Dan Graziano of ESPN writes that the odds of veteran CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie remaining with the Giants for the 2017 season are “incredibly small“, considering that he has no guaranteed money remaining on his current agreement.
Graziano points out that the Giants will be able to clear $4.5 million in cap space if they were to release him next year. On top of that, Rodgers-Cromartie carries a cap figure of $15 million in 2017 and will be 31 years old.
The Giants signed CB Janoris Jenkins to huge five-year, $62.5 million contract and then used the No. 10 overall pick on CB Eli Apple, so they do have good depth at the position for the coming years.
With all of this in mind, Graziano believes the Giants should at least consider the idea of making Rodgers-Cromartie available for trade.
There aren’t any available options as good as Rodgers-Cromartie, and his $5.98 million salary for the 2016 season would not be prohibitive. According to Graziano, the Giants still have other areas of need like offensive line, so moving Rodgers-Cromartie in a trade could help them bolster their depth.
Of course, teams generally feel like you can’t ever have enough depth at premium positions like cornerback, so the Giants may prefer to hold onto Rodgers-Cromartie for at least the 2016 season.
Rodgers-Cromartie, 30, is a former first-round pick of the Cardinals back in 2008. After three years in Arizona, and stints with the Eagles and Broncos, the Giants signed him to a five-year, $35 million contract with $13.98 million guaranteed.
Rodgers-Cromartie is under contract for another three years.
According to OverTheCap.com, trading Rodgers-Cromartie would free up $2 million in available cap space while creating $6 million in dead money.
In 2015, Rodgers-Cromartie appeared in 15 games for the Giants and recorded 58 tackles, three interceptions with one being returned for a touchdown, two forced fumbles, a recovery returned for a touchdown and 13 pass defenses.
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