Beason retires, Schwartz and Beatty released by Giants

The Giants have notified Jon Beason, Will Beatty and Geoff Schwartz that they will be released, according to sources.

Tom Pelissero of USA Today first reported the news. He had appeared in just nine games overall in the past two seasons and had played in more than five games in a season just once in the past five years, so his retirement doesn’t come as a major surprise. I would say that with everything, even the injuries, the ups and downs of an National Football League career, that’s my biggest regret. As a result of his play that season, the Giants looked past his lengthy injury history and signed him to a three-year, $16.8 million contract.

Entering the offseason with around $40 million in salary cap space, general manager Jerry Reese – under fire by ownership to improve the roster – now has $52 million to $55 million to spend to fill the holes on a team coming off back-to-back 6-10 seasons that cost Tom Coughlin his head coaching job.

Beason, a first-round pick out of Miami by the Panthers in 2007, was a three-time Pro Bowl selection (2008, 2009, 2010) and a two-time All-Pro (2008, 2009) in Carolina before the team drafted a guy named Luke Kuechly in 2012. Although he was not with the team for the first four games, Beason finished second on the team with 98 tackles (75 solo).

Beatty was a second-round draft pick of the Giants in 2009 and was re-signed to a five-year, $37.5 million contract before the 2013 season. Schwartz, a seven-year veteran, played in 13 games in two seasons. He missed 14 games in 2014 and five more in 2015 because of injuries.

In 2015, Schwartz started the first 10 games at right guard before moving to left guard at Washington on November 29. He suffered a torn pectoral muscle during an offseason workout on May 19, underwent surgery, and was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list.