When it comes to the NFL off-season, part of the fun of covering it is trying to use logic in determining what one’s favorite team might do as far as its roster moves.
SI.com’s Conor Orr recently took to doing that exercise for each of the 32 NFL teams, and when it came to making his lone bold prediction for the New York Giants, well, let’s say that Orr didn’t exactly go out on a limb with his forecast for Big Blue.
The Giants will generate some cap space and try to spend their way back into contention.
The NFC East is at a point of vulnerability. Dallas is losing Dan Quinn and has put its head coach in a horrendously disadvantageous, lame-duck situation. Washington is turning over its roster and could be playing a rookie quarterback. Philadelphia is in the kind of panicked coordinator switch that typically releases a whiff of desperation. The Giants, I think, could create some financial breathing room and attack a class that is rich in positions they need most: wide receiver, defensive back, and pass rush.
The first part of this prediction is not exactly bold, nor is it unique to the Giants, who, per Over the Cap, are now listed with $11,629,144 of functional cap space (what they have available to add to their Top 51 roster spaces when the rule kicks in on March 13), and their $19,462,691 total cap space.
The Giants have several ways to open up some cap space to attack the veteran free agent market at positions of need and re-sign some of their pending free agents, such as running back Saquon Barkley, linebacker Isaiah Simmons, return specialist Gunner Olszewski, and safety Xavier McKinney.
Among the first moves expected to be made is the cutting of guard Mark Glowinski ($5,682,353 savings). The Giants could also convert as much as $6.775 million of linebacker Bobby Okereke’s 2024 base salary into a signing bonus that would prorate over the remaining life of the deal and open up just slightly more than $5 million in space.
If receiver Darius Slayton is still in the long-term plans, extending his deal to get his $7.9 million cap hit down could be another of the numerous options general manager Joe Schoen pursues.
But let’s shift focus to the second part of Orr’s “bold” prediction, which is attacking a free agency class “rich in positions they need most.”
While there is no disagreement about the needs listed, we’re not so sure the Giants use free agency to make financial splashes in all of them. The Giants have a really good chance, for example, to finally pick up a No. 1 receiver in the draft if one of Malike Nabers of LSU or Rome Odunze of Washington falls to them at No. 6, and they eschew any temptation to draft or move up for a quarterback in the first round.
Edge rusher is a must and is not only a costly position but certainly one for which we could see the Giants dipping into the free-agent market. Jacksonville’s Josh Allen, Minnesota’s Danielle Hunter, Carolina’s Brian Burns, New York Jets’s Bryce Huff, and San Francisco’s Chase Young are all intriguing possibilities if their respective teams do not tag them. But none of them are likely to come at a soft price tag.
Finding a second cornerback to start opposite of Deonte Banks is also believed to be a top priority. The Giants could theoretically roll the dice with returning players, such as Tre Hawkins III, but with Adoree Jackson’s contract having voided–and no, it doesn’t look as though they’re going to bring him back–it probably makes more sense to add a veteran at that position where players such as Chicago’s Jaylon Johnson, Kansas City’s L’Jarius Sneed, and Washington’s Kendall Fuller are among the headliners at that spot.
A third unit where the Giants might want to add veteran depth is on the offensive line. While there has been a push to get younger on that unit, it’s hard to imagine general manager Joe Schoen or head coach Brian Daboll not having noted how a veteran presence like Justin Pugh helped calm down that group last year.
The Giants, who have question marks at guard and, yes, right tackle (despite what they say) could opt for a player such as New England’s Mike Owenu, who offers guard/tackle flexibility (but who would likely be expensive to add, if he doesn’t get tagged). Or they could just add someone like Los Angeles Rams guard Kevin Dotson, Miami’s Robert Hunt, or Minnesota’s Dalton Risner.
As for a true “bold” prediction for the Giants, since Orr really didn’t provide one, we’ll leave you with our prediction of the Giants and running back Saquon Barkley getting a three-year contract signed with an out after two years and with an APY that while putting him in the top five at his position, won’t be as scary as it initially looks.
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