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Alijah Vera-Tucker #75 of the New York Jets warms up at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center.
The New York Giants lost out on one of their top free agent targets on Monday night, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reporting that free agent offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker agreed to terms with the New England Patriots.
In the days leading up to free agency, the Giants‘ interest in Vera-Tucker was well-documented and reported on by multiple outlets. Instead, the team will have to pivot.
It’s a three-year deal for the former New York Jets first-round pick, worth $42 million, with the potential to reach $48 million, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
According to SNY’s Connor Hughes, the length was the hang-up for Giants brass.
“The Giants and Alijah Vera-Tucker reached an impasse over the length of the contract. It proved too much to work through, even though there was internal optimism within New York’s building that they could as late as 1030pm tonight,” wrote Hughes.
New England was the team that ponied up for the high-upside guard, and Big Blue is left holding the bag.
Giants’ Alijah Vera-Tucker Alternative
While the New York Giants won’t be signing the former 14th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, this doesn’t mean they’re done shopping for free agent offensive linemen.
Hughes revealed a potential alternative to Vera-Tucker, Cleveland Browns guard Wyatt Teller.
“I’d expect the Giants to pivot to Wyatt Teller. The team was never considering them together. Teller was among the AVT contingency plans,” continued Hughes.
Teller, a two-time All-Pro, is one of the best available guards left on the free agent market. Despite his age, he still has some good football left in the tank.
The 31-year-old expects to land a three-year, $30.5 million deal on the open market, according to Spotrac. The same length as Vera-Tucker’s deal, but less money.
He’d still be a solid option for the offensive line-needy Giants, and would form a decent pairing at either guard spot flanked by Andrew Thomas or Jermaine Eluemunor.
We’ll see if New York can get this one done and continue fortifying the first line of defense for second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Did the Giants Dodge a Bullet?
There’s sure to be disappointment among New York Giants fans that they missed out on one of the top free-agent offensive linemen.
But there’s a reason why they were cautious about going over a certain number of years or guaranteed money.
Vera-Tucker has a heck of a lot of talent. There’s no doubt about that. He’s started at every position along the offensive line except center, and has shown Pro Bowl upside when he’s on the field.
The problem is, he struggles to stay healthy. The USC product has suffered three season-ending injuries in five years in the NFL and has played in a total of 43 out of 85 possible games through his entire career.
In this league, especially as an offensive lineman, your best ability is availability, and Vera-Tucker just hasn’t proven to be durable over the short-span of his career.
The New England Patriots, arguably one of the most desperate teams for quality linemen, are taking a massive risk.
We’ll see if it pays off.
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