Greg Newsome II Signs With New York Giants on One-Year $10 Million Deal After Flott Departs for Tennessee
The Giants wasted no time patching a hole in their secondary. Hours after losing Cor'Dale Flott to the Tennessee Titans, New York agreed to terms Tuesday morning with former first-round cornerback Greg Newsome II — a 25-year-old with starting pedigree and something to prove.
The Deal
The Giants agreed with Newsome on a one-year deal worth up to $10 million, his agents told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The base value sits at $8 million with just $3 million guaranteed — a structure that puts the financial risk squarely on Newsome, and gives him every incentive to perform his way back into a multi-year contract in 2027.
The Giants were forced to pivot at cornerback after losing Flott to the Titans, with Jamel Dean also agreeing to terms with the Pittsburgh Steelers while New York was still negotiating with Flott. The market at the position thinned fast, and the Giants grabbed the best remaining option.
The Player They're Getting — and the One They're Betting On
Newsome's 2025 season tells two very different stories depending on which team's film you watch. He started strong for the Browns, posting a 78.0 PFF grade in Week 1 that ranked ninth among all cornerbacks. Then came a midseason trade to Jacksonville — and everything collapsed. His numbers with the Jaguars were brutal: a 50.1 overall PFF grade, 52.6 coverage grade, and five touchdowns allowed.
The context matters, though. Newsome was thrown into a completely different defensive system midseason with minimal time to adjust. That explanation doesn't fully excuse the tape, but it does make the Giants' calculus easier to understand.
He was selected 26th overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2021 draft and appeared in 59 games for the AFC North franchise. He played outside cornerback as a rookie before moving inside to nickel after Cleveland drafted Martin Emerson Jr. in 2022, then reclaimed his outside role in 2025 training camp after Emerson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.
Over five NFL seasons, Newsome has accumulated four interceptions, 43 pass breakups, and 207 tackles.
Where He Fits in New York
At 6-foot and 192 pounds with a 4.39-second 40-yard dash and a 40-inch vertical, Newsome has the size and length defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson wants on the boundary in his aggressive press-man scheme. Wilson's defense — influenced by Mike Macdonald's Baltimore system — demands cornerbacks who can play physical at the line and mirror receivers downfield without safety help.
Newsome has experience playing both on the outside and in the slot, similar to what Flott offered during his time with the Giants. He'll compete for the starting role opposite Paulson Adebo, with Deonte Banks, Dru Phillips, Korie Black, and Rico Payton also under contract.
Part of a Bigger Rebuild
Tuesday's signing didn't happen in a vacuum. Monday alone saw the Giants add tight end Isaiah Likely, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, punter Jordan Stout, and offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor — a rapid reshaping of the roster under new head coach John Harbaugh in his first offseason running the program.
The team already locked in Edmunds on a three-year deal worth $36 million, signaling a serious commitment to rebuilding a defense that ranked among the NFL's worst a year ago.
Newsome is low-risk, high-reward for a cornerback market that has thinned fast. At 25, he still has upside, and Wilson's scheme could be exactly what he needs to rebuild his value. The Giants aren't betting on the player who struggled in Jacksonville — they're betting on the one who graded out as a top-10 corner in Week 1 of last season.
