Will Beatty Staying 'Home' With Giants On 5-Year Deal
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- No free agency for you, Will Beatty.
The 27-year-old left tackle is staying with the Giants on a five-year contract.
"It's good to be home," Beatty said of his new deal, according to the team's official website. "It's a great feeling. You could be going through free agency, but when that happens a lot of stuff is going through your mind. That feeling is no longer there. You're settled in with a great team, a team I love playing for. I know the coaching staff. I'm looking forward to getting back in it and moving forward.
"I'm glad I don't have any of those free agency jitters to deal with. It's settled, we're done and we're moving on. The contract is behind you – you just have to make sure you're out there on the field and being a leader out there."
Beatty's deal is worth $37.5 million and could hit $38.75 million with incentives, according to the Newark Star-Ledger.
Beatty was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on March 12. His contract includes $19 million guaranteed and signing bonus of $12.5 million, the Star-Ledger reported.
"We are very pleased to get a new deal done with Will," said general manager Jerry Reese. "We believe he is one of the ascending left tackles in the NFL."
Beatty said it wasn't about money -- and he didn't "really didn't want" to play free agency game, anyhow.
"If it's a money issue, that temptation would come in," Beatty said. "But having this be my home team, I really didn't want to go into free agency. This is the team that wanted me from college. This is the team that gave me my first chance. This team went to the Super Bowl. I saw so many great moments with this team and there are still so many more to come."
The Giants selected Beatty out of UConn in the second round of the 2009 draft. He came back from an offseason back injury to start 15 games protecting quarterback Eli Manning's blind side in 2012.
"I thought I improved last year, playing the entire season," said Beatty. "I want to get back on the field and keep ascending, keep rising. The sky's the limit for me. I know there is still a lot more out there. I haven't tapped into all of my potential yet. I'm looking forward to performing and growing each year."
How the rest of New York's offensive line shakes out remains to be seen. Kevin Boothe will hit the open market in less than two weeks, and Chris Snee, David Diehl and David Baas all had surgery this offseason.
The Giants want to re-sign Boothe and tight end Martellus Bennett, and "intend to tender" restricted free agents WR Victor Cruz, S Stevie Brown and RB Andre Brown, according to the New York Daily News.
Among the other Giants set to hit free agency are DE Osi Umenyiora, S Kenny Phillips, WR Domenik Hixon, LB Chase Blackburn, QB David Carr and K Lawrence Tynes.
Great move by the G-Men? Welcome Beatty back in the comments!
