TUESDAY, 9:53am: It’s a minimum salary contract for Bowman, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News.
MONDAY, 12:05pm: Bowman’s deal with the Giants is indeed for one year, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
12:00pm: After reportedly being close to signing with the Giants 10 days ago, Zackary Bowman appears to have finally reached an agreement with the team, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com. Dickerson reports (via Twitter) that the free agent cornerback will sign with the Giants. While terms of the deal aren’t known, Dickerson’s original story from a week and a half ago indicated it would be a one-year contract.
Bowman, 29, was an unrestricted free agent this offseason after spending the first six years of his NFL career with the Bears. After starting 12 of 16 games for the team in 2009, Bowman has mostly played a part-time role since then, though he did see seven more starts in 2013. The former fifth-round pick recorded 48 tackles and three interceptions in 2013, and received a slightly negative grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), in large part due to a poor showing against the run. Bowman’s -3.6 grade as a run stopper ranked in the bottom 10 among qualified cornerbacks.
For the Giants, Bowman will almost certainly return to a reserve role, assuming he makes the team. The club has already re-signed Trumaine McBride and added Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Walter Thurmond in free agency this month.