Xavier McKinney Signs With Green Bay: The Green Bay Packers have signed former New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney to a four-year, $68 million contract, placing him among the highest-paid safeties in the NFL. Drafted by the Giants in 2020, McKinney has shown flashes of excellence but has also struggled with injuries.

For the Giants, McKinney’s departure wasn’t a shock. They still have Jason Pinnock, Dane Belton, and Gervarrius Owens under contract. The Giants now have a chance to find a new safety through free agency or the 2024 NFL draft. The new defensive coordinator, Shane Bowen, runs a system that relies more on quarters coverage with seven defenders, making the search for a replacement less daunting.

Looking at the bigger picture, the Giants’ strategy is becoming clearer. Allowing McKinney and Saquon Barkley to leave while signing guard Jon Runyan Jr. to a sensible deal shows they are focusing on higher leverage positions. Running backs often face injuries and short careers, and safeties’ value can vary widely based on the defensive scheme.

Giants General Manager Joe Schoen working the cap.

General Manager Joe Schoen is smartly navigating a salary cap impacted by past poor decisions. By not heavily investing in running backs and safeties, and instead bolstering the offensive line, the Giants are demonstrating a clear vision for asset allocation. This strategy positions the team for long-term success by prioritizing positions that offer greater impact and value.

The Giants will likely look to add another safety in the 2024 NFL Draft. With McKinney gone, the need is clear. They have only three safeties under contract. Finding a replacement is now a priority. The draft offers many promising prospects. The Giants can find a talented and affordable safety. This strategy aligns with their focus on higher leverage positions. Investing wisely in the draft will strengthen their defense.

In the end, the Giants are not just reacting to McKinney’s departure but are proactively shaping a stronger, more strategic roster. The focus on building a solid offensive line and investing in key areas suggests that the team is on the right path for future success.

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Xavier McKinney says he is “on the same page” with Giants’ coaching staff

“We met. We’re gonna keep pushing. We got on the same page,” McKinney said via The Athletic’s Charlotte Carroll. “We keeping everything in house and we’re on good terms. So you know, everything is good.”

McKinney’s initial comments came after the Giants’ 6-30 blowout loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday that now has them at a 2-7 record on the season and last place in the NFC East. It has been nothing short of a frustrating season for Big Blue, and evidently, that frustration is reaching a new level.

This would not be the first time that McKinney has garnered unwanted attention, as last season he suffered a broken hand in an ATV accident while on vacation during their bye week, which certainly left a stain on his reputation.

The 24-year-old safety is also one of the Giants’ team captains, so throwing his team’s brass under the bus is certainly a bad look, but hopefully the comments he made can be swept under the rug now that it has been settled.

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McKinney is in a contract year

McKinney has 52 tackles this season (45 solo) and one forced fumble, but owns a Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of 68, which to his standards is relatively mediocre. Giants general manager Joe Schoen said before the season that they would wait until the offseason to have contract extension talks with McKinney, who is currently in the final year of his rookie deal.

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Pinnock has been all over the place in both practice and in games this preseason, enough to earn him a starting job.

“I think that nothing has been set in stone yet, but it’s obviously looking that way,” Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale told reporters on Wednesday about Pinnock starting.

“I think that what he did last year and what he’s done to get in shape and get his body right and another year in the system so he’s playing even faster, more reacting instead of thinking now. I think he’s got a bright future.”

McKinney or linebacker Bobby Okereke are the top candidates to ‘wear the headset’ or ‘green dot’ and call the defensive signals but Pinnock could be in the mix as well.

“We’ve had a bunch of different guys doing it,” Martindale said. “I think it will still be one of those decisions that we will wait until probably the week of Dallas but we are going in the direction that I like.”

Pinnock has been superhuman at times, making eye-opening plays and is hard to miss while out on the field. He’s good and he knows it.

“I’m one of the best safeties in this league, and it’s just I haven’t been able to show that yet, and now it’s time, you know?” Pinnock recently told the New York Post.

The Giants think so. Now it’s time to prove it in some real games.

The post Giants’ Jason Pinnock in line to start alongside Xavier McKinney first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

The Giants ended a drought of more than 10 years by winning their first playoff game since their 2011 Super Bowl victory.

The Giants secured the win with a 2-yard touchdown run by Saquon Barkley, putting them in the lead with a score of 31-24 and 7:47 remaining in the game. The Following defensive series Xavier McKinney tackled T.J. Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings, preventing a first down on a fourth-and-8 play in the final minutes of the game.

The Giants’ playoff run continues with improving play. “For me, I was just trying to make the tackle,” said McKinney. “I got him wrapped and I was able to get him to the ground.” He added, “No chance I was missing that.

On to Philadelphia!

The Giants will now face the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round playoff game on Saturday January 21st at 8:15 p.m. ET at Lincoln Financial Field. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Giants in Week 14 with a score of 48-22, but had to fight for a 22-16 win in Week 18, while playing their starters against the Giants’ backups in a game that was crucial for the Eagles to secure the top seed in the conference.

The Eagles are considered a 7.5-point favorite, despite concerns about the health of their quarterback Jalen Hurts’ right shoulder.

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Each fan will receive a free 8×10 to be autographed and can bring 1 additional item to be signed per person. A fun event for the whole family to meet a New York Giants player @ All American Ford in Old Bridge New Jersey.

Xavier Mckinney Autograph Signing.
Saturday, September 4, 2021
12:00 PM  1:00 PM

All American Ford
US-9 North
Old Bridge, NJ, 08857
(732)-212-6261
Tickets & Links

*Player, Date, Location, & Time subject to change*

Please take a look at the other scheduled New York Giants Autograph Signings or sign up for our Mailing List

The post Xavier Mckinney Autograph Signing 9/4/21 first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

Know everyone wants video of the fight but we’re not allowed to film team periods. Giants just posted highlights that show the McKinney hit on Clement that got things started (they didn’t share footage of the rest of the fun):

With Jordan Rannan adding.

Considering they’re not tackling you can see why Evan Engram came to Corey Clement’s defense. Xavier McKinney got in a pretty good unexpected pop.

Scuffles are typical in football especially when it’s the first padded practice. Just give us fans something to talk about.

The post Giants Scuffle Video? first appeared on Bleedbigblue.com.

List Of Glory
Sterling Shepard – 0:57
Leonard Williams – 2:00
Xavier McKinney – 3:40

List Of Shame
Wayne Gallman – 5:00
Evan Engram – 5:50
Jason Garrett – 6:55

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About The Podcast

Bleedbigblue Podcast:
We are a dedicated New York Giants Podcast with live radio analysis of all topics NYG. Always welcoming callers, comments, & questions.

Streaming Schedule:
Streaming live Wednesday nights at 10pm EST on the following platforms.
(Bonus Sunday morning streams during the NFL season)

Our podcast is recorded live taking callers and guest on a weekly basis. We’ve started taking small clips of the podcast and putting them accross our social media platforms.

Here is a link to our Affiliates, Social Media, & Merch.
https://bleedbigblue.com/affiliates/

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