Have the New York Giants Gotten the Most Bang for Their Free-Agent Buck?

Because of their shoddy drafting during the 2010-13 classes, the New York Giants have had to rely a little more heavily on free-agent acquisitions to fill in key positions of depth such as at linebacker, along the offensive line and at tight end.

But have they truly gotten the most bang for their buck with their signings?

Let’s run down the list of some major free-agent signings the Giants acquired from other teams in 2014 and 2015, looking at production compared to money paid for their services to see if the Giants have truly gotten the best bang for their buck on their last two free-agent classes.

OL Geoff Schwartz

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Signed in 2014 to a four-year, $16.8 million contract with $5.7 million guaranteed, the Giants were hoping Geoff Schwartz would shore up a leaky run-blocking interior that in 2013 was part of a rushing unit that averaged 83.2 yards per game, placing it 29th in the NFL.

Since signing, Schwartz, who in 2013 was Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best right guard, has had a rocky go of it in New York.

He never played his guard position in 2014, which was due to a toe issue that landed him on temporary injured reserve. When he returned for all of 93 snaps, they were at right tackle—a stint that ended due to an ankle injury.

This year? Using Pro Football Focus’ grades, Schwartz has been just fine in the running game, with the Giants averaging 5.0 yards per carry when running through his hole.

Pass blocking has been another story. Per Pro Football Focus, Schwartz has allowed five sacks, one hit and 10 pressures, which are statistics that might be tied to an ankle problem he’s had now for multiple weeks that has affected his backpedal and setup.

Value: Inconclusive due to injuries

RB Rashad Jennings

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The Giants signed running back Rashad Jennings, formerly with Oakland, to a four-year, $10 million contract with $2.98 million guaranteed.

Jennings, who most likely impressed his current team when he ran for 88 yards on 20 carries (4.4 yards per carry) against them in a November 10, 2013, game, was immediately penciled in as the team’s No. 1 running back.

The problem with Jennings, who upon joining the Giants had yet to play a 16-game season, is that injury woes followed him to New York in his first season. He played in just 11 games in 2014 with nine starts, averaging 3.8 yards per carry, tying him for 40th among NFL running backs who took at least 25 percent of their team’s carries that year.

As a receiver, his production also dipped. He averaged 7.2 yards per catch, down from the 8.1 average he had the year prior.

While thus far Jennings has had better luck with his health, the problem is that the Giants insist on using a committee approach when it comes to their running backs who make his $2.23 million base salary seem excessive.

While Jennings leads the Giants in rushing, with 91 carries for 316 yards, Orleans Darkwa, the fourth man on the depth chart who is making a mere fraction ($510,000) of Jennings’ base salary actually has a better per-carry average (5.9) than Jennings’ 3.9 average.

Further, both Jennings and Darkwa each have one rushing touchdown a piece. 

Value: Poor

CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

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CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie signed a five-year, $35 million contract with $13.98 million in guaranteed money in 2014.

However, like so many of his teammates, the injury bug hit Rodgers-Cromartie hard, particularly to his lower body, robbing him of his speed and quickness.

Despite his ailments, Rodgers-Cromartie made it through his first season as a Giant, starting 15 out of 16 games, although not necessarily being able to play every snap because of his injuries.

In 2014, he allowed 56.8 percent of the passes thrown against him to be completed, which is the 12th-best mark among corners who played in a minimum of 60 percent of their team’s snaps, tying him with Patrick Peterson of the Arizona Cardinals. And the 492 yards completed against him was the eighth-fewest allowed by any cornerback.

This year, Rodgers-Cromartie has been even better. His 46.8 NFL rating is the NFL's third-best among corners with at least 60 percent of their team’s snaps.

While the pass targets completed against him are up (64.7 percent), he’s allowing 11.4 yards per pass completion, which is down from 11.7 in 2014.

Value: Excellent

DE Robert Ayers Jr.

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Defensive end Robert Ayers Jr. was signed to a two-year, $3.75 million contact with $1.73 million guaranteed, which is a move the Giants made in 2014 after deciding not to match Oakland Raiders long-time defensive end and team captain Justin Tuck's two-year, $10 million contract.

In his first season, Ayers played in 12 games with one start for the Giants, missing the final four weeks of the season with a chest injury. He finished with 22 tackles in 386 snaps and 5.0 sacks

This year, he has already missed four games due to a hamstring strain. In his 180 snaps played in four games, all as a starter, he has just 1.0 sack for a defensive line that can’t seem to get to the quarterback if its life depended on it.

Tuck? Unfortunately, his 2015 season is over due to a pectoral injury. In 2014, his sack total was identical to Ayers’, but Tuck, who played in 667 snaps, had 43 tackles to Ayers’ 22. 

If we look at the entire pass-rushing picture, Ayers was a significant upgrade over Tuck for less money. Per Pro Football Focus, Ayers finished 2014 with 46 total pressures to Tuck’s 35.

Among 4-3 defensive ends who took at least 25 percent of their team’s snaps, Ayers had the top pass-rushing productivity (PRP, 5.2) out of all qualified candidates, while Tuck was tied for 30th with a 7.9 PRP rate.

Considering the Giants didn't spend big bucks on Ayers, they've pretty much gotten their money's worth, though there's probably little question they'd like to get more not just from him, but from everyone on that defensive line.

Value: Very Good

RB Shane Vereen

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Running back Shane Vereen signed a three-year, $12.35 million contract with $4.75 million guaranteed in 2015, presumably to give the Giants that missing element in their running back committee.

That element was a pass receiver with whom they could execute screen plays from the backfield—a role they had hoped David Wilson, their 2012 first-round pick, might fill until a neck injury forced him into early retirement.

As a pass receiver, Vereen has lived up to his billing. So far he’s caught 30 of 37 pass targets for 280 yards, with 242 coming after the catch.

The problem with Vereen is the Giants’ stubborn insistence of sticking with the committee approach, which currently has the running game ranked 27th in the league (94.5 yards per game).

While some might think that Vereen shouldn’t get many touches as a rusher, his stat line is actually the equivalent of or better than Rashad Jennings’.

Vereen has topped Jennings in per-carry average (4.6 to 3.9) and is close in yards after contact (2.5 to Jennings’ 2.6) and missed tackles (four to Jennings’ six).

As a receiver, Vereen has been actually sharing pass targets with Jennings, who has caught 16 out of 17 passes this year.

While on a quick glance Jennings’ pass-receiving stat line is better than Vereen’s; however, Vereen has excelled in two areas—missed tackles and turnovers. 

Vereen, by the way, has more snaps (226) than Jennings (192), making him an underrated value on this team.

Value: Very Good

OL Marshall Newhouse

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Before Giants fans could realize that they had their eyes set on drafting an offensive tackle, New York inked journeyman Marshall Newhouse, he of the Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals, to a two-year, $3 million contract with $1 million guaranteed.

That wasn’t such a bad chunk of change for a backup offensive lineman; the problem, though, is due to Will Beatty’s pectoral injury, Newhouse has had to step into the starting lineup at right tackle, while rookie Ereck Flowers has held down the fort at left tackle.

Newhouse, who during the spring and summer looked like he might be the second coming of Charles Brown, has actually been a tiny bit better than expected, so much so that the Giants felt comfortable with not aggressively pursuing Jake Long, who has since signed with Atlanta.

While Newhouse hasn’t gotten quarterback Eli Manning maimed, there’s probably little doubt that once Beatty is cleared and back up to speed, Newhouse is going back to the bench.

He is rated as the worst of the Giants’ offensive players by Pro Football Focus and has allowed a team-high 31 quarterback pressures. His run blocking hasn’t been all that sharp either; the Giants are averaging 2.5 yards per carry when running behind the right tackle, which is a team low. 

While the future is still a long way off, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Giants move on from Newhouse after this year and look to have youngster Bobby Hart be the first man off the bench at tackle if injury strikes.

Meanwhile, if Newhouse can get through however many snaps he might have allowed as a starter without getting his quarterback seriously injured, that’s certainly a plus.

Value: Good

WR Dwayne Harris

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Just as receiver Odell Beckham Jr. probably saved a few jobs last year, receiver/return specialist Dwayne Harris, who inked a five-year, $17.5 million contract with $7.1 million guaranteed, has likely saved special teams coordinator Tom Quinn’s bacon from the frying pan.

Harris has not only lived up to his billing as a top return specialist in the league—the Giants lead the NFL with a 29.5 kickoff-return average—but he has also filled multiple roles on this team.

He has served as the third receiver, where his 4.8 yards after the catch average is better than No. 2 receiver Rueben Randle’s 3.1 average and where his 69.2 percent catch rate leads both Randle and Odell Beckham Jr.

He also has one more touchdown than Randle, though where he’s come up short is in the number of missed tackles he’s caused (one, the lowest of the three) and drops (he leads the trip with four).

Harris is also a staple on special teams and is, in fact, Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded Giant on special teams, and it’s not even close.

Give all he’s brought to the table, Harris’s contract, initially a head-scratcher, is turning out to be one of the best bargains of the Giants’ last two free-agent classes.

Value: Excellent

LB J.T. Thomas

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The Giants sought to upgrade their starting weak-side linebacker spot with former Jacksonville Jaguar J.T. Thomas.

Thomas, who, like Rashad Jennings, impressed the Giants when he faced them in the regular season the year prior, signed a three-year, $10 million contract with $4.5 million guaranteed in 2015.

So far so good. Per Pro Football Focus, Thomas is the Giants’ best linebacker in coverage and third-best overall in coverage on the team, behind the dynamic duo of corners Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Prince Amukamara.

Thomas has allowed a team-low 75 percent of pass targets against him to be completed for 74 yards and 42 yards after the catch for a team-best 90.3 NFL rating among all of the team’s linebackers.

Thomas is also the only Giants linebacker, out of those who have taken at least 200 snaps, who has not been burned for a touchdown. (Note: Jon Beason hasn’t given up a touchdown yet either, but he hasn’t played 200 snaps to be considered).

Thomas doesn’t seem to make many memorable plays, but that doesn’t mean he’s not getting the job done. What he also does well is turn route-runners back inside toward the middle of the field where others can finish up the play.

Value: Excellent

LB Jonathan Casillas

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

Linebacker Jonathan Casillas signed a three-year, $8 million contract in 2015. He presumably replaces Spencer Paysinger, who like Casillas, was a reserve outside linebacker and special teams staple.

On special teams, he’s been middle of the road, according to Pro Football Focus’ Giants’ rankings, and he is third on the team in total special teams tackles with four (three solo, one assist). However, Casillas has very much been a key contributor. 

Casillas, for example, was one of three players who threw a big block on Dwayne Harris’ 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys.

Let’s look at his contributions on defense, where he’s been mostly used in the nickel but, at least for the time being, he’ll be the starter at weak-side linebacker while J.T. Thomas is sidelined with an ankle sprain.

Casillas isn’t a very big linebacker, but he’s quite quick on is feet and shows good hustle. In his first start with the Giants against the New Orleans Saints, he posted six tackles (four solo) and broke up one pass.

He in fact leads the Giants linebackers with three pass breakups and does not have any missed tackles.

Casillas also is second on the team with 11 stops for zero or negative yardage—one behind team leader Devon Kennard.

The one negative with Casillas is that a neck issue that first popped up in the preseason has cost him one game already—Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Whatever the nature of his injury, it’s apparently not serious enough to sideline him indefinitely, but it does put a tad of a damper on what’s otherwise been a decent under-the-radar performance.

Value: Very Good

DE George Selvie

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Defensive end George Selvie is one of two former Dallas Cowboys (the other being Dwayne Harris) who made the jump over to the Giants in free agency this year. Selvie signed a one-year, $1 million contract with $200,000 guaranteed.

Originally slated to be part of the defensive end rotation, Selvie was pressed into starting duty when Jason Pierre-Paul’s July 4 fireworks accident cost him the first eight games (and counting) of the 2015 season.

Selvie’s strength thus far for the Giants has been against the run, where he has the second-best run-defense grade among the Giants defensive ends, trailing only Kerry Wynn.

In seven games—he missed the Week 5 matchup against the 49ers with a calf injury—Selvie has 11 tackles for zero or negative yards, second behind Wynn’s 18.

Despite the Giants’ recent problems against the run, Selvie, at least from a league-wide perspective, has still been solid.

His run-stop percentage (9.5 percent) is fourth among 4-3 defensive ends who have played at least 50 percent of their team’s defensive snaps. That mark is just one-tenth of a point behind Wynn’s 9.6 percentage.

Pass rushing has been another story. Out of 29 4-3 defensive ends who have taken at least 50 percent of their team’s snaps, Selvie is currently ranked 23rd with a 6.2 pass-rushing productivity score.

Like the rest of the Giants defensive front, he’s struggled to record sacks, posting just a half-sack in 36 pass-rushing snaps. This is a bit surprising given that in the 2013 and 2014 seasons with the Cowboys, Selvie racked up 10.0 sacks over that period.

Value: Fair

Unless otherwise noted, all advanced statistics are from Pro Football Focus, all game and basic stats from NFL.com, and all salary data from Spotrac.

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information were obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced.

Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.