Three Giants Opt-out; Where Does the Team Go From Here?
The window for NFL players to opt-out of the 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19 concerns is in the books (though players may still be able to opt-out later in the year if there is a new medical diagnosis on them or a co-inhabitant that necessitates such a move).
As of the deadline, 67 total players are known to have opted out of the 2020 NFL season; three are Giants, including 32-year-old offensive tackle Nate Solder, 24-year-old wide receiver/return specialist De'Mari Scott and 23-year-old cornerback Sam Beal.
Let's recap the decisions and how the decisions made by each player changes the complexion of the team.
Nate Solder
Solder's decision to opt-out came as little surprise to anyone familiar with his background.
A testicular cancer survivor, Solder's five-year-old son Hudson has been fighting his own cancer battle since he was three months old, and was known to be receiving chemotherapy as recently as last season.
Solder struggled last year on the field, allowing a league-high 11 sacks according to Pro Football Focus. But it's certainly fair to wonder how much his son's health and perhaps some lingering injuries might have factored into the equation.
Despite his struggles, Solder was all set to get a chance to redeem himself this year at left tackle, even though the Giants drafted Andrew Thomas to be their long-term left tackle of the future.
With Solder qualifying for the high-medical risk opt-out which will pay him a stipend of $350,000, the Giants will presumably insert Thomas at left tackle and stage a battle at right tackle (where the rookie was initially slotted to play) between veterans Nick Gates and Cam Fleming and rookie Matt Peart.
From a cap perspective, Solder was set to be the Giants' highest-paid player this season, representing a $19.5 million salary-cap hit.
After the opt-out, the Giants will receive a cap credit of about $16 million for Nate Solder. This includes his $9.9 million base salaries and $6.5 million prorated signing bonus.
Sam Beal
Beal's decision might very well have created the most aftershocks on the team as it removes another young yet somewhat experienced cornerback from a quickly thinning group.
The Giants' secondary is already a man down after former first-round pick cornerback DeAndre Baker landed on the Commissioner's Exempt List while he sorts through his legal issues related to his alleged involvement in armed robbery and aggravated assault at a Florida social gathering in mid-May.
Beal, the Giants third-round pick in the 2018 supplemental draft, missed his rookie season with a shoulder injury. Last year, he missed the first half fo the season with a hamstring strain and the final game of the year with a shoulder injury.
Although he's only appeared in six games, his size and length appealed to the Giants, which is why he was thought to be a leading candidate in the competition to play cornerback opposite veteran free-agent signing James Bradberry.
With Beal gone for the year, Corey Ballentine and Grant Haley are now the only two corners on the roster that played in the NFL last year.
This will likely open up a training camp competition among the Giants' crop of rookie corners, including fourth-round pick Darnay Holmes out of UCLA, seventh-round pick Chris Williamson out of Minnesota and undrafted free agent Christian Angulo.
The Giants could also look to add a veteran such as Logan Ryan or Dre Kirkpatrick, but the price would have to be right, and such a move would likely only happen if the coaches have a concern about the youth on the roster.
Da'Mari Scott
Scott's absence probably has the least impact on the Giants roster, as he appeared to be a long shot to stick on the roster at receiver where the first three slots are filled by Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard, and Darius Slayton.
Cody Core, primarily a special teams player, will also take up a spot on the receiver depth chart, and the team is hopeful that Corey Coleman, who is coming off a torn ACL, can earn a spot. The team also signed three intriguing undrafted free agents from that historically deep receiver draft class--Ohio State's Binimen Victor and Austin Mack, and LSU's Derrick Dillon--to compete for a spot at the bottom of the roster.
While Scott also brought value as a kickoff returner, undrafted free agent running back Javon Leake figures to be one of the leading contenders.
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