The Giants said they were going to look to improve their offense this offseason and they are keeping to their word. On Wednesday, they signed former Jets WR Brandon Marshall to a 2-year contract worth a reported $12 million.The deal became official with Marshall posting a copy of the signed contract on his Twitter feed.
Marshall, who will turn 33 in two weeks, was released by the Jets on March 2 after two seasons with the team. He reportedly asked the club to release him before the free agency period began so he could seek employment with a team that was closer to winning a championship. That team now appears to be the Giants, who were in the market for a tall, red zone option to compliment WRs Odell Beckham, Jr. and Sterling Shepard.
Marshall is a six-time Pro Bowler, last making it in 2015 as a Jet with a 109-catch season for 1,502 yards and 14 TDs. His production took a huge hit during an injury-laden 2016, and with the Jets’ QB woes, he grabbed only 59 passes for 788 yards with 3 TDs. He was scheduled to earn $7.5 million with the Jets this season, but they agreed to release him, freeing up cap room to sign younger players.
The Giants had $13 million in cap space at the beginning of the day, so there was room to add Marshall. They recently parted ways with WR Victor Cruz and are reportedly asking WR/KR Dwayne Harris to restructure his contract to help create more space before free agency officially begins on Thursday afternoon.
Marshall will certainly be an asset to the Giants’ struggling offense, which took a nosedive in 2016, scoring less than 20 points in each of their final seven games last season including the wildcard loss to Green Bay. The signing of Marshall also alleviates the immediate need for a pass-catching TE. The Giants are said to be interested in veteran UFA Anthony Fasano, who is both a top blocker and red zone threat.
The Giants still need help along the offensive line and possibly the defensive line. Linebacker, running back, placekicker and backup QB are also areas in which GM Jerry Reese would like to add players this offseason.