Surprise! Giants Cannot Afford to Lose This One UFA, Claims New Analysis

One of the toughest realities that arrive at the end of an NFL season is that one year’s version of a team will most likely not be the same version that retakes the field for the following campaign.

Whether it’s a team that won the Super Bowl or has numerous weaknesses it needs to fix at the end of a miserable season, the annual free agent window is often the great equalizer in the modern day NFL that forces organizations to reckon with changes that can come with locker rooms.

Some franchises will do well and be able to maintain their core group of star pieces for another run while others will be dealt a tough hand that comes with the erosion of their roster as talented players depart for bigger paydays or opportunities in a different city.

Still, every team has their one or two players that they will fight tooth and nail to retain for the following season for one reason or another, and for the New York Giants, the veteran cornerback Adoree Jackson was recently named by PFF as the one impending 2025 free agent that they can’t afford to lose this offseason.

“The Giants are so starved for production at outside cornerback that they may have to bring Adoree’ Jackson back on another short-term contract. He earned just a 64.5 PFF coverage grade while breaking up five passes in 2024.

Those modest numbers represent an upgrade from some of the team’s younger options who have struggled so far in their careers,” the analysis by Dalton Wasserman said.

Jackson is one of 18 players on the Giants’ roster from 2024 that will be entering the open pool as unrestricted free agents come March 12, and he is also one of four players from the overall secondary who will be trying the waters for the second straight year.

It’s hard to say that Jackson is the most valuable free agent-to-be that the Giants have, but he is certainly a top player relative to the position group he plays in that has been extremely barren for the franchise.

Over the past couple seasons, the Giants have shifted towards a youth movement in their deep secondary that has forced experienced veterans like James Bradberry and Xavier McKinney out the back door. A few of the newer novices have displayed some promise in that short time, but the total product has been clearly weakened by disadvantages in coverage and injuries.

After having one of the more respectable units in the league in pass defense metrics during the 2022 season, the Giants have seen their numbers drop to 21st and 24th in overall opposing production including 25th in passing yards allowed per play and 28th in turnovers forced.

New York’s coverage game has dealt with a lack of inexperience from predominantly having to face some of the league’s best aerial offenses in early stretches and it has resulted in the 27th ranked operation that has struggled to get a hand on the football and not give up chunk plays in open space despite playing in a position friendly system.

Add up all those woes with the relentless ailments that have come mostly from the perimeter cornerback spots with guys like Cor’Dale Flott and Deonte Banks, whom the veteran shared the chunk of his snaps with this fall, and that is where Jackson could easily return on another cheap rental and an offer the Giants a familiar insurance policy with decent efforts that were recorded in 14 games (5 starts) this season.

The important factor in that decision is whether the Giants’ current regime shares the same mindset on bringing Jackson back for what would be his fifth stint in blue. They know they need depth in the secondary and some veteran presence to bolster the talent to compete next year, but this is not foreign territory for the two sides

Despite playing in his most games, notching a single-season high 63 tackles as a Giant and producing two turnovers in 2023, the team elected to part ways with Jackson at the end of his first contract over concerns for his growing age and questionable protection in the deep field.

Sep 15, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; New York Giants Adoree' Jackson (21) runs off the field during the second half at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Luke Johnson-Imagn Images | Luke Johnson-Imagn Images

Jackson allowed some of the worst stats of his career in zone coverage work including a high of 11 missed tackles and 65.9 percent opponent reception rating on a whopping 82 targets for 753 yards and 382 after contact, albeit most of that was due to playing in Wink Martindale’s blitz-heavy system that commonly left corners all along on an island.

It wasn’t until the Giants were on the verge of not having enough players within their unit to commence the 2024 regular season that Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll had to bite the bullet and went back to their ex-corner in agreement on a one-year deal to salvage it for the short term.

Except this time, the 29-year-old USC alum returned to a much more amicable situation in new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s quarters zone reliant system and the switch sort of flipped in Jackson’s very positive impact.

He only amassed 28 total tackles with one forced fumble and recovery in 14 games, but his last five contests would make him stand out as he finished with some of the lowest opposing stats on the team recorded under his watch.

Those would include allowing just 15 catches on 28 targets for 175 yards, two touchdowns and 66 yards after contact, the latter two finishing as the best in the secondary for players with at least 221 snaps of service due to his ballhawking talents near the endzone. His efforts helped improve the Giants pass defense metrics late in the season and compete in a bunch of close games.

Now with a few of the Giants key players at the position recovering from ailments or about to hit free agency, it’s back to the negotiation table with Jackson who should be viewed as not a “must have”, but more of a convenient retainer for the defensive secondary to stay afloat through whatever the offseason and start next fall bring for the franchise.

There is a chance the Giants elect to open the checkbook beyond Jackson and add a high-tier veteran free agent to really elevate the production at the same time and the names on that list are abundant this offseason to their luck.

Still, there is nothing wrong with some extra familiar reinforcements. The Giants are always falling victim to the injury bugs over the last several seasons and that makes it good to have those fallbacks and for better or worse, Jackson has offered that in two separate rodeos in the Big Apple.

There is no way to keep all of the players in their upcoming free agent class, not should they unless it is in these areas of extreme need where it makes the most sense to exercise all options to ensure success moving forward and keening in on Jackson to help the cause should be on the Giants’ list of considerations.

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