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Titans' Holmes To Join Giants

March 11, 2001 / 2:19 PM EST / CBS/AP

The New York Giants have reached an agreement on a $20 million contract with free agent defensive end Kenny Holmes, a source close to the team said Sunday.

The five-year contract includes a $5 million signing bonus for the former Tennessee Titan, said the source who requested anonymity.

Giants spokesman Pat Hanlon confirmed that the team is close to an agreement, but he said a contract has not been signed. Mitch Frankel, Holmes' agent, did not return a telephone call left at his office on Sunday by The Associated Press.

The deal will put the NFC champions over the $67.4 salary cap, meaning the Giants will probably have to cut a player.

Defensive end Cedric Jones, the fifth pick overall in the 1996 draft, seems to be on the bubble. While he has started at right end the last two seasons, he has not lived up to expectations coming out of Oklahoma as its all-time leader in sacks.

Jones, who will turn 27 in April, had 3.5 sacks this season, giving him 15 in five seasons. He also had 47 tackles this year.

Chad Bratzke, the right end who Jones replaced, had 15 sacks in 1998, his last year in New York. He signed with Indianapolis as a free agent following the season.

Holmes, 27, had eight sacks last season, his best in four seasons with the Titans. The former University of Miami player has 21 1/2 career sacks.

Earlier this year when the Giants played Tennessee, they thought so highly of Holmes, they doubled-teamed him and let tackle Luke Petitgout go one-on-one with defensive end Jevon Kearse on the other side.

This is the third big signing by the Giants since free agency started this month.

They took care of their own free agents first, resigning halfback Tiki Barber to a six-year, $24 million deal, with a $7 million signing bonus. Cornerback Jason Sehorn got a six-year, $36 million deal that included a $10 million bonus.

New York also was negotiating with Arizona's Simeon Rice, but the two sides could not reach an agreement. Holmes then stepped in the picture and a deal was worked out.