Giants will need to spend to keep safety Gibril Wilson

The are continuing to try to sign S gibril wilson before he becomes a free agent on Friday, but it's looking less and less like it's actually going to happen. And it's not because the Giants aren't willing to spend to keep him.

It's because the 26-year-old Wilson knows he's going to get a lot of interest on the open market and understandably wants to see what he's worth. And, for a guy who made a career-high $1.3 million last season, it could be a lot.

The latest team to reportedly be in the Wilson hunt is the Philadelphia Eagles, who might be looking to replace 35-year-old Brian Dawkins, who missed six games last year and has only one more year on his contract. Wilson would be a natural fit there, since Steve Spagnuolo's Giants defense was so similar to the one Jim Johnson runs in philly.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were recently reported to be interested in Wilson, too. And I can tell you from my four days at the combine, that you can count on at least three other teams – possibly more – being in the Wilson hunt.

A strong case could be made that Wilson is the top safety in an underwhelming unrestricted-free-agent crop.

How much is that worth? Wilson is rumored to be seeking something similar to what Deon Grant got from Seattle last year – a six-year, $30 million contract with $11 million in guarantees. That's almost identical to what Michael Lewis got from the 49ers last year.

The year before Baltimore gave Ed Reed a seven-year, $44.4 million deal. At about the same time, Dallas extended Roy Williams' contract for five years, $25.2 million with $11 million guaranteed.