Giants Are Paying Dion Lewis So Little Money it Kind of Feels Like a Crime

After a couple weeks of wild acquisitions and monster contracts in the NFL, the Giants' latest running back addition feels more like highway robbery than a business deal.

Dion Lewis, formerly of the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots, signed with New York on a deal that is staggering only because of how small it is for a guy who has been a solid utility back for the past seven years.

The Giants have Saquon Barkley, easily one of the best backs in the league and the clear bell cow in the Meadowlands. So, it's not surprising that Lewis's contract would be relatively small, especially when you consider he's never been a dominant player outside of New England. But his contract is a one-year deal for $1.55 million without a single guarantee, and $450K of that coming from a roster bonus. That's just brutal.

It's an absolute win for the Giants. At such an incredibly low cost, there's basically no risk for the team, and with Lewis' capabilities, there are some potentially high rewards if the hometown kid who used to attend Giants camp in Albany pans out.

Lewis is perfect to pair with a guy like Barkley. The past two seasons, he's had to sit behind Derrick Henry, who has been the sole progenitor of one of the best ground attacks in recent memory. Lewis knows what it means to be a backup, and when he actually does enter the game, he won't lose it for you. In his entire career, he's only fumbled the ball six times. He also averages 4.3 yards per attempt. He's perfectly reliable in a worst-case scenario, and Saquon getting injured is the worst of cases.

Lewis is from Albany, New York, and he grew up a Giants fan. So perhaps he's comfortable sacrificing some pay to be closer to home on the team he dreamed of playing for. Even if that's the case, $1.55 million and a complete lack of guarantees for your last resort if Barkley gets injured again is crazy.