EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — In his first season as general manager of the New York Giants, Joe Schoen had no money to spend. His biggest signings as a free agent were guard Mark Glowinski and the backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
Last year, with more money at his disposal, Schoen was more active, but still did not achieve great results. Instead, the Giants focused on re-signing key players while adding middle linebacker Bobby Church in free agency and they traded the tight end Darren Waller.
The Giants are currently $38.1 million under the salary cap, according to Roster Management System. That number can easily approach $50 million if they convert a portion of the 2024 base salaries of Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas in staff bonuses as expected.
Still, don’t expect Schoen and the Giants to go all out when the free agent negotiating window opens on Monday and players can officially begin signing at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
“We don’t have as many young players that we’re looking to expand on like last year,” Schoen said. “So, it’s about balancing recruiting those guys outside the building who can be role players or starters, but also understanding that we want to build this through the draft. When we took the job, we still wanted to build the team through the draft. and complement it with free agency. And that will continue to be the case.”
However, there is one area where the Giants are willing to pay. League sources expect the Giants to explore signing a player near the top of the guard market. They are also expected to be looking very seriously for an accomplished running back to complement Kayvon Thibodeaux.
Those could be the biggest payouts of the offseason; In addition, there are other positions that need reinforcements and some internal business that begins with the running back Saquon Barkley and the deep Xavier McKinneywho are expected to hit the open market.
Here’s what to expect when free agency begins:
Offensive Line
Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants warms up before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Cooper Neill/Getty Images
There is a strong possibility that Barkley leaves and Waller retires. So where does all the offensive money go?
Well, the Giants are about to invest in the offensive line, particularly at the guard position, where they don’t have a designated starter on either side. The door is still open for the return of veterans Ben Bredeson o Justin Pughbut first the Giants are expected to look for the best guards on the market, according to multiple sources.
Among the main names to monitor: Robert Hunt, Jonah Jackson y Mike Onwenu. Signing either of them will be expensive, as Hunt’s contract could top $16 million per year.
Like tackle, Evan Neal He’s the Giants’ starter on the right side… for now. There will be someone else who can at least compete with him. The door is not closed on Tire Phillips, who outperformed Neal the last two years, as he is doing well in his rehabilitation from a quadriceps tear; he should be back at the start of the season.
Another name to keep in mind is Jermaine Eluemunor, who played under new Giants offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo in Las Vegas. That move would likely bring Neal inside to protect. But the addition will most likely be a right tackle signed to compete.
Quarterback
Sam Darnold of the 49ers warms up before a game against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Although signs point to the Giants addressing this position early in the draft, they need a contingency. That means adding or retaining a quarterback in free agency.
Taylor could return, although he wasn’t thrilled with how the second half of last season played out. If he doesn’t re-sign, the Giants appear to be looking to add depth to their quarterback room with Sam Darnold, Joshua Dobbs o Easton Stickwhich would only further solidify that they are very serious about adding a quarterback in the first round of the draft, where they own the sixth pick.
Running back
This is complicated because it all depends on what happens with Barkley and whether he gets a deal that the Giants will match. It certainly seems like the Giants are ready to move on and don’t want to touch anything over $10 million per season.
“They just don’t see the value in investing $10 million in a running back,” a league source told ESPN at last weekend’s NFL combine.
Of course, the Giants offered Barkley more than that last year. So it is very possible that they will once again surpass his desire.
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This time, however, it seems unlikely. Instead, it looks like the Giants could invest in a mid-range running back (someone like Zack Moss, Antonio Gibson, Devin Singletary o Alexander Mattison) and complement the position in the draft.
There have also been some rumors about the Giants adding a fullback. This would be a change. They did not have a fullback on the roster in the first two years under coach Brian Daboll.
Edge rusher
Buffalo Bills’ Leonard Floyd celebrates after recording a sack in the second quarter against the New York Jets. Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images
The Giants desperately want to add a running back. They are going to monitor the top of the market (i.e. Danielle Hunter), but they’re not really looking to spend in that range, a source told ESPN at the combine. But there are many quality and starting caliber options, such as AJ Epenesa, Bryce Huff, Andrew Van Ginkel, Josh Uche y Leonard Floyd, a player the Giants have long coveted. That’s more likely the path they take in free agency.
Bottom line: Expect a notable move by the Giants to have an edge rusher play opposite Thibodeaux. It is a position in which they need depth, since Azeez Ojulari He is coming off a bad season and is entering the last year of his contract.
McKinney
McKinney’s situation is cause for concern. He wants to be paid near the top of the security market; the Giants really don’t want to get there.
Typically, when a good young player (McKinney is only 24) hits the market, he gets paid. But this is not a normal year. There are many quality deep veterans on the market who will likely be available on affordable contracts. This could affect McKinney’s market and the overall deal.
It seems like the Giants are a little wary of paying the top-five safety money that McKinney thinks he deserves. That hesitation is based on McKinney’s positional value and history, which includes clashes with former defensive coordinator Wink Martindale and a bye-week ATV accident that derailed his 2022 season.
2024-03-08 19:55:00
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