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Giants general manager Joe Schon took a big swing.
And he hopes it works.
That’s because after Carolina tagged him, he invested a huge amount of money in Panthers edge rusher Brian Burns, only to trade him and give him a lucrative contract.
Schoen not only traded Barnes for a second-round draft pick and a fifth-round draft pick, but also gave him a five-year, $150 million contract that included $87.5 million guaranteed.
If this doesn’t work out and Barnes fails to perform at an elite level, it would be a significant blemish on Schoen’s Giants resume.
And let’s be clear: If you’re going to trade this kind of draft capital and pay this kind of money, the player has to be elite.
Is Barnes that type of player? The rebuilding Giants are trying to figure it out after making what could arguably be classified as a win-now move.
Also worth noting is that Schoen gave up one of his second-round picks this year that could have been used as ammunition in a quarterback trade.
As for Barnes, it gives them an edge rusher to complement 2022 No. 5 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeau (who, by the way, is eligible for a second contract after 2024).
The Panthers signed Barnes to a $24 million contract this offseason, so he will be commanded to make a big deal.
Schoen needs to strengthen the pass rush as well as inside linemen Dexter Lawrence and Thibodeau. And for now, acquiring Barnes should make new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen happy.
Barnes, who will be 26 when next season begins, was drafted 16th overall by the Panthers in 2019. He was a Pro Bowler in 2021 and 2022. His yearly sack totals are 7.5, 9, 9, 12.5, and 8.
Barnes finished last season 27th in Pro Football Focus’ rating as an edge rusher and 20th among pass rushers. In 2022, he was ranked 39th overall and 22nd among pass rushers. In 2021, they were 44th and 23rd.
From 2021 to 2023, Barnes had 51, 68, and 40 pressures. Lawrence led the Giants with 65 pressures last year. Thibodeau was second on the team with 44.
Schoen traded for Barnes because outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari, who is in a contract year, cannot maintain consistent health. Additionally, Schoen traded defensive lineman (and serious pass rusher) Leonard Williams to Seattle for a second-round pick last season.
Schoen also received a fifth-round pick from Seattle in the deal. So the Barnes trade is essentially Schoen using those picks to acquire a younger, better player.
But that ignores the fact that the Giants could have used their valuable second-round pick for other purposes, such as trading up for a quarterback. It’s also unclear which second-round pitcher the Giants selected. He was selected by Seattle with the 47th pick. The Giants’ own second-round pick was No. 39.
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