New York Giants Who Will Be on the Roster Bubble in 2015
One of the very first things that New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese will do in reshaping the roster for 2015 is trimming some of the dead weight from the 2015 salary cap, which Over the Cap projects to be $140 million.
In deciding who to cut and who to keep, the Giants will look at several factors, including player performance, money invested and health. Another factor likely to be considered is current depth on the roster, e.g. do they have at least some talent to replace whomever they do decide to lop off?
With that all said, here is a look at five existing player contracts that could be among those terminated next month.
This list does not include free agents; only those players who are signed through at least 2015.
DE Mathias Kiwanuka
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Defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka is one of three Giants players remaining from the 2007 Super Bowl championship team, the other two being quarterback Eli Manning and long snapper Zak DeOssie.
Unfortunately, for the Giants, Kiwanuka’s play has been deteriorating at a steady rate over the last three seasons, partly due to injuries and partly due to his inability to shed solo blocking and make enough impact plays.
Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Kiwanuka’s overall performance grades crossed into the negative column starting in 2012, when he finished with a minus-6.8 grade.
In 2013, that number fell even further, to minus-31.5, though he did record his second-highest single-season sack total with 6.0. Still to put his numbers in perspective, in 2011 he finished with 84 total tackles. In 2012 and 2013, he combined to finish with 78 tackles.
This past season, one in which Kiwanuka only played 11 games before a season-ending knee injury likely ended his career, he finished with a minus-18.3 overall grade. Within that grade included 28 total tackles, his lowest single-season career total (excluding 2010 when he only played in three games before a neck injury landed him on injured reserve).
That kind of production makes it downright foolish for the Giants to carry Kiwanuka for the final year of his contract, a year in which he will have a $7.45 million cap hit, per Over the Cap.
Should the Giants and Kiwanuka part ways—hopefully it will be Kiwanuka’s decision to retire rather than try to hang on—the Giants would save $4.825 million on the cap and be hit with $2.25 million in dead money.
RB Peyton Hillis
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It has been a nice run for Madden NFL ‘12 cover boy Peyton Hillis, who found a home with the Giants as a third-down running back.
Unfortunately for Hillis, who rushed for 1,177 yards on 270 carries in 2010, he was never quite as effective again. He left Cleveland following the 2011 season for Kansas City, for whom he played 13 games.
The following year, he began his stint with the Bucs, but they Tampa Bay cut him early in the year.
He was out of football for a few weeks after the Bucs cut him, before finally finding a home with the Giants in 2013.
However, Hillis would go on to suffer concussions in both 2013 and 2014, the one in 2014 severe enough for him to land on injured reserve.
The first priority, as always, has to be the health of a player. Certainly two concussions in as many years is not a promising development.
In addition, the Giants might prefer to go younger at that third running back spot, such as letting Orleans Darkwa, who turned out to be a nice late-season addition for them, compete with a potential Day 3 draft pick and/or an undrafted free agent.
While nothing has been announced by the team or by Hillis, it probably makes the most sense if he retires given his concussion history.
Signed through 2015, the Giants, per Over the Cap, would save $870,000 on Hillis, with no dead money cap charge (this because Hillis was given a roster bonus in each of the two years of his current contract rather than an actual signing bonus).
DT Cullen Jenkins
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Defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins is probably one of the most underrated veteran free-agent signings the Giants have had since 2013.
After being released by the Eagles following the 2012 season for salary cap purposes, Jenkins brought versatility and a taste for doing the dirty work along the interior to the Giants.
First, let’s talk about his versatility. Jenkins can line up at defensive end and defensive tackle, his versatility alone making him a valuable member of the roster.
His stats haven’t been glamorous—in two seasons as a Giant, he has 50 tackles and 6.0 sacks. However, the 6’2”, 305-pound Jenkins routinely drew the double-team blocks that afforded his teammates to prosper against solo blocking.
So why is Jenkins’ contract in danger this offseason? He turns 34 this month and is coming off an injury-filled season (calf strain) in which he only played 12 games and accumulated 16 tackles.
Robert Ayers Jr. could potentially replace Jenkins as that swing defensive lineman with a little more versatility. Before his season ended early due to a pectoral issue, Ayers was moved around a bit more, shifting inside on passing downs.
While Ayers, who weighs 275 pounds, is too light for more than just a handful of snaps inside, his versatility could give the Giants just enough until a younger player—either Jay Bromley or perhaps a draft pick from this year’s class—is ready for more of a full-time role.
Jenkins is due to count for $2.916 million against the 2015 cap. If New York decides to terminate his contract, which is in its final year, they would save $2.25 million, with only a $666,668 dead money cap charge, per Over the Cap.
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OL J.D. Walton
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Last offseason, the Giants signed center J.D. Walton to a two-year contract that Over the Cap reported to be worth $6 million. It was an odd and expensive signing given that Walton hadn’t played football due to an ankle injury suffered at the end of 2012, which cost him the 2013 season as well.
However, the contract was necessary at the time because of the multitude of injuries the previous center, David Baas, had suffered made him just too much of a luxury to continue to carry.
As it is, the last of Baas’ pro-rated signing bonus, $3.225 million per Over the Cap, will be hitting the team’s 2015 salary cap because Baas was designated a post-June 1 cut last year.
Getting back to Walton, the addition of second-round draft pick Weston Richburg in 2014, the center of the future, is a reason why Walton now becomes expendable.
While an argument could be made for keeping Walton as veteran depth—he can play guard in addition to center and he knows the playbook—his $3.125 million cap figure for 2015 is just too much to spend on a veteran backup.
If Walton is indeed cut, the Giants will save $2.5 million against the cap, with a $625,000 dead-money hit.
CB Jayron Hosley
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Cornerback Jayron Hosley, who just finished his third season, was supposed to be the Giants' nickelback of the future.
Instead, the third-round pick from the dismal 2012 Giants draft class has been a major disappointment. He played in just 22 out of 36 games in his first two seasons, due to assorted injuries.
This season, he played in six games after missing the first four due to a league-imposed suspension, and then was inactive for the team’s final five games of the season.
In those games he has played, he has recorded 57 tackles, seven passes defensed and just one interception. He also tried his hand at punt returns in 2013, but his three returns for nine yards prompted the coaches to go in another direction.
Moving forward, the Giants will probably look to re-sign cornerback Walter Thurmond, whose first season with the Giants was cut short due to a pectoral injury.
Thurmond told me at the end of the season that he would be open to exploring a return to the Giants, and given that he is coming off that injury, there is a chance his price tag will be reasonable.
New York could also look to bring back pending free agents Zack Bowman, though it’s probably more likely they try to get younger in their reserve depth at the cornerback spot.
As for Hosley, he has one year remaining on his rookie deal, a year that, per Over the Cap, will count for $796,250 against the salary cap. While that’s not a huge amount, if the Giants cut him, they’d save $667,500 and be charged $128,750—the remaining prorated portion of Hosley’s signing bonus—in dead money.
Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced. Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.
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