Why the Giants Are Not Likely to Move on from Nate Solder

The June 1 designation affords teams looking to unload the contracts of overpriced players with two years remaining while also allowing for optimal cap releif. But when it comes to Giants left tackle Nate Solder, whom some Giants fans want to see the team part ways with, her eis why the Giants are unliekly to move him this year.

Giants offensive tackle Nate Solder is a standup man who takes his responsibilities very seriously both on and off the field.

Yet, out of all the decisions facing the Giants this year as they shape their roster, no player has divided the opinion of those outside the organization more than Solder, who has the Giants' highest cap figure at $19.5 million 2020.

As with anything, there are pros and cons to keeping a player on the roster, yes even one who it can probably be agreed hasn't lived up to the four-year, $62 million contract he signed as a free agent in 2018.

But what should the Giants do when it comes to Solder? Let's look at the various angles and try to answer this question.

The Cap Charge

One of the biggest complaints people have about Solder is his contract and how he just hasn't been worth it.

Look through the history of the NFL when it comes to blockbuster free-agent deals given to unrestricted free agents. Chances are you won't find many players who earned every last cent owed to them on their current contract.

The Giants' best known and most recent example of an unrestricted free agent who earned every last penny was safety Antrel Rolle, a three-time Pro Bowler who helped the Giants win a Super Bowl championship.

Since Rolle, other unrestricted free agents that signed mega-deals with the Giants haven't collected every last penny mainly because the production began to tail off in justifying the value.

But let's get back to Solder. The Giants who signed him to the contract they did was a move born out of desperation after Ereck Flowers didn't work out at left tackle.

While Solder, a Super Bowl champion who has yet to be voted to a Pro Bowl or as an All-Pro, gave the team everything he had, it wasn't hard to notice that injuries, which he never used as an excuse, were beginning to rob him of whatever skills he had left.

According to Pro Football Focus, Solder finished last year having allowed the highest total pressures (56) among NFL tackles or one pressure per every 12.21 pass block attempts.

Again, you can point to the injuries and perhaps even the fact that Solder no doubt had the well-being of his young son, who was undergoing his third round of chemotherapy, on his mind. With that said, if a player is out there, it's assumed that he's ready to go, and there can be no excuses for his play.

The Effects of the Salary Cap

Now, let's look at the cost ramifications of the Giants cutting Solder, who has already received a $3 million roster bonus for this year.

If the Giants were going to cut Solder before June 1 and before his roster bonus was due back in March, they would have been hit with $13 million in dead money against their salary cap, as his prorated signing bonus would have accelerated into the current year's cap.

That wasn't a practical option, not with the Giants having just over $16 million currently invested in the franchise tag for Leonard Williams.

But what about the post-June 1 option, in which teams who cut a player with that designation can increase their savings at the expense of having to carry dead money the following year?

For that scenario to have worked for the Giants, they would have had to cut Solder before his $3 million roster bonus was due. Since that has been paid out, his dead money charge jumped from $6.5 million to $9.5 million.

His cap savings, meanwhile, would be $10 million. And while $10 million is a nice chunk of cash to save, I can't see the Giants cutting Solder even as a post-June 1 transaction considering that they'd be throwing away almost as much as they'd be saving.

Ok, So What's the Answer?

The answer is that Solder will be a Giant in 2020, though in what role remains to be determined.

Historically speaking, the Giants usually don't part with players who receive a hefty roster bonus, which is part of the reason why Solder is unlikely to be cut this year.

But let's look at things from a football perspective. The hard reality is that Solder, as of right now, is still one of the top five offensive linemen on the roster, joining in no particular order guards Will Hernandez and Kevin Zeitler, and rookie first-rounder Andrew Thomas.

While the Giants have done a better job to plan for the future at the position--third-rounder Matt Peart is going to be groomed for a larger role on offense, but might still be a year away of being ready for a starting job, while off-season signing Cam Fleming will probably fill the swing tackle role--Solder is still the best option they have for the other tackle spots, especially if the Giants move Nick Gates to center.

Looking Ahead

It's hard to envision Solder finishing his Giants contract in 2021 for several reasons.

Besides the hope that Peart will be ready to assume the starting right tackle role (Thomas is believed to be the team's future starter at left tackle), the Giants are going to need as much cash as they can for next year. 

This is because they have some big contract negotiations on the horizon such as defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson and, if he doesn't sign a new long-term deal this year, Leonard Williams.

Running back Saquon Barkley's contract is likely to be addressed next off-season, as he'll be eligible to open discussions with the team on a new deal.

By that point, the Giants will need to start investing big money in the team's youth that makes up the foundation.

Solder has been a welcomed addition for the reasons cited earlier in this article, but unfortunately, he's not a part of that long-term foundation.

That's why barring something completely crazy happening, it's hard to envision Solder as a member of the Giants after this season.