The Giants may (or may not) be in the market for a veteran left tackle this offseason.
What do Giants cuts mean for JPP?
On the free agency front, Pro Bowler Andrew Whitworth is the clear top dog if he does not re-sign in Cincinnati (he has said he wants to). However, two other potential high-end options could be had by trade – San Francisco’s Joe Staley and Cleveland’s Joe Thomas.
Miami’s Branden Albert is also a new addition to the trading block, but he is a second-tier target compared to Staley and Thomas.
If the Giants were to try to pry Staley away from the 49ers, or Thomas from the Browns, what would it cost them? More importantly, how realistic would the Giants’ chances be of getting something done?
The short synopsis: Staley would likely cost more (in terms of his salary and assets being shipped out) on the front end, Thomas would likely cost more on the back end, and it’s probably a wash between the two when you add it all up.
And right now, it doesn’t seem like the acquisition odds would be in the Giants’ favor with either.
Here’s a look at the situation with all three players. All salary numbers are courtesy of Over The Cap:
Staley: Fans see his contract, which is rather modest for a 32-year-old three-time All-Pro, and get excited. Staley is scheduled to have a cap hit of $11.056 million in 2017, but that drops to $7.7 million in 2018 and ’19. There’s a catch, though: The way Staley’s contract is structured, the Niners would eat a hefty amount of dead money if they trade him. San Francisco would save over $13 million in cap space over the next three years, but it would also be saddled with $12.2 million in dead money.
If the Niners are going to move Staley – and there have been no recent rumblings suggesting he is on the block – they will need a significant return given the financial hit they have to cushion. That’s why Pro Football Talk reported last year before the trade deadline they were looking for a first-round pick in return for Staley. That price point likely has not changed. In fact, the Niners probably would want another pick too, or a lower-round pick swap where they get back a higher selection.
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Thomas: Any Thomas trade speculation must be prefaced with the disclosure Hue Jackson has vowed Thomas will not be traded as long as Jackson is the Browns’ head coach. If the Browns did change course, they’d have to do so pretty quickly. Thomas is due a $1 million roster bonus on March 13 according to Spotrac.
Thomas is due to count $10 million against the cap the next two seasons. Unlike Staley, he has no dead money in play. If the Browns trade Thomas, they clear $10 million in cap space and the acquiring team adds $10 million – an unusually simple NFL transaction that has no lingering impact on Cleveland’s cap. That’s likely why the Browns’ rumored asking price last season around the deadline was just a second-round pick. The catch is the team that gets Thomas has to add a Victor Cruz/Rashad Jennings-sized cap hit.
Giants offensive line overview
Albert: The Dolphins were going to cut Albert on Thursday, but they reversed course and kept him on their roster. They did so, according to The Miami Herald, due to sudden trade interest in Albert. The Jaguars are one of the teams showing interest, according to The Herald. Probably the only team, too, because trading for Albert is a bit of a head-scratcher.
Albert is 32, and he hasn’t played a full 16-game season since 2011. There are doubts he is even physically capable of being a left tackle at this point. He also has cap hits of $10.6 and $11.3 million the next two years. If Tom Coughlin wants to grab Albert, let him. If Albert ends up becoming a free agent, that’s when the Giants should see if he’s worth kicking the tires. They just have to temper expectations if they go that direction.
Summing up: The tackles the Giants would potentially be interested in trading are not necessarily available, and would cost a lot if they are. The guy who is available is not someone the Giants probably have interest in trading for. If they want to add a star, veteran left tackle this offseason, Whitworth is their best bet.
TALK IS CHEAP: The JPP decision looms; what should Giants do? Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Soundcloud or iHeartRadio. James Kratch may be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.
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