New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney is slated to hit free agency next month, but the Giants seem to want to hold on to him at the right price.
According to Paul Schwartz of The New York Post, the Giants are considering using a transition tag on McKinney in an effort to keep him around.
This is certainly the less-known “tag,” as the franchise tag is the more universally recognized strategy that teams typically employ during free agency.
The difference here is that the transition tag is cheaper (it would pay McKinney just under $14 million for 2024 as opposed to the franchise tag which would cost the Giants a little over $16 million), and it allows other clubs to negotiate with McKinney. However, New York would be able to match any offer sheet.
McKinney, who played his collegiate football at the University of Alabama, was selected by the Giants in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Injuries limited him to just six games during his rookie campaign, but the following year, McKinney played in every contest and registered an impressive 91 tackles, five interceptions, 10 passes defended and a defensive touchdown.
Then, in 2022, McKinney once again dealt with injury issues, participating in only nine games and finishing with 45 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and five passes defended.
The 24-year-old was fully healthy this past season, playing in every game and racking up 116 tackles, a half of a sack, three picks, a forced fumble, a couple of fumble recoveries and 11 passes defended.
New York’s passing defense ranked just 19th in the NFL this past season, so the Giants could certainly use all the help they can get in their secondary. Retaining McKinney would go a long way to ensuring Big Blue heads in a positive direction in that area.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
