Giants release guard Kevin Zeitler, save $12 million in cap space

As Paul Schwartz explained for the New York Post, the New York Giants began Wednesday with plenty of work to do to drop below the $182.5 million salary-cap figure for 2021, which is a $15.7 million decrease from last year's number. 

As the Post's Justin Tasch noted, Big Blue saved $12 million by parting ways with veteran guard Kevin Zeitler later in the day.

Zeitler turned 31 years old on Monday and, simply stated, wasn't worth the money and cap hit attached to his contract with the league's cap figure decreasing due to financial losses endured last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As Jordan Raanan wrote for ESPN, it's unlikely Zeitler will earn $12 million with a different club next season. 

The Giants acquired Zeitler and safety Jabrill Peppers in March 2019 via the trade that sent both superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and defensive end Olivier Vernon to the Cleveland Browns. One week before the start of the new NFL year that opens March 17, neither franchise can honestly claim to have won that transaction. In fact, it's possible Peppers will be the last man remaining with his 2020 team on Sept. 1 if rumors about the Browns potentially shopping Beckham are accurate. 

Vernon ruptured his Achilles in early January and is out of contract.