Given their financial commitments at safety coming into free agency, the Seahawks made a surprising move by signing Julian Love to join Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs. The Giants appear to have been surprised as well.
Like they did with Saquon Barkley during what became a narrow in-season negotiation — during the bye week — the Giants made Love an offer believed to be worth more than the two-year, $12MM Seahawks pact Love signed. The Giants then submitted a second offer earlier this year, according to the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz, who notes this proposal was worth more than what the team offered midseason.
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When Love chose the Seahawks offer, Schwartz adds the Giants were somewhat surprised. They gave Bobby McCain a one-year deal worth $1.3MM, but the team may still be on the lookout for a safety starter to replace Love alongside Xavier McKinney.
“I think I’m a player on the rise and I’m young, so a lot of things were going for me, I felt. Then the market was tough for safeties, that’s just the reality,” Love said recently. “I wouldn’t have expected it, but it was what it was. When Seattle saw where I was at contract-wise, they jumped at the opportunity to bring me on, which is exciting and it makes you feel like you’re wanted in this process. There were a few teams down at the end, but I think the appeal of Seattle was too great for me to pass on.”
No numbers have emerged regarding the Giants’ midseason or offseason Love offers, but this year’s non-Jessie Bates safety market not producing any deals worth at least $8MM per year did not bode too well for Love, even after a strong contract year. The new Giants regime used the same timetable with Love and Saquon Barkley, making an initial fall offer before upping it slightly ahead of free agency. But Barkley ended up being franchise-tagged — the expected outcome in the event a Daniel Jones extension surfaced — and Love hit the market. When free agency opened, the sides were not close on terms; that led to the Seattle visit.
McKinney has missed chunks of two seasons — 2020 and ’22 — but looks to remain in New York’s long-term plans. The former second-round pick could rebound and command a nice raise with a quality contract year, and Schwartz notes the Giants were not going to have Love making more than McKinney on a long-term deal. McKinney is now extension-eligible, but it would make sense for the Alabama alum — considering the ATV accident that cost him seven games last season — to bet on himself raising his value in 2023.
As for Love, he now sits 28th for safety AAV. Vonn Bell, Jordan Poyer, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Donovan Wilson and Juan Thornhill checked in a bit higher on their offseason deals, but Bell’s three-year, $22.5MM Panthers pact was the closest any safety came to Bates’ four-year, $64MM Falcons windfall. Gardner-Johnson signed a one-year deal after turning down a multiyear Eagles offer, joining Love in perhaps overestimating this year’s safety market. Love is expected to play a regular role, regardless of Adams’ health, in Seattle; the Seahawks are planning to use Adams closer to the line of scrimmage more often in 2023.
The Giants have McCain, Dane Belton and Jason Pinnock under contract alongside McKinney. Love took over after the Giants cut Logan Ryan and let Jabrill Peppers walk in 2022. The team has higher priorities entering the draft, and while safety can be considered an auxiliary need, the Giants may rely on McCain or one of their younger holdovers to team with McKinney.
Shocked to hear that Love bolted for less money then the Giants offered. Maybe more guaranteed money in Seattle? Maybe a better playing situation? Or maybe there was something behind the scenes with the organization or coaching staff? Either way it makes me wonder why he would abandon a young team on the rise for a team on decline who will be looking for a new coach within 2 years.
Yes, so much for the love of team and New Jersey that Love proclaimed during contract talks…..its always about the money no matter what…good for him if he’s happy…the Giants will move on too!
Yikes! Seattle on the decline? Have you watched what was happening there? Maybe resigning Jones made him look for another spot!
27-13 ring a bell.
Smith>Jones
Hawks DB’s > Giants DB’s
Hawks Oline> Giants Oline
Hawks WR> Giants WR
Hawks TE> Giants TE
Giants DLine> Hawks Dline
Giants LB>< Hawks LB
I would also rather have K9 on a rookie contract than the injury prone Saquon on an overpaid contract.
Pete is a top 3 HC in the NFL and John Schneider is also a top 3 GM.
Hawks have 4 picks in the top 60 due to the RW3 trade.
Giants will be lucky to sniff the playoffs in the next 3 years and Seattle during a complete rebuild made the playoffs.
lmao, all of that and you neglected to mention that the Giants had a better record and unlike the Seahawks, they won a playoff game.
Also this:
“Seattle during a complete rebuild made the playoffs.”
is hilarious because you’re acting like the Giants are not in the midst of a complete rebuild themselves.
I think that you think that we think that Seattle is in a better spot than the Giants, which is true, but that doesn’t even matter because Julian Love does as well. You are like a scorned lover. Breakups are hard. Sorry Dawg!
Seattle plays in a better Div than NYG. They played the top D in the league twice and then again in the playoffs. You say you won a playoff game woohoo. How good was the team you played? You can think we are in decline that is cute. You go ahead and puff your chest in your marshmallow Div. Iron sharpens iron marshmallows make you sticky.
Never said Seattle was in decline. Never said anything bad about Seattle at all! Just responding to the guy trashing the Giants for seemingly no reason. Both teams are in a major rebuild and played above their heads last year. I’m not about to make any prognostications based on the personal preferences of a mediocre safety like Julian Love.
How on earth is Seattle a team on the decline? Seattle is in a far better situation then the Giants are right now and in the near future. Seattle had an. Amazing draft last year and then have 4 picks in the top 50 in this year’s draft. Add in a relatively cheap QB signed and the future is super bright in Seattle.
Gotta hand it to the Giants for acting entitled. Richie James leaves for Kansas City, Julian Love leaves for Seattle, yet Daniel Jones and Sterling Shepard are brought back with open arms.
Hope the Giants enjoy getting their ass kicked when Seattle visits MetLife Stadium come fall.
Spoken like a true Eagles fan.
Actually I’m a Jets fan who knows his team’s place. =)