Michael Lombardi, a longtime NFL executive turned analyst, knows how the system works and how it should work.
In a recent post in The Athletic, Lombardi exposes his favorite – and least favorite – moves from the free agency this year. One of his least favorites is (you guessed it) the signing by New York Giants of defender Adoree Jackson, which Big Blue ended in a three-year, $ 39 million deal this week.
I really liked Jackson leaving USC. His speed and ball skills made him a corner that could turn the defense into an offense. However, in the last two seasons, he has played in only 14 games, playing few games on the ball and lacking the return skills he displayed in college. I would love the Giants signature if he paid a modest salary, betting on Jackson to return to the game with passion and more durability. But the Giants paid him off as a big rookie, with money guaranteed because he did very little in the last two seasons. Who were the teams the Giants were fighting to acquire Jackson? The Titans know Jackson well, they desperately need cover corners, and they’ve moved away from the contract. What does that say?
Good points. Giants are in the midst of changing everyone, from culture to their processes. I move from an extremely difficult organization, where the property and the management office govern with a heavy hand to one in which the people closest to the field (Joe Judge) have more words to say about staff.
In this case, Jackson is seen as a redeemable asset whose best days as an NFL player are ahead of him. Most Giant fans now, this signing is a gamble, but they trust the judge’s judgment in this and others.
Lombardi’s point is that it’s not like the other moves the Giants have made recently. This is not a “low risk and high reward” situation because of the huge guarantees in Jackson’s contract.