The allure of hitting the open market did nothing to entice Will Beatty. The 27-year old left tackle opted to stay put, and Wednesday signed a five-year, $38.75 million contract to remain with the Giants and avoid becoming an unrestricted free agent.
"If it's a money issue, that temptation would come in," Beatty said. "But having this be my home team, I really didn't want to go into free agency. This is the team that wanted me from college. This is the team that gave me my first chance. This team went to the Super Bowl.I saw so many great moments with this team and there are still so many more to come."
Bill Kostroun
ALWAYS A GIANT: Big Blue left tackle Will Beatty did not test the free-agent market, saying the Giants were "the team that gave me my first chance."
This seems to be a deal that works for both sides. Beatty received a signing bonus of $12.5 million and $19 million of the contract is guaranteed. His average of $7.75 million per year, though, is certainly in line with what starting left tackles are paid in the NFL and, after a slow start to his career, the Giants consider Beatty to be a player on the rise.
"We believe he is one of the ascending left tackles in the NFL," general manager Jerry Reese said.
Beatty may not be a franchise left tackle, but he's athletic and a solid pass protector, something that is of great interest to the Giants on Eli Manning's blind side. The 2009 second-round draft pick from UConn also displayed impeccable timing, as he played in all 16 games in 2012, starting 15 games to prove his durability in the final year of his contract. Beatty started the first 10 games for the 2011 Super Bowl team before suffering a detached retina that curtailed his season.
One caveat with Beatty: His back. He missed most of the preseason and training camp last summer dealing with severe back spasms, an ailment that can arise again. Beatty must be diligent with his stretching and strengthening regime in order to make sure the back issue does not flare up. He also was penalty-prone last season, as he was called for 11 of them, including eight holding penalties.
Beatty has played in 50 games with 31 starts — 26 at left tackle, four at right tackle and one as an extra tight end.
"I thought I improved last year, playing the entire season," Beatty said. "I want to get back on the field and keep ascending, keep rising. The sky's the limit for me.I know there is still a lot more out there. I haven't tapped into all of my potential yet. I'm looking forward to performing and growing each year."
The offensive line was a high priority for the Giants. They also want to re-sign left guard Kevin Boothe, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent. The team must make a decision on David Diehl, likely the starting right tackle. Diehl's 2013 salary of $4.8 million and salary cap hit of nearly $6.9 million might have to be adjusted in order for him to remain on the roster for an 11th season with the Giants.
Beatty was a huge hurdle for the Giants to vault, but there remains plenty of work to be done, because they still have 17 unrestricted free agents and four restricted free agents — including receiver Victor Cruz — to sort through before the March 12 start of free agency.
Bennett: Giants don't want me
Tight end Martellus Bennett wants to return to the Giants after a productive first season (55 receptions, 626 yards, five touchdowns) but it appears he is headed toward free agency.
A frequent poster on Twitter, Bennett expressed pessimism about re-signing with the Giants yesterday
"Not feeling the love,'' Bennett wrote in a series of tweets. "They have other priorities that come before little ole me. I'm just a small piece of what they're trying to do there. I've come to the conclusion that we are just temporary investments to the owners. Value money and growth over players. just like any business. Employees aren't as valuable as we use to be. Everyone needs a job. Lol."
The approach to Bennett is in keeping with the way the Giants are handling the majority of their 17 remaining unrestricted free agents — making modest offers to re-sign their own players. The team has expressed an interest in bringing back safety Kenny Phillips but, according to a source, it is not enough of an offer to prompt Phillips to sign right now and he is headed to the open market on March 12.
paul.schwartz@nypost.com
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Beatty signs 5-year, $38.75M contract to remain with Giants
Dengan url
http://makananrasaenak.blogspot.com/2013/02/beatty-signs-5-year-3875m-contract-to.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Beatty signs 5-year, $38.75M contract to remain with Giants
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Beatty signs 5-year, $38.75M contract to remain with Giants
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar