Latest news with #Adebo
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Paulson Adebo adding versatility, experience to New York Giants' secondary
The New York Giants had plenty of needs heading into the 2025 NFL offseason. Quarterback was at the very top of the list, but cornerback was right up there, too. Deonte Banks, the Giants' 2023 first-round pick, had slid back significantly in his second season, and the team began to wonder if he could develop into a No. 1 cornerback in the NFL. So general manager Joe Schoen got to work and secured the services of Paulson Adebo on Day 1 of free agency with a three-year, $54 million deal. Everyone slept more easily after that. "We evaluated him throughout free agency. Thought he'd be a good fit for us," head coach Brian Daboll told reporters this week at training camp. "He's a pro. He's a good football player. Again, he's learning a new scheme similar to what we talked about with (defensive end Brian) Burns. "He's had a good football camp. He's been good in the meetings. He's been good in a leadership role in terms of the cornerbacks. So we'll keep on refining everybody, but glad we have Debo. He's been a good teammate. He's been a good signing for us throughout this process here." And, not to mention, they have their No. 1 corner and can assign Banks to the other side, or even the sidelines, if needed. Adebo spoke with the media via Zoom on Thursday and discussed which side he preferred to play, mentioning that he was relegated to the left side in New Orleans to complement Pro Bowler Marshon Lattimore most times. "I think for me, obviously, in New Orleans, I played a lot on the left side, but that's just because we had Lattimore on the other side," he said. "So, we felt confident about having corners that can play either way. So that wasn't necessarily a preference thing or me kind of choosing it. It was just kind of how things shook out. So definitely, I feel like I can play on both sides. And so, it's not something that I focus too much on." With the Giants, Adebo will be afforded more latitude and perhaps move around more, but that will depend on who his partner ends up being, Banks or Cor'Dale Flott. Banks and Flott are currently neck and neck for a starting role. Part of Adebo's job is to impart his experience and knowledge upon his younger teammates. "I think just any time you get to play multiple years in the league, there's certain things that you can pick up on, whether it's tendencies, whether it's different splits or different route concepts that you can expect out of different formations," he said. "So, I think that's some of the stuff that I've been able to kind of share. And obviously, Tae has played a lot in this league as well. So, we kind of just see how we see different formations. What do you see here? What are you thinking about if a receiver is doing this to you? So, it's a lot of just kind of back and forth, giving our perspectives on what we've seen." The Giants are hoping to create more turnovers, and Adebo has a history of being a ballhawk in college. He had 10 interceptions in his four seasons in New Orleans. "I think for us, we're focused on this year. But we've been doing a great job throughout camp, just kind of focusing on that, getting turnovers," he said. "Obviously, turnovers are a big part of this game. And when you're able to take the ball away from the offense and flip the momentum of a game and the energy that that brings in, that's something that we've been definitely focusing on. And I feel like that, coupled with getting fumbles and just being a tenacious, kind of nasty defense, getting after the ball, all those things are things that we've been looking at throughout this camp." Adebo, a former teammate of current Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke at Stanford, has leaned on his friend to acclimate to the ways of the Giants. "Just having somebody that has played in this defense, but not only that, somebody who has a level of knowledge and football wisdom that he has, I think being able to see how he sees the game, even going back to college, but after playing in the league for these couple of years and just really excelling, being an elite linebacker, the way that he sees the game, we definitely have conversations that end up helping me out as well," he said. So far, so good.
New York Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Giants won't have to pick a side with Paulson Adebo as top cornerback option
Access the Giants like never before Get texts from Paul Schwartz with all the latest Giants news and insights, exclusive to Sports+ subscribers. tRY IT NOW When the Saints drafted Paulson Adebo in 2021, he didn't need to instantly become their top cornerback. That title, and those responsibilities, belonged to Marshon Lattimore — who'd already made three Pro Bowls in his first four seasons, won Defensive Rookie of the Year and had established himself as one of the premier corners in the league. Instead, over the next four years, New Orleans kept Adebo mostly on the left side and Lattimore on the right. Advertisement 'It wasn't necessarily a preference thing or me kind of choosing it,' Adebo recalled Thursday, but rather just the result of their luxury. In his first four NFL seasons, Adebo logged 94.4 percent of his wide cornerback snaps on the left, according to Pro Football Focus. Even dating back to his college seasons at Stanford, Adebo — with the exception of the limited occasions when the Cardinal played a big receiver — stuck to one side, too, he said. Advertisement But the Giants, at least for now, don't have a top-flight cornerback to play alongside Adebo. When he inked a three-year, $54 million deal in free agency, Adebo instantly became their No. 1 option. He's the one who has navigated training camp without being involved in a competition. The one who has avoided the spotlight set on Deonte Banks, on Cor'Dale Flott and on Big Blue's lack of proven cornerback depth. 4 Giants wide receiver Zach Pascal (83) runs against cornerback Paulson Adebo (21) during training camp. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST The one who has instead inherited plenty of pressure to perform from the start. Advertisement And if the Giants end up wanting Adebo to shadow receivers, something he noticeably did at times in a matchup with Garrett Wilson during a joint practice with the Jets, he'd be open to that change. 'It was just kind of how things shook out,' Adebo said of playing on the left side in New Orleans. 'So definitely, I feel like I could play on both sides, and so it's not something that I focus too much on.' 4 Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo during practice. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post 4 Giants cornerback Paulson Adebo speaking to the media after practice. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Advertisement There are advantages to having Adebo shadow receivers. It would avoid allowing opponents the chance to constantly match their top wideouts against the Giants' second cornerback, which will be their weaker spot. It prevents Adebo from being stuck with the wideouts on his side of the field and instead dictates who he'll be tasked with containing. Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen's strategy might not become clear until the early weeks of the regular season — the Giants could face Terry McLaurin (in a contract standoff with the Commanders) and the Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb in Weeks 1 and 2 — but if Adebo has become the Giants' Lattimore, they don't have someone else to trust in that opposite spot like the Saints once did. 'How we deploy guys, what we decide to do, I think [Adebo's] comfortable with whatever we ask him to do,' head coach Brian Daboll said. 'I think he's got a good skill set to play the corner position, and then, again, every week we'll decide what we want to do and how we want to do it.' Adebo played in just seven games last year before breaking his femur, but he produced 43 passes defended with 10 interceptions across 52 games with the Saints. He leveraged those numbers into a deal with a Giants defense desperately craving turnovers — it's something they've been 'focusing on' in training camp, Adebo said — after managing just five interceptions in 2024. 4 Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers #guarded by Paulson Adebo during practice. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post Advertisement Adebo has tried to maximize matchups with Giants star Malik Nabers to help him improve, too, while also passing along insight to Banks. His role has already been solidified, even if the underlying details — for now — still remain unclear. 'Obviously, there are guys who are very skilled, and maybe they can do certain things better than other receivers,' Adebo said. 'But your approach to the game, as far as knowing that this is gonna be your assignment, this is what you have to do, I don't think it changes too much.'
USA Today
26-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
New York Giants' $54 million CB among biggest steals from 2021 NFL draft
Though the New York Giants weren't the team that selected cornerback Paulson Adebo, they certainly recognized his talent. Needing to make a splash at the No. 1 cornerback spot this offseason, the Giants signed Adebo to a three-year deal worth $54 million in free agency. That was after he spent the first four seasons of his career with the New Orleans Saints, the team that selected him in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft. When looking at the biggest steals from that draft class now that they're four years into their careers, Bleacher Report's Damian Parson included the Giants' new cornerback on the list. Adebo started slowly, allowing more than 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns in coverage from 2021 to 2022. However, the last two years were better for him. He allowed only two touchdowns but reeled in seven interceptions during that span. Before he was placed on IR after seven games this past season, Adebo was targeted a league-high 55 times, but he allowed the fewest target EPA (-23.6) among outside cornerbacks, according to NFL Pro. He allowed a passer rating of 62.4, which was far below the current average of 88-94. This offseason, the New York Giants signed Adebo to a three-year, $54 million contract in free agency. His ball skills and playmaking ability should fit in well with the Giants' secondary and young cornerback Deonte Banks. Other players that were featured on the list as steals from the draft class included Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, and Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard. Even though the Giants used a first-round pick on Deonte Banks during the 2023 draft in hopes he would turn into an elite, lockdown corner, he has yet to reach that potential entering his third season. There have been some physical and mental lapses throughout his young career. With that said, the addition of Adebo can be beneficial for the Giants in more ways than one. He can provide the Giants with the status of a No. 1 cornerback while also helping Banks navigate the world as a young player looking to capitalize on his opportunities. Either way, there's plenty of reason to be excited for Adebo's addition to the secondary after what he's shown in recent seasons.
USA Today
13-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Paulson Adebo ready to be aggressive, 'do everything' for New York Giants
Paulson Adebo ready to be aggressive, 'do everything' for New York Giants The New York Giants signed free agent cornerback Paulson Adebo this offseason to fill several needs. First, to give them a marquee corner to pair with former first-rounder Deonte Banks, and second, to add leadership to a very young secondary, even though he's just 25 himself. Both head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen have been pleased with Adebo thus far in the offseason program as he rehabs from a broken leg that shortened his season last year with New Orleans. "Great, pro, comes to work every day, practices hard, makes plays on the football, he's long. We've seen that more than a few times out here, whether it's picking a pass off, whether it's getting a PBU, not afraid to challenge," Bowen said last week. "I think just for that room, a relatively younger room, I think he's been an asset in there as well, just the experience, the knowledge... Again, like coming in we have high expectations for him and part of that was the leadership role. Like we're expecting you to come in here and take on that role and thrive in that role and hopefully continue to help us to develop some of these younger guys." Adebo is ready to take up the challenge of leading the young group and is also looking forward to creating turnovers. Bowen has installed a "turnover chest" and is throwing down the gauntlet to his players to fill it this season. "Super cool," Adebo said to reporters this week in regards to the turnover chest. "You know, I'm happy and excited to try to get a lot of turnovers and hopefully I can put a lot of balls in there." Adebo adds an extra dimension to this defense and is fully aware of his abilities as well as his role with the Giants. "A really aggressive corner," he said when asked to describe his skillset. "Ball production, tackles, I feel like just a complete corner overall. "I like to do everything. Aggressive, zone scheme, man scheme. I feel like I can adapt to kind of everything and game situation, playmaking, matchups. So, I feel like I could do everything. " And the Giants just might all on him to do all of those things.
USA Today
10-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
New York Giants' $54 million signing named team's best offseason move
New York Giants' $54 million signing named team's best offseason move The New York Giants immediately made it clear what their priority was as soon as the free agency market opened in March. The first splash move the Giants made this offseason came in the form of signing former New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo to a three-year deal worth $54 million, bolstering the cornerback position with a potential No. 1 option to lead the room. That decision by general manager Joe Schoen was recently praised by Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports, who named it the best move of the offseason for Big Blue. The G-Men will ultimately sink or swim depending on what Brian Daboll can squeeze out of Joe Schoen's entirely rebooted quarterback room. And taking a first-round flyer on Jaxson Dart's dual-threat potential could pay off, even with Russell Wilson in place as the passing placeholder. For now, Adebo looks like the best bet to make an immediate impact as a proven ballhawk at cornerback. As a former first-round pick, Deonte Banks has yet to live up to the billing of his draft capital and the Giants needed to find a viable running mate on the opposite side of the defensive formation in Shane Bowen's scheme. Coming in at $18 million per season may be a bit steep for a player coming off an injury, but it's still tied for 15th at the position. Abedo, 25, was originally a third-round pick with the Saints in the 2021 NFL draft out of Stanford. At 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds, Adebo has appeared in 52 games (51 starts) since entering the league. He was limited to just seven games in 2024 after suffering a broken femur in October, which ended his season immediately. Throughout his career, Adebo has recorded 10 interceptions, seven of which have come over the course of the last two seasons. He's also added 43 passes defensed along with an 85.4 passer rating and 7.8 yards per target, per Pro Football Reference. The pass rush will carry the Giants' defense, but the addition of Adebo could help increase the ceiling of the entire unit.
