The Giants are parting ways with a pair of former starters.
New York informed wide receiver Golden Tate and linebacker David Mayo of their releases, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. The two veterans had two years left on their respective deals and thus will save the club a combined $8.4 million in cap space for 2021. These moves were expected but are now official after each player saw their playing time diminish last year, Rapoport added.
Tate's tenure in the Big Apple was rocky from the start. He signed a four-year contract prior to the 2019 season, only to be suspended for the first four games for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances. He rebounded respectably (49 catches, 676 yards, 6 touchdowns), but his production was far below his best days in Detroit.
The 32-year-old had an even more disappointing 2020. His 35 catches and two scores were the second lowest output of his 11-year career. He also missed time due to a one-game benching and injury.
New York first acquired Mayo off the waiver wire just before the 2019 opener and it paid immediate dividends, as he tallied 82 tackles, including five for loss and two sacks. He signed a three-year extension last offseason but suffered a torn meniscus shortly before Week 1 and was placed on injured reserve. Mayo appeared in 11 games in 2020, mostly as a reserve, recording just 29 tackles.
The early departures merely finalize more miscalculations from the Dave Gettleman-led front office.
