over the Cap projecting a $140-million salary cap in 2015 and the Giants set to have $20 million in cap space even if they carry Beason’s 2015 figure, New York could try to get one more year out of the middle linebacker.  

If the Giants do keep him, they will almost certainly look to lower his base salary, as they have done in the past with other players coming off a season-ending injury.  

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Doing so would help New York in arriving at contracts for other players such as defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, quarterback Eli Manning, safety Antrel Rolle and cornerback Prince Amukamara.

Another factor to consider is the coaching staff. If the Giants fail to make the playoffs again this year, it would not be surprising if Reese recommends to ownership that the team move on from Coughlin. 

If that does happen, a new coach will almost certainly want his guys on the team. In addition, what if a new defensive coordinator might not want to run a 3-4 defensive base?

Would Beason, at age 30, be a fit for a 3-4 defense? Would he be willing and physically able to adapt to such a change? 

Time will tell over the next few weeks where the coaching—and the overall direction of the team—is headed, and if Beason figures to be a part of those plans.

Advanced statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus (subscription required) unless otherwise noted. Salary-cap information via Over the Cap. All quotes and other information obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced. Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.