The New York Giants appear to still be looking to add some free agent pieces to this roster as they will bring in former Arizona Cardinal Jerraud Powers for a visit. The cornerback would likely be a depth addition to this defensive unit after they signed big name free agent cornerback Janoris Jenkins to a $62-million, 5-year deal.
Behind Jenkins and left starting cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie there really isn't much depth to speak of. The G-men do have current free agents Jayron Hosley and Trumaine McBride, but if they want to keep them they will have to re-sign them, and that seems unlikely.
The man backing up Jenkins is Bennett Jackson and he is hardly capable of being a starting cornerback in this league as of now. This means the Giants will have to look outward to find some quality depth contributors and Powers might be the best available cornerback left on the market.
Powers has played for two NFL clubs in his career, the Indianapolis Colts and the Arizona Cardinals. The Colts drafted Powers in the third round and he helped stabilize what was a very porous secondary. In Arizona he was a great compliment to the Cardinals' best cornerback, Patrick Peterson.
During the 2015 season, Powers recorded 13 starts with 52 combined tackles, a sack, 9 pass defenses, and an interception. Those are some pretty solid numbers for a backup cornerback. After spending eight seasons in the NFL, Powers has amassed 380 combined tackles, two sacks, 69 pass defenses, 11 interceptions, and three forced fumbles, if the Giants do decide to add the veteran cornerback they will have add another quality playmaker in their defensive backfield.
The Giants have been pretty busy this offseason as they have added four free agents, and most of them could be considered the biggest free agents of 2016. Easily the biggest has to be Olivier Vernon, who was the starting defensive end for the Miami Dolphins before landing with the G-men. The second biggest was Jenkins, who would be considered a massive free agent bust if he doesn't solidfy the secondary.
The last two, nose tackle Damon Harrison and inside linebacker Keenan Robinson, should help the Giants from getting gashed by opposing running backs, as they are two of the most proficient run stoppers in the league. The Giants will hope that Powers can be an effective backup for their starting cornerbacks and ultimately make this defense more effective as a whole.
