PFF Projects Four of Its Top 50 Free Agents to the Giants: Who Are They and Do They Make Sense?

Which free agents did Pro Football Focus predict might land with the Giants? And which of their predictions are realistic? Let's take a look.

As the 2020 free agency rumor mill gears up to take off, Pro Football Focus has been putting int he time to not only craft a well-conceived list of the league's top 50 free agents, they have also gone the extra mile of trying to forecast where each of the free agents could land.

Let's take a look at the four free agent moves PFF has predicted for the Giants and if their logic makes sense.

No. 23: Safety Devin McCourty

This potential as no surprise for several reasons, including new head coach Joe Judge's history with the Rutgers educated McCourty's New Jersey roots and the reports back in 2015 that McCourty had considered signing with the Giants when he was a free agent.

McCourty opened that door again at the Super Bowl this year, according to a report in the New York Post, in which he said, "I’m always open to talk to anybody. That’s how I view it.”

McCourty, who turns 33 this year, enjoyed an uptick in his career in 2019, finishing with a 41.8 NFL rating after allowing 19 of 31 pass targets to be completed and giving up just one touchdown to 5 interceptions and two pass breakups.

While his experience and locker room leadership would undoubtedly be a welcome addition among a Giants defensive secondary that is still very young, there are two flipsides to this argument.

One, McCourty, at best, would be a stop-gap solution on a team that, given all the other needs it has, will improve, but probably not to the level of a Super Bowl contender. If this team is rebuilding, is it a smart investment of funds to devote a 2-year contract worth $10 million per year and with $10 million guaranteed at the expense of keeping a youngster such as Julian Love or perhaps even Corey Ballentine from growing into the position?

If the Giants are closer to being a contender, then this makes sense, Otherwise, keeping the youngsters on the bench when they could be getting experience isn't the best use of cap dollars, as the team found out last year with its insistence in sticking with Antoine Bethea.

No. 34: DI Leonard Williams

File this one under the no-brainer category. The Giants famously gave up a third-round pick in this year's draft and a conditional fifth-rounder that turns into a fourth-rounder if they can sign Wiliams to a long term deal before the start of free agency.

While it would be a stunner if Williams doesn't re-sign with the Giants, who might very well apply the transition tag on the defender given that the franchise tag is a little too steep given his production, this notion that if they don't end up signing him, they'll get a third-round comp pick comes with risks for several reasons.

To get a comp pick for Williams, the Giants would have to not only significantly alter their free agency activity this year but hope that the other conditions like compensation and playtime that he would get with a new team bring the comp pick--a risky proposition.

The bottom line is the Giants need to get this deal done; if they don't then that will be a significant blow to general manager Dave Gettleman after all he went through to acquire Williams and justify the trade.

No. 43: CB Logan Ryan

Ryan is another former Rutgers alumnus with ties to the Patriots, but the Giants not only need a veteran cornerback for this young group, but they also need a slot cornerback in the worst way.

Corey Ballentine and Grant Halley, who handled most of the Giants' slot cornerback duties last season, combined to allow 63 out of 81 pass completions for 750 yards and five touchdowns to no interceptions.

That's a less-than-impressive 125.8 rating between the two and a statistic that underscores with a thick red line the importance of upgrading that position, preferably with an established cornerback.

Ryan offers that experience, and if he came at a little more reasonable average per year (APY) rate than the $10.5 million PFF projects over three years, the Giants should give the move serious consideration.

Last season for the Titians, Ryan finished with a 98.4 NFLRating, which included allowing 68 of 96 pass targets from the slot completed for 758 yards and five touchdowns but which also saw him come up with three interceptions.

No. 45: CB Trae Waynes

PFF projects a one-year, $7.5 million prove-it deal for Waynes, who last year didn't have one of his better seasons with Minnesota.

Waynes allowed five touchdowns to one interception and five pass breakups, but he also allowed 70% of the pass targets in coverage against him to be complete.

The Giants meanwhile have some promising young cornerback already on the roster who can play man coverage--DeAndre Baker and, if he's healthy, Sam Beal.

Adding Waynes seems redundant at this point as the Giants would be better off designing schemes that play to the strength of the young corners rather than trying to force them into soft zones as often as they did last year.