Giants' prized 2025 free-agent signing becoming a concern for John Harbaugh

The New York Giants could be forgiven for experiencing buyer's remorse.

On Tuesday, Pro Football Talk shared that cornerback Paulson Adebo, who signed a three-year, $54 million contract as an unrestricted free agent last offseason, was one of three Giants players who failed to report to the first day of the team's voluntary workouts under first-year coach John Harbaugh, hired in January 2025 after 18 seasons as Baltimore Ravens head coach.

Per PFT's Michael David Smith, defensive linemen Dexter Lawrence and Sam Roberts also didn't attend the beginning of the voluntary program. Lawrence has requested a trade, while Roberts recently underwent surgery.

"Adebo is the only player who didn't show and hasn't explained why," Smith wrote. 

Cornerback Paulson Adebo an unexplained absence at the start of Giants voluntary workouts

When discussing Adebo's absence, Harbaugh downplayed its significance while still hoping to gather clarity, telling reporters, "It’s his right. It’s his reason. Whatever his reason is, I’ll be interested to hear it. But it is what it is. It’s OK.”

Last season, Adebo's first with the Giants, didn't go as well as planned. He missed five games due to injury and wasn't nearly as productive as he was with the New Orleans Saints from 2023-24, when he allowed two touchdowns while notching seven interceptions as the nearest coverage defender, according to NFL Pro data.

Adebo allowed 48 receptions on 74 targets for 579 yards, two touchdowns and an interception with the Giants. He forced a tight-window throw on a career-low 14.9 percent of his targets while also producing his lowest hawk rate (10.8 percent) since 2022.

Overall, New York ranked No. 16 against the pass last season, allowing 214.2 passing yards per game, with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

While Adebo is well within his rights not reporting to voluntary workouts, it would only help the team having the whole roster together, especially as the Giants break in a different coaching staff. 

The secondary has also undergone a bit of a shakeup. Cor'Dale Flott, who started 14 games last season, signed a three-year, $45M contract with the Tennessee Titans earlier in free agency, and New York added former Jacksonville Jaguars corner Greg Newsome II on a one-year, $8M contract.

The team's other top returning corners (in terms of playing time), Deonte Banks and Andru Phillips, were picked on in coverage last season and must take major strides to avoid a similar fate in 2026. 

Adebo's no-show at the start of New York's voluntary April program under Harbaugh might not matter in the long run, but it would be even less significant if the veteran corner had a strong debut in the Big Apple.

Instead, the prized 2025 free agent mostly flopped, fueling concern. The Giants didn't get an appropriate return on investment during the first year of Adebo's contract. Year 2 isn't starting much better.