INDIANAPOLIS — At Brian Daboll’s introductory Giants press conference in January, Daboll found hobbled receiver Sterling Shepard and gave him a big handshake and hug.
Now in March, the Giants are discussing a possible pay cut with Shepard’s representatives, a source confirmed to the Daily News, casting doubt on the longest-tenured Giant’s future with the team that drafted him.
Shepard, 29, tore his left Achilles in a Dec. 19 loss to the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. The 2016 second-round pick from Oklahoma played in only seven games in his sixth season with the franchise.
He is scheduled to count $12.495 million against the Giants’ salary cap this season with an $8.475 million salary, per overthecap.com. But none of his remaining salary is guaranteed for 2022 or 2023, the final year of his current deal.
The Giants value Shepard the person and player. He was already up and about on crutches at the Super Bowl in Los Angeles. Still, his road to recovery and the Giants’ salary cap squeeze could make him the team’s latest veteran casualty.
GM Joe Schoen already released tight end Kyle Rudolph and running back Devontae Booker on Wednesday.
The Giants haven’t made a specific offer or talked exact numbers on Shepard’s proposed pay cut yet, and they might not until next week, a source said. So Shepard has time to deliberate and weigh his options.
Schoen also said this week, however, that he doesn’t consider second-year slot receiver Kadarius Toney a tradeable piece. Plus the Giants are scouting the top wideouts in this NFL Draft class.
Then there is the human element to this whole situation: Shepard and Saquon Barkley are close friends. They spend a lot of time together. And in the span of three days, Schoen has invited teams to call him with trade offers for Barkley and proposed a pay cut to Shepard.
Shepard is close friends with Daniel Jones, too, and he no doubt would love to help his quarterback turn the corner in this pivotal fourth year.
Still, a trade would be better for Barkley. And if the proposed pay cut to Shepard is steep enough, he could decide ultimately that this situation isn’t best anymore for him.
Shepard and Barkley both are good friends with Odell Beckham Jr., as well. So they were hardened to the reality of the Giants’ and NFL’s business when the team paid OBJ in the summer of 2019 only to trade him to Cleveland the following spring.
Because none of Shepard’s remaining salary is guaranteed, a proposed pay cut could evolve as far as a one-year deal for 2022 that gets Shepard to free agency a year early but lowers his salary to the floor.
Corner James Bradberry ($21.8 million) and linebacker Blake Martinez ($14 million) are the two highest cap hit contracts for 2022 that the Giants haven’t yet touched but provide possible flexibility to clear more space. They are also two of the Giants’ best players, though.
Martinez, however, is coming off a torn left ACL.
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