Everyone knew the New York Giants would be revamping their defense in free agency. Yesterday they re-signed Jason Pierre-Paul, and on Wednesday they welcomed in free agent cornerback Janoris Jenkins and officially closed the door on the Prince Amukamara era.
Jenkins, 27, was considered by many to be the top cornerback on the market, with Sean Smith and Amukamara trailing behind him. Jenkins is coming off a season that saw him record 64 tackles, three interceptions, 15 passes defensed and one forced fumble in 15 games. He has been a playmaker on defense since joining the NFL with five touchdowns over the last four seasons. His skill set is exactly what the Giants need on defense.
After leading the NFL in injuries over the last three seasons, the Giants needed a player who doesn’t have the injury history of 2011 first-round pick Amukamara. Jenkins has played 60 games since entering the league in 2012 and has played in at least 14 games in every season. By comparison, Amukamara has played in just 55 games since entering the league in 2011. Amukamara’s injury history definitely played a major role in the Giants’ decision to move on to Jenkins.
Jenkins should give the Giants a pretty potent 1-2 combo in the defensive backfield as he teams with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie as the Giants’ top two corners. That is a combination any Giants fan would be happy with. Amukamara was good for the Giants when he was on the field, but out of 80 possible games he appeared in just 55 which just isn’t reliable enough in today’s game.
The Giants are far from done in free agency. Jenkins is just the first of many signings and re-signings the team will make in the coming days as Jerry Reese tries to get the Giants back into playoff contention. Jenkins is certainly a step in that direction.
