The Giants have agreed to a four-year deal with former Patriots left tackle Nate Solder, CBS Sports HQ's Jenny Dell reports. The Boston Herald and NFL.com say it's a $62 million deal, which will make Solder the highest-paid lineman in the NFL.
Originally New England's 2011 first-round pick, Solder started 98 games, including 16 last season.
In New York, Solder will join an offensive line that struggled to protect Eli Manning, allowing 27 sacks a season ago. That was fourth-worst in the league behind Houston, Denver and Arizona. The unit was 17th overall in Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking-efficiency metric.
In 2016, Solder was one of the NFL's best tackles, but struggled in 2017, ranking last among all Patriots starting offensive linemen, according to Pro Football Focus' grades. But Solder has also been dealing with things much bigger than football; in 2015, his newborn son was diagnosed with a rare form of pediatric cancer. Now 18 months old, Hudson Solder is doing better but serious challenges remain.
Keep Calm #Giants fans. A little bit of context regarding Nate Solders' #32 PFF ranking last year. True, he had a poor start to the year (around the time he was dealing with a lot of personal issues), but from Week 9 on he was our 3rd rated T and 2nd rated LT.
— Neil Hornsby (@PFF_Neil) March 14, 2018
The Giants let center Weston Richburg sign with the 49ers, and guard Justin Pugh and tackle D.J. Fluker aren't expected back as the overhaul continues. And while the most recent CBSSports.com mock drafts have the team targeting a quarterback or running back Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 pick, don't be surprised if the Giants find a way to land a player like former Notre Dame guard Quentin Nelson, considered the draft's best interior lineman.
