After all, the Giants may not have finished with Nate Solder.
There is a growing feeling that a deal can and will be made to keep the veteran offensive attack on the list. Solder would stay at a very low price, as he was expected to have $ 16.5 million in the salary cap – a cost that is not sustainable for Solder to continue his career with the Giants.
Solder turns 33 next month. He opted out of the 2020 season, citing the concerns of COVID-19, as his son is undergoing cancer treatment and Solder himself is a cancer survivor. Andrew Thomas, the fourth choice in the 2020 NFL Draft, took over from Solder and started 15 of 16 games on the left tackle.
If the solder returns, it will not be a Thomas replacement. The weld would probably compete for the right tackle job – sophomore Matt Peart is an option here – and possibly serve as a swing tackle, providing experienced insurance on both sides of the line. Solder, however, has not played well since his debut year in 2011 with the Patriots. Coach Joe Judge has shown that he believes in the rotation of his attackers.
Highly paid veterans who don’t play at an extremely high level are an endangered species this year, with the NFL’s salary cap set at $ 182.5 million – well below $ 198.2 million in 2020. On Wednesday, the Giants became complacent about the $ 12 million spill in cap space with the release of 31-year-old owner Kevin Zeitler.
Solder, on the same day that Zeitler was released, posted an article he wrote for “The raise” in which he said: “Now I am in a place where if I am offered another chance to play football, I will probably enjoy it.” The “probably” caveat was probably referring to the uncertainty as to whether the new financial terms required to keep Solder on the list would be acceptable to him or too severe to move forward with the Giants.
With the opt-out, Solder lost $ 9.9 million in salary in 2020, although he received a $ 3 million list bonus – and received $ 350,000 as a high-risk opt-out. Soldier acknowledged this when he wrote: “The amount of revenue I lost from not playing for one season was significant. ”
The weld will not come back unless he feels it is fairly compensated. He signed a $ 62 million contract for four years, with $ 34.8 million in guaranteed money, and started all 16 games in 2018 and 2019. His game in both seasons did not meet the standard he set with the Patriots in the first seven years of his career.