The Giants entered the preliminary stages of their low season planning without knowing if Nate Solder, his imposing offensive attack, wanted to return to the game or if his year out of football would lead him to retire.
Once Solder decided to re-enter, the Giants went to work restructuring their contract to make their return make sense within their salary cap limitations.
For a few days, there was a new deal in place, and the Giants were confident that Solder would reach an agreement. There is now a deal in the books and while it is an economic blow to Solder, it saves the Giants $ 6 million in the 2021 salary cap, The Post confirmed.
Solder was scheduled to earn $ 10 million in salary, and the reduction will be reduced to about $ 4 million, including some bonus money. He turns 33 next month.
Solder started the 32 games left in his first two years with the Giants after signing a four-year, $ 62 million deal that for a time made him the highest paid offensive line player. of the NFL. He chose not to participate in the 2020 season, citing the concerns of COVID-19, as his childhood son is in cancer treatment and Solder himself had testicular cancer.
Solder’s original contract put him at $ 16.5 million in that year’s salary cap, something that would never happen. With $ 4 million in wages and $ 10.5 million in prorated bonds, Solder’s cap was reduced to $ 10.5 million.
The reduction in salary is proportional to what is likely to be a change of role. The Giants caught Andrew Thomas with the No. 4 pick in the 2020 NFL draft and, after a year of debuting up and down, will remain his first left-back attack. The Giants hope Matt Peart, selected in the third round last year, can emerge as his first straight attack in his second season. If this is the case, Solder will provide insurance on the list as an alternative support instrument.
If Peart can’t handle the starting role, or if Solder simply wins, Solder becomes the first right-back, a position he hasn’t played since his 2011 debut year with the Patriots.
It remains to be seen what the soldier soldier did for the year for football, a 6-foot 8, 325-pound athlete who had his share of blows and physical bruises in 2018 and 2019, though he never missed the way out. The Giants have a new offensive line coach to Rob Sale, though their offensive line assistant coach Ben Wilkerson will return and is familiar with his two-year-old Solder along with the Giants.
The Giants made the official signing signings of DT Austin Johnson and WR CJ Board official and announced the new signing of long parameter Casey Kreiter.