When the New York Giants chose to not place the franchise tag on Landon Collins, safety became one of the biggest needs on the roster. With Collins gone and Curtis Riley also a free agent after his one-year deal expired, the Giants were down both starting safeties from 2018.
It was a position the Giants looked to fill quickly. Their first free agent signing was Antoine Bethea, a veteran safety who played under James Bettcher with the Arizona Cardinals in 2017. Then Jabrill Peppers, a 2017 first-round pick of the Cleveland Browns, was a point of emphasis as part of the return in the Odell Beckham Jr.