The New York Giants are set to embark on their most important offseason in recent memory. The decisions made by general manager Dave Gettleman this spring will be critical in determining whether Big Blue can continue confidently on their current path, or if they’ll have to press the reset button once again. With that in mind, let’s examine the potential free agents that could propel this team to playoff contention.
Next up, let’s take a look at Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Bashaud Breeland.
The Resume
Breeland is a seven-year NFL veteran and Super Bowl champion. He played his first four seasons in Washington after being drafted in the the fourth round by the Redskins in 2014. He then spent one year with the Green Bay Packers before playing the last couple for the Kansas City Chiefs, where he won his Super Bowl in 2019. Breeland has started each year of his career, averaging two interceptions, 11.5 passes defended, and 53 tackles per season. Over the last three years, Breeland allowed a completion percentage of just 50 percent and a passer rating of only 72.3 when targeted.
Despite those impressively stingy stats, Breeland has proven to be susceptible to the big play. He allowed 14.3 yards per completion over that same three-year span. Pro Football Focus graded him at a solid 67.7 for 2020, but gave him poor 48.3 and 58.5 grades for the two respective seasons prior.
The Fit
If nothing else, Breeland has proven himself to be a starting-calibre corner over his seven professional seasons. That’s just the type of player the Giants are craving, as James Bradberry is currently their only established cover-man on the roster. Breeland is at his best in press coverage, so bringing him into the fold would allow coordinator Patrick Graham to play more of the man schemes he employed with the Miami Dolphins.
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Kansas City often miscast Breeland as a number-one cornerback. Putting him behing Bradberry in New York would give him more advantageous matchups against second-tier receivers. Those two on the outside along with Darnay Holmes in the slot would make for one of the strongest cornerback units in the league.
The Cost
Breeland is a known NFL starter, but his inconsistent play will keep him from the top of the cornerback market. He’ll likely command somewhere in the neighborhood of $5 million to $7 million per year. The Giants could see him as cheaper option to fill their second cornerback hole while committing most of their resources to other needs.
Should the Giants be Interested?
Yes, at the right price. Breeland is well worth keeping an eye on as a potential value signing in the second wave of free agency. He’s still a quality player, but he’ll have to wait his turn while the bigger-name free agents soak up most of the money. At age 29, Breeland could be on the precipice of decline, so a shorter-term deal would make sense.
He did serve a four-game suspension last year for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. That situation will have to be vetted before any contract offer.
– Ryan Cuneo is the Managing Editor of Full Press Giants. He covers the New York Giants. Like and follow on Follow @ryan_cuneo Follow @FullPressGiants and Facebook.
