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Adoree’ Jackson

Giants, Adoree’ Jackson Discuss Extension; Leonard Williams Deal Not On Radar

August 15th, 2023 at 3:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Adoree’ Jackson‘s MCL sprain decimated the Giants at cornerback last season. Although the team made a surprising run to the playoffs, it spent much of the stretch run without Jackson and its other Week 1 starting corner (Aaron Robinson).

Robinson has not returned to practice yet, remaining on New York’s active/PUP list due to the knee injury he suffered early last season, but first-round pick Deonte Banks now joins Jackson as a surefire starter. Banks’ presence, along with the host of big-ticket deals the Giants handed out this year, complicates Jackson’s Big Apple future. The former first-round pick is going into the final year of a contract the Joe Schoen regime did not authorize.

[RELATED: Giants Do Not Intend To Extend Xavier McKinney In 2023]

While a previous report indicated the Giants were not planning Jackson extension talks, the seventh-year defender said (via The Athletic’s Dan Duggan) conversations about a second agreement with the team have occurred. Jackson’s three-year, $39MM deal calls for a $19.1MM cap number this season. The team already attached a 2024 void year for cap purposes.

The Giants doled out a $40MM-per-year deal for Daniel Jones, while Andrew Thomas and Dexter Lawrence are now respectively tied to $23.5MM- and $22.5MM-AAV extensions. Each contract will produce a significant cap spike between 2023 and ’24. Jones’ cap number rises from $21.75MM this year to $45MM in 2024. Thomas’ vaults from $9.3MM to $23.7MM, while Lawrence’s balloons from $6.7MM to $21.9MM. These changes will result in adjustments for the Giants, with Jackson’s future with the team in doubt.

Jackson, who is going into his age-28 season, became a more important Giants piece following the team’s May 2022 James Bradberry release. Pro Football Focus graded Jackson, a former Pac-12 long jump champion while at USC, just outside the top 30 at corner last year. Missing seven games due to injury, the 5-foot-11 defender still returned in time for the team’s wild-card win in Minnesota and accounted himself well against Justin Jefferson.

The Giants have experimented with Jackson in the slot during training camp. A strong second year in Don Martindale‘s system could create another good market for the ex-Titans first-rounder in March. Even with Banks in the fold, cornerback will be a key need for the Giants if they do not re-sign Jackson before the 2024 legal tampering period.

This offseason has revealed zero hesitation on Schoen’s part about committing to Dave Gettleman investments, with Jones, Lawrence and Thomas all first-rounders under the since-departed GM. Higher on the Giants’ 2023 payroll, Leonard Williams is also going into a walk year. Gettleman gave the 2019 trade acquisition a three-year, $63MM extension shortly after applying a second franchise tag in March 2021. Williams holds the highest cap number among NFL defenders this year — by a wide margin. Williams’ $32.3MM number jumps out on a Giants payroll that does not include another cap hit north of $22MM.

A June report pointed to the Giants not eyeing an adjustment to bring down Williams’ monster cap number, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes the team remains unlikely to address the deal. No extension or pay cut should be expected here, with the Giants viewing the ninth-year veteran as an important piece in Brian Daboll‘s second season. Williams, 29, is not a 2024 franchise tag candidate, since the Giants have already tagged him twice. He is open to an extension with the team.

Williams fared well during his most recent contract year (2020), totaling a career-high 11.5 sacks and 30 quarterback hits. Jackson’s former USC teammate has not topped 15 QB hits in the two seasons since, but with the prospect of one final major payday in play, motivation will certainly exist for the ex-Jets top-10 draftee in 2023. With Lawrence’s contract running through 2027, however, Williams is no longer the Giants’ D-line centerpiece.

CB Rumors: Jackson, Lions, Jaguars, Apple

August 9th, 2023 at 2:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Adoree’ Jackson served as the Giants‘ No. 1 cornerback last season, his second with the team. Despite coming off injury, Jackson fared well against Justin Jefferson in the Giants’ wild-card win. But the team is experimenting on a potential shift in the veteran’s role during training camp. Jackson has seen extensive time in the slot in camp, and Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News notes the prospect of Jackson in the slot and Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins outside is viable.

The Titans used Jackson as an outside corner during his Tennessee tenure, and the Giants stationed Darnay Holmes in the slot last year. They also drafted Cor’Dale Flott as a slot option in last year’s third round. But Holmes has struggled during camp, per Leonard. Hawkins, chosen in the sixth round out of Old Dominion, does not have slot experience. Jackson’s willingness as a tackler would benefit the Giants if they followed through on this, though the move is not set in stone. Holmes still operated as the team’s lead slot defender in a joint practice against the Lions on Wednesday, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets. Hawkins being in consideration for a regular role would be notable for a Giants team that struggled for CB depth last year.

Here is the latest from NFL secondaries:

  • Emmanuel Moseley‘s cleanup procedure on the ACL he tore last year has led to an unexpected delay in his return. Moseley reported to camp late due to the surgery, and the Lions placed the free agent signing on the active/PUP list. While Dan Campbell said last week the team expected Moseley back soon, the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett notes no timetable exists for the ex-49er’s return, adding that he may not be a lock to start the season on time. This surgery has provided another delay for Moseley, who signed a one-year, $6MM deal that came with $2MM guaranteed. Campbell confirmed Moseley’s absence to start camp was excused.
  • Fellow UFA addition Cameron Sutton and Jerry Jacobs have worked as Detroit’s starting cornerbacks in camp, and while the return of Moseley will give the Lions another starter-level corner, rookie UDFA Starling Thomas has made enough of an impression that Birkett added he is a good bet to make the 53-man roster. He of a 4.28-second 40-yard dash at UAB’s pro day, Thomas has been running with the Lions’ second-stringers at corner alongside Will Harris.
  • Few battles for starting spots are transpiring in Jacksonville, but the Jaguars are holding one at nickel corner. Despite bringing back Tre Herndon on another one-year deal, the Jags are pitting the sixth-year veteran against several players for the slot role. Second-year players Gregory Junior (Round 6) and Montaric Brown (Round 7) join sixth- and seventh-round rookies Erick Hallett and Christian Braswell in vying for this job, per Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. Fifth-round safety Antonio Johnson has mixed in here as well. Herndon re-signed on a fully guaranteed $2.58MM deal. Formerly surpassing 900 defensive snaps in back-to-back years, Herndon finished with just 416 last season.
  • Eli Apple‘s Dolphins deal is worth $1.6MM over one season, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. Incentives could take the veteran corner’s contract up to $2.28MM. While the $1.6MM is not entirely guaranteed, the former top-10 pick received a $250K signing bonus.

Largest 2023 Cap Hits: Defense

July 12th, 2023 at 9:52am CST by Sam Robinson

While the NFL’s top 2023 cap hits go to players on offense, a number of pass rushers are tied to lofty figures as well. None check in higher than Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

Williams and Chiefs D-tackle Chris Jones carry high contract-year cap hits, while the Steelers’ two front-seven cornerstones each are set to go into training camp with cap figures north of $20MM. As the salary cap climbed to $224.8MM this year, here are the top defensive cap figures as camps near:

  1. Leonard Williams, DL (Giants): $32.26MM
  2. T.J. Watt, OLB (Steelers): $29.37MM
  3. Myles Garrett, DE (Browns): $29.18MM
  4. Chris Jones, DT (Chiefs): $28.29MM
  5. Aaron Donald, DL (Rams): $26MM
  6. Arik Armstead, DT (49ers): $23.95MM
  7. Cameron Heyward, DL (Steelers): $22.26MM
  8. C.J. Mosley, LB (Jets): $21.48MM
  9. Jonathan Allen, DT (Commanders): $21.44MM
  10. Shaquil Barrett, OLB (Buccaneers): $21.25MM
  11. Grady Jarrett, DT (Falcons): $20.63MM
  12. Marlon Humphrey, CB (Ravens): $19.99MM
  13. Shaquille Leonard, LB (Colts): $19.79MM
  14. Kevin Byard, S (Titans): $19.62MM
  15. Adoree’ Jackson, CB (Giants): $19.08MM
  16. Harold Landry, OLB (Titans): $18.8MM
  17. Justin Simmons, S (Broncos): $18.15MM
  18. Jamal Adams, S (Seahawks): $18.11MM
  19. Matt Judon, DE (Patriots): $18.107MM
  20. Quandre Diggs, S (Seahawks): $18.1MM
  21. Nick Bosa, DE (49ers): $17.9MM
  22. DeForest Buckner, DT (Colts): $17.25MM
  23. Emmanuel Ogbah, DE (Dolphins): $17.19MM
  24. DeMarcus Lawrence, DE (Cowboys): $17.11MM
  25. Eddie Jackson, S (Bears): $17.1MM

The Chiefs are working toward a second extension agreement with Jones, who is in the final season of a four-year, $80MM contract. A new deal with the star inside pass rusher would free up cap space, and DeAndre Hopkins is believed to be monitoring this situation.

As for Williams, the Giants had wanted to adjust his deal to reduce his eye-opening cap number. As of mid-June, however, no extension appeared to be on the team’s radar. The previous Giants regime signed off on the 2021 Williams extension (three years, $63MM). The Giants are also uninterested — for the time being, at least — in extending Jackson, who was also a Dave Gettleman-era defensive addition.

Donald is in the second season of a three-year, $95MM deal. The Rams gave Donald a landmark raise last year, convincing the all-everything D-tackle to squash retirement talk. A no-trade clause exists in Donald’s contract, which pays out its guarantees this year. Mosley remains tied to the $17MM-per-year deal the Mike Maccagnan regime authorized with the Jets. That contract, which reset the off-ball linebacker market in 2019, still has two seasons remaining on it due to the deal tolling after Mosley’s 2020 COVID-19 opt-out call. The Jets restructured the deal last year.

Washington now has two D-tackles tied to deals of at least $18MM per year. While Daron Payne‘s pact is worth more ($22.5MM AAV), higher cap hits on that deal will come down the road. Three years remain on Allen’s 2021 agreement. At safety, no team is spending like the Seahawks. In addition to the big-ticket deals authorized for Adams and Diggs, Seattle gave ex-Giants starter Julian Love a two-year, $6MM accord in March.

New Titans GM Ran Carthon attempted to give Byard a pay cut. That request did not go over well, but the standout safety remains with the team and has not requested a trade. Tennessee re-signed Landry on a five-year, $87.5MM deal in 2022; the veteran edge rusher has yet to play on that deal due to the ACL tear he sustained just before last season.

The 49ers can bring Bosa’s number down via an extension, which has long been on the team’s docket. As San Francisco extended Deebo Samuel just after training camp began last year, Bosa received back-burner treatment due to the fifth-year option. The star defensive end’s price undoubtedly went up during the waiting period, with the former No. 2 overall pick earning Defensive Player of the Year acclaim in the fourth year of his rookie contract.

Giants Notes: Jackson, Linebackers, Trades

April 15th, 2023 at 11:54am CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Adoree’ Jackson will have to play out the final year of his contract. As Dan Duggan of The Athletic writes, the Giants have given no indication that they want to extend the cornerback. The front office seems “content” to let Jackson play out the final year of his contract and then reassess next offseason.

After spending the first four seasons of his career with the Titans, the former first-round pick inked a three-year, $39MM deal with the Giants in 2021. The defensive back has been productive when he’s been on the field, collecting 113 tackles and defending 15 passes. Pro Football Focus has also been fond of his performance in New York, ranking him 15th among 116 qualifying cornerbacks in 2021.

However, the defensive back has missed 11 games over the past two years. Most recently, he missed seven contests thanks to a MCL injury. The team will likely want to see how he rebounds from that injury in 2023, but if he performs well, he could be eyeing another sizable contract next offseason.

More notes out of New York…

  • In the same piece, Duggan writes that it would be a surprise if the Giants select an inside linebacker early in the draft. The team is especially high on 2022 sixth-round pick Darrian Beavers, who should be fully recovered from his torn ACL by the time training camp comes around. The team did host Deion Jones earlier this month, so the front office could be eyeing some veteran reinforcement to play alongside Bobby Okereke.
  • Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post tweets that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Giants trade another one of their picks for a veteran player before the conclusion of the draft. The Giants previously gave up a compensatory third-round pick (acquired from the Chiefs) for tight end Darren Waller. The team is currently armed with selections in every round of the draft, includes two fifth-round selections and three seventh-round picks.
  • After parting ways with Jon Feliciano, the Giants are eyeing a new center in 2023. Speaking to reporters recently, GM Joe Schoen indicated that he was content with his current options at the position. “We claimed Jack Anderson; he was with us in Buffalo,” Schoen said (via the team website). “He does good work at center. Ben Bredeson is a guy that we feel very comfortable with playing center. And then Shane Lemieux was playing it as well last year before the injury. So, we’ll have some guys in there that will battle it out as well.” The Giants also recently brought in center J.C. Hassenauer to provide some competition at the position.
  • Speaking of Hassenauer, the offensive lineman got a minimum contract from the Giants, per Duggan (on Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth $1.04MM, including $200K in guaranteed money. The lineman got into 45 games for Pittsburgh between 2020 and 2022.

Giants To Sign Landon Collins To Active Roster, Add Tae Crowder To Practice Squad

December 22nd, 2022 at 10:37am CST by Sam Robinson

Landon Collins‘ days rising from the Giants’ practice squad appear to be over. The team will sign the eighth-year hybrid defender to its active roster ahead of its Week 16 game against the Vikings, Brian Daboll said.

The Giants have used Collins sparingly in three games this season, but they had previously been activating him via the gameday elevation route. This latest transaction will keep Collins on Big Blue’s 53-man roster. Although the team has effectively swapped in Collins for Tae Crowder, whom it waived Tuesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) displaced linebacker is back on New York’s practice squad. Crowder, a 17-game starter who made 130 tackles last season before being benched this year, cleared waivers Wednesday.

After spending the past three seasons in Washington, Collins became a cap casualty this year. The Commanders were believed to have wanted Collins to take a pay cut, but the former Pro Bowl safety said (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) the team never gave him a number regarding this trim.

“Injuries set me back over there,” Collins said. “I get the process. I wasn’t producing anything. When I was on the field, I tried to produce as much as I can. They wanted a pay cut, but they never gave me numbers on what it would be, so I was like, ‘I don’t have time to keep playing around. I need to figure out what’s going on.'”

Collins’ then-safety-record $14MM-per-year deal did not work out for Washington, and not much interest came his way this offseason. The Giants, who did not make an offer to keep the three-time Pro Bowler off the free agent market in 2019, brought him back in October. Collins, 28, has played in three games and made just four tackles. But he logged a season-high 27 defensive snaps against his previous team Sunday. Now stationed at linebacker, he should have a regular role going forward, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweets.

Additionally, the Giants will still be without cornerback Adoree’ Jackson in Week 16. The team’s top corner has been on the shelf since November because of an MCL sprain. He remains on the Giants’ active roster but will have missed five games after Saturday’s Minnesota tilt.

Giants S Xavier McKinney Expects To Return This Season

December 4th, 2022 at 12:31pm CST by Rory Parks

The Giants have been without safety Xavier McKinney for the last three games due to a broken hand that he suffered in an ATV accident during a bye-week vacation. As Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports, McKinney is expected to miss at least several more weeks, but he does plan to return this season.

New York is 7-4 and currently holds the sixth playoff spot in the NFC. However, the club has lost two in a row and takes on the division-rival Commanders — who presently hold the seventh and final postseason spot — two times within the next three weeks. As such, Big Blue’s postseason fortunes could be largely decided before McKinney gets back on the field.

McKinney, 23, was selected in the second round of the 2020 draft, and while a broken foot limited him to just six games in his rookie season, he emerged as a foundational player for the Giants in 2021, when he appeared in all 17 games (16 starts) and notched five interceptions. He also pulled down an excellent 75.4 grade from Pro Football Focus, which was especially bullish on his coverage abilities.

His PFF grade slipped to 56.3 over the first eight games of the current season, though his presence is still missed. A team captain, McKinney is also the defensive signal-caller for a unit that was ranked eighth in the league in scoring defense at the time of his injury and which is now ranked 14th in that regard.

The secondary as a whole has been hit hard by injury. In the Giants’ Thanksgiving Day loss to the Cowboys, they were without starters Adoree’ Jackson, Fabian Moreau, and McKinney, and while Moreau is active for the team today, Jackson is expected to miss several more weeks. As Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets, New York is deploying Nick McCloud and Moreau on the boundaries today, while UDFA rookie Zyon Gilbert — who is making his pro debut — will work as the primary slot corner.

In McKinney’s stead, the Giants first turned to fourth-round rookie Dane Belton for two games before pivoting to Jason Pinnock, a 2021 fifth-round choice of the Jets whom Big Blue claimed off waivers during final cutdowns in August.

Giants CB Adoree’ Jackson Facing Extended Absence

November 22nd, 2022 at 11:27am CST by Sam Robinson

NOVEMBER 22: Despite the nature of Jackson’s recovery timeline, head coach Brian Daboll indicated that he will likely not be placed on IR (Twitter link via Dan Duggan of The Athletic). That could suggest optimism with respect to the extent of the injury, or simply be a reflection of the limited activations the Giants have remaining.

NOVEMBER 21: Already dealing with the likelihood Week 1 cornerback starter Aaron Robinson will not play again this season, the Giants encountered more misfortune at this position. Adoree’ Jackson will miss extensive time due to an MCL sprain.

Classifying the veteran cover man’s timetable as between four and six weeks, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport illustrates a tough road for the Giants’ secondary (Twitter link). Jackson went down during the Giants’ 31-18 loss to the Lions; this could be his longest hiatus since missing most of the 2020 season with a knee injury.

Should Jackson land on IR, the Giants have a few injury activations left. After moving Shane Lemieux back onto its active roster, the team has three activations remaining.

[RELATED: Wan’Dale Robinson Suffers Torn ACL]

Despite that knee trouble shelving Jackson for 13 games two seasons ago, the Giants came in with a big offer to bring the former first-round pick to the Big Apple. Jackson is attached to a three-year, $39MM contract. The Giants have seen the ex-USC standout return to form; Pro Football Focus ranked Jackson as a top-25 corner last season and has done so again through 10 games this year. The 5-foot-11 defender has forced a fumble and recovered two this season.

The Giants made Jackson, 27, the centerpiece of their cornerback plan this season. The team addressed other needs with its top three draft choices and made James Bradberry, who was on a three-year deal worth $45MM, a belated cap casualty post-draft. Don Martindale‘s defense has managed to get by without Bradberry and without its top pass rushers at points; the unit ranks 15th against the pass.

New York has in-season pickup Fabian Moreau starting in place of Robinson, while slot man Darnay Holmes has joined Jackson as the team’s other primary corners in recent weeks. Third-round pick Cor’Dale Flott returned after a lengthy absence Sunday, and second-year UDFA Nick McCloud played more in Week 11 as a result of Jackson’s injury. This combination will be asked to hold down the fort in crucial games. Seeking their first playoff berth since 2016, the Giants (7-3) face NFC East opponents over their next four games.

Giants Restructure Adoree’ Jackson’s Contract

April 4th, 2022 at 9:04am CST by Adam La Rose

The Giants have been one of the most active teams this offseason in terms of creating cap space. At the start of the process, new general manager Joe Schoen made it clear he wanted to avoid restructures as a means of accomplishing that goal, but the team has done just that for the first time. New York has converted $8.965MM of cornerback Adoree’ Jackson’s salary into a roster bonus, while adding a void year to his deal in 2024. (Twitter link via ESPN’s Field Yates).

[RELATED: Giants Could Extend CB Bradberry]

The move creates just under $6MM in cap space for the Giants. Given how dire their financial situation was before today – with less than $1MM to spare – it was clear New York would have to continue carving out more room. As many have noted, however, this will still only be the first of many such moves the Giants need to make to be able to afford their draft class, among other things.

How many more deals need to be re-worked will depend in large part, of course, on how the team handles fellow corner James Bradberry. With a cap hit of nearly $22MM next year, Bradberry has long been on the trade block, though most interested teams are waiting to see if he is released outright. While the Giants could also flatten that cap charge through an extension, they still face a long road to true flexibility.

Jackson, 26, was one of the top free agents one year ago after his four-year tenure with the Titans. He signed a three-year, $39MM deal with the Giants to bolster their secondary. In 13 games, he totalled 62 tackles, one interception and eight pass breakups. Given the increases to his cap number and dead money charges this restructure pushes into the remaining years on his deal, the team is clearly comfortable with keeping him in the fold for the foreseeable future.

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/29/21

December 29th, 2021 at 3:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Several key players returned to practice Wednesday. Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Rico Bussey

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Giants To Sign Adoree’ Jackson

March 22nd, 2021 at 5:05pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

One of the biggest names on the free agent market has been officially scooped up. The Giants will sign cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

It’s a three-year deal worth a whopping $39MM, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The contract comes with a signing bonus of $13.5MM, full guarantees of $26.5MM, and incentives can bring the total value up to $44.5MM, Schefter tweets. It’s the culmination of a several days long courtship that saw the Giants go all-out in their recruitment. Jackson was also scheduled to meet with the Eagles later this week, but he’ll be canceling that now.

Jackson was cut by the Titans last week before the fifth-year option on his rookie contract became guaranteed. He had been set to cost Tennessee $10.2MM under that fifth-year option, so his release actually ended up getting him a raise as his new pact has an AAV of $13MM. A number of other teams reportedly showed interest, including the Rams, Chiefs, Raiders, and Cardinals.

Giants GM Dave Gettleman, whose job status beyond 2021 is tenuous at best, has been aggressive in what could be his final free agency if things don’t go well this season. The team just committed a large contract to Kenny Golladay over the weekend.

As many Giants writers were quick to point out, this signing likely means that even more contract restructures are coming to clear space. Jackson, a USC product, was drafted 18th overall in 2017. He became a starter as a rookie with the Titans, and also returned punts his first two years.

This past season, a knee injury limited him to only three games. Jackson only has two interceptions in 46 career games, but does have 33 passes defended. He’s played well at times and struggled at others, but is capable of being a very solid player. He’s still only 25, and will slot in opposite James Bradberry at corner for the Giants.

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