Getty The New York Giants have been warned off pursuing an All-Pro cornerback in free agency.
Finding a quality cornerback to pair with standout cover man Adoree’ Jackson would make sense for the New York Giants this offseason. Yet, that player shouldn’t be Marcus Peters, despite the latter’s experience of playing for defensive coordinator Don ‘Wink’ Martindale with the Baltimore Ravens.
That’s the view of Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, who believes “Peters is simply no longer the defensive stalwart he once was, and the Giants shouldn’t allow a high profile to fool them into signing him in free agency.”
Knox makes a good point, but reuniting with Martindale, who served four years as the Ravens’ DC before joining the Giants last offseason, could get Peters back to his best. The 30-year-old has twice been named a first-team All-Pro and has three Pro-Bowl berths on his CV.
8-Year Veteran a Good Scheme Fit for Giants
Peters knows how to handle himself in the man-coverage schemes favored by Martindale. Playing for the latter helped Peters formed a stingy partnership with Marlon Humphrey in single coverage, per Pro Football Focus:
Most forced incompletions in man coverage since 2019:
Marlon Humphrey – 17 (1st)
Marcus Peters – 14 (T-2nd)
There’s a no fly zone in Baltimore ❌✈️
Martindale still leans heavily into man coverage, with the Giants playing it at the fourth-highest rate in the NFL, according to StatMuse. The Ravens were more content to rely on matchup zones with Martindale’s successor Mike Macdonald calling plays.
Peters struggled somewhat, allowing 54 completions from 84 targets, per Pro Football Reference. He was making a comeback from a torn ACL that cost him all of the 2021 season, but as Knox put it, “Peters was more bust than boom” following the injury.
Even so, when Peters was good, he was still awfully good. Like against the New England Patriots in Week 3:
Marcus Peters vs the Patriots:
🔒 40 coverage snaps
🔒 1 catch allowed
🔒 1 INT
🔒 1 forced incompletion
🔒 14.6 passer rating allowed
Peters can still be a tone-setter in the right scheme. The Giants offer a system more suited to his skills, but they may be resistant to meet the eight-year pro’s market value.
His next contract is projected by Spotrac.com to be $9.8 million annually for two years. The figure’s not out of the Giants’ purview when the team has $44,159,480 worth of space under the salary cap.
General manager Joe Schoen will have to dedicate most of his resources to securing the futures of quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley. Fortunately, the Giants have more cost-effective options than Peters if they search the market for a quality corner.
Former NFC East Rival One to Consider
If the Giants went big with their cornerback search, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starter Jamel Dean’s a good fit. The problem is Dean’s arrival would prove costly and only put more stress on Schoen’s attempts to keep Jones and Barkley, so somebody like William Jackson III makes more sense.
Jackson spent a season and a bit with the Giants’ NFC East rivals the Washington Commanders. He’s a specialist in man coverage who never fit in Washington’s zone schemes, so Jackson was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers midway through the 2022 season for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick.
Now, Jackson is expected to be a cap casualty, according to Lions Wire writer Jeff Risdon. He noted how Jackson didn’t play for the Steelers, but can still handle “press-man coverage on the outside.”
It’s exactly what the Giants would ask Jackson to do in their defense. Playing on an island in single coverage is a tough assignment, so the Giants can’t ignore any potential free agents who possess the skill.