HEADLINES

Adoree’ Jackson

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.

Eagles To Meet With Adoree’ Jackson

March 19th, 2021 at 7:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Adoree’ Jackson is going on an NFC East tour. After his scheduled meeting with the Giants, the former Titans cornerback will get together with the Eagles (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). In addition, the Rams, Chiefs, Raiders and Cardinals have also shown interest, according to Mike Jones of USA Today (on Twitter).

[RELATED: Giants To Meet With Jackson]

The Eagles have yet to add a cornerback this week, even though it’s one of their biggest needs. The group is headlined by Darius Slay, but they don’t have much after that. Also, Slay was less-than-stellar in 2020. With Avonte Maddox set to return to his preferred slot duties, the Eagles will need to find a CB2 one way or another. Jackson, who looked to be one of the league’s best young corners in 2019, wouldn’t be a bad choice.

Jackson would also be a good fit for the Rams, who have yet to make their mark in free agency this year. They probably won’t be able to offer him the best deal, but the USC product could be swayed by the opportunity to return home.

Giants To Meet With Adoree’ Jackson

March 19th, 2021 at 2:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Adoree’ Jackson is set to meet with the Giants (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). This marks the first known visit for the former Titans first-round pick, who was released earlier this week. 

Jackson graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 8 overall corner in 2019. It was a big step up from ’17 and ’18, though he still garnered top-40 finishes in each year. Unfortunately, a knee injury limited him to just three games in 2020. After a bad platform year, Jackson finds himself looking for work in the worst possible climate. Also, the Titans didn’t do him any favors by releasing him just this past Tuesday.

The Giants’ D was awful in 2019, but things improved last year under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. The G-Men ranked 12th in yards per game (349), ninth in points allowed (22.3), and a much more respectable 16th in passing yards surrendered (237). Teamed with James Bradberry and Logan Ryan, Jackson could nudge the secondary along even further.

Titans Release Adoree’ Jackson, Dennis Kelly

March 16th, 2021 at 3:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

After this year, players attached to fifth-year options will be protected from free-of-charge releases. But the Titans will take advantage of that opportunity in its final year. They are set to release former first-round pick Adoree’ Jackson.

The Titans are cutting both Jackson and starting right tackle Dennis Kelly, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Jackson’s option season was set to cost the Titans $10.2MM. They will turn that entire amount into cap space, a luxury that will not be available to teams beginning next year.

This is certainly not a surprise, however. Jackson played in only three games last season; a knee injury cost the 2017 first-round pick most of his season. The Titans shelved Jackson on IR ahead of Week 1, and although they activated him off the injured list in early November, Jackson continued to miss time. He will be entering free agency at a bad time, coming off his worst season and doing so after the salary cap dropped by $16MM. Some interest figures to come Jackson’s way, however. He graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 8 overall corner in 2019 and landed in the advanced metrics site’s top 40 corners in ’17 and ’18.

Tennessee will unveil a new group of corners next year. The Titans have now cut Jackson and Malcolm Butler. They will also have a new right tackle.

After the Titans passed on Jack Conklin‘s fifth-year option, they drafted Isaiah Wilson in the 2020 first round. After a disastrous rookie year, Wilson is now with the Dolphins. The Titans used Kelly at right tackle throughout last season, elevating him from the swing role he previously held. Kelly’s most recent extension ran through the 2022 season.

Overall, the Titans will create more than $17MM in cap space by making these moves. That will bump the team’s total to nearly $30MM, per OverTheCap. They also will have to replace two key cogs.

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