Four insights about the new Packers' big-time investment

The Green Bay Packers are pretty happy about paying $17 million per season to get the top safety on the market, Xavier McKinney, who agreed to sign a four-year deal on Monday, the first day of the legal negotiating period in the NFL.

After all, McKinney is a talented player, coming off his best season in the league, and he is still only 24 years old.

But with that in mind, why didn't the New York Giants make a stronger effort to keep him around? He was the second highest graded defensive player on the team according to PFF, and the Giants are not exactly in position to give up on talent.

So, to clarify the decision process, we talked to reporter John Fennelly, who covers the team for the Giants Wire. And he shared valuable insights of the situation.

Reasons for the Giants to let Xavier McKinney walk:

1) Management change

When the Giants drafted Xavier McKinney in the second round four years ago, Dave Gettleman was the general manager. Even though he played well in 2023, the new leadership is not as committed to him as the previous one.

"Joe Schoen did not draft him," Fennelly said. "He is trying to put his stamp on the team and has been riding the roster of Dave Gettleman's draft picks."

That's actually good news for the Packers, because it tells nothing about his performance or character.

2) Accident

That point is slightly more troubling. During the Giants' bye week in 2022, McKinney suffered a serious ATV accident. According to Fennelly, the Giants are still not over what happened in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

"Kinda just tilted over, fell on my hand, that's basically what happened," McKinney said at the time. "We were on a sight-seeing tour, that's what I can tell you. It was nothing that was reckless, this was just simply being able to be out of the country, see another country, see what it looked like, and it was just an unfortunate event that happened."

He could have lost three fingers and ended his career, but the safety was able to make a full recovery after missing a chunk of the 2022 season.

3) Price tag

Safety is not a premium position, and the Giants are not in a great position to overspend there. So giving McKinney a $68 million deal was not realistic.

"Schoen is not going to overspend on positions he deems can be filled by cheap free agents and draft picks," Fennelly added. "Safety is one of those positions."

Even though that's a fair thought process, the Giants will certainly miss McKinney. Right now, the safeties on the roster are Gervarrius Owens, Jason Pinnock, and Dane Belton.

4) Coaching staff change

Wink Martindale parted ways with the franchise after the season, and that's a consideration as well. They kept defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson and safeties coach Michael Treier, but the scheme will be different under Shane Bowen.

"They are changing their philosophy on defense and McKiney does not fit," John Fennelly mentioned.

The Giants have their reasons to let Xavier McKinney go, and the Packers have different reasons to bring him in. At the end of the day, it seems like everyone is happy — including the player, who will make life-altering money after the end of his rookie contract.