The New York Giants have been mostly quiet in free agency when it comes to big names, but the team has made a number of moves to help improve the roster and add depth, including the addition of Stevie Brown, who signed his restricted free-agent tender and will return to the team next season.
According to ESPN.com, Brown signed his tender with the Giants on Tuesday, which was a second round pick and worth $2.023 million if another team tried to sign him as a restricted free agent. Brown tweeted a picture of his contract after signing it and officially will be back for the 2013 season.
Brown had a breakout year for the Giants and was one of their most consistent defensive players, making a career-high eight interceptions and 76 tackles. He also added two forced fumbles and was essential for the team after Kenny Phillips went down with an injured MCL. Brown started 11 games for the team and he will be the primary safety along with Antrel Rolle.
Brown was one of the main reasons why the Giants allowed Kenny Phillips to leave for the Eagles in free agency, as they felt Brown could step in and be the starter full-time. Phillips was a first round pick for the Giants from Miami and he was one of the top players in the secondary, but he dealt with injuries throughout his career. Philips signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Eagles after the Giants did not go after him in free agency.
The addition of Brown allows the Giants to use their three-safety sets with Rolle and newly-signed Ryan Mundy, as well as Will Hill and Tyler Sash. Last season the Giants had issues stopping the passing game and allowed over 250 passing yards per game, ranked 28th in the league. The team added Aaron Ross in the secondary and also brought back Terrell Thomas, who is coming back from his third knee surgery.
The Giants also took care of their backup quarterback position by re-signing David Carr on Tuesday, according to sources that spoke to ESPN.com. Carr has spent the last two seasons as the backup for Eli Manning, but since he is the quarterback with the most active consecutive starts, he does not see the field very much.
Carr was with the team when the Giants won the Super following the 2011 season and is a veteran that knows the playbook and provides a great deal of value working in practice for Tom Coughlin and the offense. The team also has Curtis Painter on the roster and he likely will serve on the practice squad with the re-signing of Carr.
The 34-year-old has thrown three passes in the past two seasons, with Manning on a streak that has lasted 135 games going back to 2004. The Giants have gone this route since Eli Manning became the starter in 2004, but could decide to take a young quarterback late in the draft over the next few years.
The Giants also signed wide receiver Louis Murphy, who spent last year with the Carolina Panthers and is considered to be one of the faster players in the league. The team has both Ramses Barden and Domenik Hixon as free agents and would like to use Murphy with Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz to open up the offense.
