The most compelling pending free agent for the Giants is Saquon Barkley, but the most critical to their future success could be Xavier McKinney.
The price tag for the 24-year-old safety is going to soar higher than what Barkley will eventually command, and there is certainly a belief within the organization that investing in a back-end defender entering his prime is smarter than putting money into a running back heading into his seventh NFL season.
The Giants could keep Barkley or McKinney off the open market but they are unlikely to do so, especially with Barkley’s franchise tag price of $12.1 million and McKinney’s franchise tag cost of $16.2 million.
There is another option the Giants will consider.
They will negotiate with McKinney’s representatives and if a deal cannot get done — there is no reason to believe an agreement will be reached — they have until March 5 to apply the lesser-used transition tag on him. That is a possibility, the Post has learned.
It would cost the Giants $13.9 million, a nice savings from the franchise tag. The transition tag allows the player to negotiate with any other team and come up with a deal, with the Giants having the ability to match that offer sheet and retain the player.
In effect, if the Giants put the transition tag on McKinney — their 2020 second-round pick — another team will determine what the market is willing to pay him and the Giants can then decide if that contract fits with their valuation of the player. If the Giants do not match the offer, McKinney is gone and the Giants do not receive any compensation in return.
If the transition tag is used, the Giants and McKinney can continue to work toward a long-term deal.
There does not seem to be any ambiguity in a recent post by McKinney on his X account as to what he is thinking, as far as his worth.
“I want to be appreciated in every way for what I do and bring to the table. As a player and as a leader. I’ve stood by myself ten toes through the critics, the hate etc. sacrificing what those around me didn’t want too or were afraid too for those same people to make it a better situation for all of us,” McKinney posted on Feb. 16. “May not always have been beneficial for me but it was for US. Don’t let that go over your head . And I’d do it 10 times over again.’’
It sounds as if McKinney believes he adhered to the defensive scheme given to him by the coaching staff, even if that scheme did not always allow him to showcase the full extent of his talents.
A likely example of what McKinney is referring to is his career-high five interceptions in 2021, operating in more of a playmaking role in defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s system. McKinney had a total of three interceptions in 26 games the past two seasons in Wink Martindale’s defense, often assigned the deep half of the field, tasked with preventing big plays against the Giants’ defense.
There have been a few hiccups with McKinney.
He missed seven games in 2022 after an all-terrain vehicle accident while on vacation during the bye week left him with a mangled left hand. The Giants could have opted not to pay him for the time missed but declined to take money from the player.
Last season, McKinney, one of 10 team captains, complained about a lack of communication between the players and the coaches on defense, creating a distraction exacerbated by Martindale’s public comments defending himself.
McKinney made it clear the day after the season ended where he believes he ranks as an NFL safety, telling The Post he is the best one out there.
“I don’t think nobody’s on my level from the standpoint of being able to do every single thing on the back-end,’’ McKinney said. “I’m the most complete safety out there, and it’s about time for some respect to that, too.’’
There are metrics to suggest he is not vastly inflating his abilities.
He graded out as the fourth-best safety in the league in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus, behind only Jessie Bates III of the Falcons, Antoine Winfield of the Buccaneers and Jevon Holland of the Dolphins. The No. 5-rated safety was Kyle Hamilton of the Ravens.
Bates and Hamilton both average $16 million per year and that seems as if it should be the bar for McKinney to try to vault. It is unlikely he will be able to reach the highest-paid players at the position: Derwin James of the Chargers ($19 million per year), Minkah Fitzpatrick of the Steelers ($18.2 million) and Jamal Adams of the Seahawks ($17.5 million).
Winfield and McKinney are both pending free agents and will attract attention if they hit the open market. Kyle Dugger (Patriots), Kamren Curl (Commanders) and Geno Stone (Ravens) are also starting safeties who could be available.
The Giants have a new defensive coordinator, Shane Bowen, and Jason Pinnock and Dane Belton as safety options under contract.
McKinney makes the Giants better. How much they are willing to pay for that remains to be seen.
