The Giants are interested in bringing outside linebacker Markus Golden, who led the team with 10 sacks last year, back for the 2020 season, but they’re going about it in an unusual way. Golden was hit with the seldom used UFA tender, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. This means that if he hasn’t signed with a team by July 22, he can only play for the Giants this season.
Golden is still free to negotiate with any team he likes and he may end up signing with another team before the July 22 deadline. If that ends up being the case, the Giants will be eligible to receive a compensatory pick for Golden in 2021. Monday saw the deadline pass for free-agent signings to count towards or against 2021 compensatory picks. The UFA tender is not bound by that rule, so the Giants could still have Golden factor into their compensatory picks next season.
This is a savvy move on the part of the Giants. Pass rushers are always in demand, so even if the pass-rush needy Giants don’t end up with Golden back on a one-year deal, they will at least get something out of the situation.
The last player to receive the UFA tender was Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount in 2017. He wound up signing with the Eagles before the end of that offseason.
———
©2020 New York Daily News
Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.