The New York Giants made their first outside splash of free agency on Tuesday, agreeing to terms with veteran safety Antoine Bethea on a two-year deal. While Bethea brings veteran experience and leadership, he’s not exactly the ideal replacement for Landon Collins, who will sign a massive six-year deal with the Washington Redskins on Wednesday afternoon. However, Bethea does provide depth, a good football IQ and, perhaps above all else, an ability to remain healthy. Here are five things Giants fans should know about their newest safety. Bethea is a former sixth-round pick Bethea was a sixth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2006 NFL Draft. He would remain in Indy for eight years before joining the San Francisco 49ers in 2014. In 2017, after three years with the 49ers, Bethea made his way to Arizona where he remained until agreeing to terms with the Giants on Tuesday. Not only has Bethea climbed the ranks as a late-round pick, but he did so after coming out of Howard college.<doc-sep>Abbie Parr/Getty Images The New York Giants acted swiftly to fill their void at safety by reportedly agreeing to a deal with Antoine Bethea. Per NFL Network's Reggie Wayne, who was Bethea's teammate for nine seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, the 34-year-old will sign a two-year pact with the Giants. Bethea confirmed the agreement to NFL Network's Steve Wyche. Bethea spent the past two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals before they released him March 8. He started all 16 games for the team in 2018, setting a career high with 100 solo tackles and three sacks. The Giants will likely use Bethea as a starter. He will fill the void Landon Collins left when he agreed to a six-year, $84 million pact with the Washington Redskins on Monday—a deal NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported. Collins' strengths in New York were primarily as a box safety who played closer to the line of scrimmage. Bethea excels in pass coverage and was particularly effective in 2017 when current New York Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher was with Arizona: Video Play Button Videos you might like The Giants are trying to piece together a roster capable of improving on last year's 5-11 record. Bethea isn't the same player he was during his prime with the Colts, but his familiarity with Bettcher's system gives him an opportunity to impact a defense that ranked 23rd in points allowed in 2018.<doc-sep>The New York Giants intend to sign veteran safety Antoine Bethea to a two-year deal, a source told ESPN, confirming a report by NFL Network. Bethea has a familiarity with Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher's defense from their time together with the Arizona Cardinals. The Giants will lose safety Landon Collins in free agency after he agreed to a six-year, $84 million contract with the Washington Redskins, according to ESPN and multiple reports. The 34-year-old Bethea was released by the Cardinals on March 8 after two seasons with the team. He started 16 games for Arizona last season and set a career high with three sacks. He also had four passes defensed, a forced fumble and 121 tackles. In 2017, he notched a career-best five interceptions for the Cardinals. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Bethea has 24 interceptions, 75 passes defensed, nine forced fumbles, 9.5 sacks and 1,223 tackles in 13 seasons since being selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round (207th overall) of the 2006 draft.<doc-sep>A breakdown of the New York Giants' 2019 free-agent signings. Golden Tate, Wide receiver The Giants will sign Tate to a four-year deal worth up to $37.5 million with $23 million guaranteed on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Here's a closer look at the wide receiver who spent the second half of last season with the Philadelphia Eagles: What it means: Tate steps into the massive shoes of Odell Beckham Jr. as the No. 1 receiver with the Giants. It also gives quarterback Eli Manning and coach Pat Shurmur a solid stable of weapons with Tate, Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram and Saquon Barkley. Combine that with an improved offensive line, the Giants have a chance to still field a strong offensive unit this season. Tate's competitive nature and ability to do damage with the ball in hands after the catch (especially by breaking tackles) is really his strength. What's the risk: Is this the right move for a team that is rebuilding? That's a decent chunk of cash for perhaps the top wide receiver on the market who is already 30 years old. And his production dipped greatly after being traded to the Eagles. Let's see exactly how the contract is constructed, but $23 million guaranteed indicates he's locked in for at least two and possibly three seasons with the Giants. It again brings us back to the idea that the Giants seem to be building the fort for Manning and straddling the line between rebuilding and trying to compete while doing so. Antoine Bethea, safety The Giants intend to sign Bethea to a two-year deal on Wednesday, a source told ESPN. Here's a closer look at the veteran safety who spent the past two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals: 2019 Free Agency | Giants What you need to know about the New York Giants: » Giants' free-agent signings » Tracker: Latest moves around NFL » Full top 100 free-agent ranking What it means: The Giants are adding a veteran on the back end who has familiarity in James Bettcher's defense. Bethea was in Arizona under Bettcher during the 2017 season, when he finished with a career-best five interceptions. This adds bodies to the Giants' defensive backfield. It doesn't preclude them from making more moves, especially with so many veteran safeties still left on the market. It does reiterate that the Giants weren't willing to spend big on the safety position (re: Tyrann Mathieu, Adrian Amos, etc.) in free agency to replace Landon Collins or to fill the free safety spot. What's the risk: Bethea will be 35 in July. He's near the end of his career. How much does he have left? He did finish with a career-best 121 tackles and 3.0 sacks last season. So the answer appears to be, at the very least, something. The Giants right now have Bethea, Michael Thomas and Sean Chandler as their safeties. Is that good enough? Markus Golden, outside linebacker The Giants signed Golden to a one-year deal on Thursday, sources told ESPN's Jordan Raanan. Here's a closer look at the outside linebacker who spent the first four years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals: What it means: Golden immediately becomes the most accomplished pass-rusher on the Giants' depleted defensive roster. He gets reunited with defensive coordinator James Bettcher, who he spent the first three years of his career with in Arizona. Golden's best year came in his second professional season when he recorded 12.5 sacks. But he tore his knee the following season and had just 2.5 sacks in his return. The hope is that under Bettcher and in his second year back from a torn ACL he returns to his previous form in a prove-it year. There will be opportunities given the Giants' needs at the position. What's the risk: His tape wasn't great this past season coming back from a serious knee injury. "Time will tell if he can still play at a high level," one source said. But it's a risk the Giants are willing to take given their lack of pass-rushers. B.J. Hill's 5.5 sacks last season as a rookie are the most any player on the Giants roster has ever had in a single season.<doc-sep>
The Giants were in need of a safety even before they declined to apply the franchise tag to Landon Collins and watched him sign a megadeal with the rival Redskins. The need for two safeties took the Giants to an unusual place, as on Tuesday they agreed to terms with Antoine Bethea, an accomplished player who is 34 years old. Set to enter his 14th NFL season, Bethea did start all 16 games for the Cardinals in 2018, but he is certainly at an advanced age for a defensive back. He turns 35 in July and played in Arizona in 2017 for James Bettcher, currently the Giants defensive coordinator. Bethea that season had a career-high five interceptions, and no doubt that resonated when it came time to find a stopgap player at a position of need. The Giants signed Bethea to a two-year contract. He is a three-time Pro Bowler, most recently in 2014, and is expected to move immediately into a starting role with his fourth NFL team. According to Pro Football Focus, Bethea was the most efficient pass-rushing safety in the league last season, with 12 total pressures on 42 pass-rush snaps. Bethea as a rookie won a Super Bowl with the Colts following the 2006 season, starting 14 games as a teammate of Peyton Manning. Now, 13 years later, he joins a team with Eli Manning, 38, at quarterback. Bethea can play strong safety and free safety, and his durability is impressive. He has appeared in 193 regular-season games (184 starts) and played in all 16 games in a season nine times in 13 years. He went seven consecutive seasons without missing a start. Bethea spent the first eight years of his NFL career with the Colts, then three years with the 49ers and the past two years with the Cardinals, rarely coming off the field last season. He was released last week by Arizona. This is not exactly a move to build a defense around. Collins is 25 years old and is a player to secure for the present and future, but the Giants did not value him as a star safety the way the Redskins did. Bethea will likely compete for a starting job on a Giants defense in need of help in many areas. In what seems to be an annual rite of late winter, the Giants will also bring back Zak DeOssie, their 34-year old long-snapper, on a one-year deal. DeOssie arrived in 2007 and has two Super Bowl rings, appearing in 188 games in his 12-year career.