The Giants went out and nabbed the top free agent safety on the market Tuesday morning, inking Jevon Holland to a three-year deal worth $45 million.
The contract includes $30 million in guaranteed money, and continues Joe Schoen and company’s efforts to revamp Big Blue’s secondary after also signing Paulson Adebo when the legal tampering period opened on Monday afternoon.
Holland hasn’t earned a Pro Bowl selection in his four NFL seasons, but he is an undeniably solid safety, and was considered the best available for a reason. Still, the move by Schoen has triggered some confusion among analysts and frustration among fans given the team’s strategy last offseason.
A year ago, the Giants let Xavier McKinney walk, as the homegrown safety went on to sign a four-year, $68 million contract with the Packers, earning himself $23 million in guaranteed money and $16.75 million per year. Given the relatively similar numbers to what Holland just signed for, fans were left wondering why the Giants wouldn’t just keep McKinney last season, as McKinney logged eight interceptions en route to an All-Pro season with Green Bay in 2024.
Both Holland and McKinney have had some injuries across their NFL careers, but McKinney hasn’t missed a game since his hand injury from an ATV accident in 2022. Holland last played in all 17 games in 2022, his second season as a pro. Holland is 25 years old and McKinney 26, so age is relatively the same, and the decision by the Giants to spend big money at the safety position seems like a big change from their philosophy last offseason, when McKinney was a free agent. Why the sudden and drastic change?
There could be some simple explanations, whether it be the big bump in salary cap allowing more funds to be used at non-premium positions, or that Schoen watched the team’s defense last season and decided that letting McKinney go was a mistake, and he needed to reload at safety after trying to develop an elite pass rush last season, which ultimately didn’t work out.
Or, the Giants could have felt that McKinney wasn’t the right player to commit to, whether it was due to the ATV accident or how he handled it. That is pure speculation. Either way, New York has a new safety, and while it led to some confusion as to the team’s philosophy and direction, the Giants are now better in the secondary than they were a season ago.