The Giants are entering an especially important offseason, kicking off a new regime under coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen, who both hail from the high-flying Bills. The draft will present a prime opportunity to reload on talent, with New York owning two top-10 picks. But before then: free agency. What, exactly, should the Giants be looking to do as they navigate a tight salary-cap situation while filling innumerable holes across their lineup?
Here are five steps to start:
1. Seek offers for RB Saquon Barkley, CB James Bradberry
Can Barkley and Bradberry give the Giants top-10 production if fully healthy and invested? Maybe. But the potential salary cap savings of their departures -- and any compensation they'd return -- represent greater values to a team that must tear things down before it can build itself up. Bradberry's absence would leave their cornerback room in an especially dire spot, but he's due almost $22 million in 2022, the last year of his deal. A trade would save the Giants $12M, which could be reallocated to the long-term lineup. Barkley is even more expendable. He's flashed freakish talent and may well be worth a look in Daboll's offense, but if they can clear most of his remaining $7.2M off the books while getting a draft pick for a steadily injured running back, they probably should.
2. Cut any veterans who refuse to take a pay cut
Does that sound harsh? This is the Giants' own doing. We don't literally mean every veteran (you're not eating money to rid yourself of Kenny Golladay's big deal, tempting as it may be). But any fringe starters with high price tags don't belong, both because New York needs cap space and because the new regime would be better off resetting at most positions anyway. The G-Men have already kicked off this process, cutting Kyle Rudolph and Devontae Booker. The next targets and potential cap casualties have also been identified, namely receiver Sterling Shepard and linebacker Blake Martinez.
3. Add QB competition
The Giants have other holes to fill, arguably before QB (more on that below), but they'd be doing themselves a major disservice by entering Daboll's first year at the helm with only Daniel Jones as a legitimate starting option. Look, Jones is only approaching 25 and may have some athletic traits befitting a Daboll offense. But get him some camp competition, at least. The key here is finding upside. Unspectacular backup types like Tyrod Taylor and Jacoby Brissett should only be last resorts. Mitchell Trubisky, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota would represent good low-risk bets with the mobility or starting potential to take over.
4. Make a splash in the trenches
The Giants don't have the financial flexibility to spend big in free agency, but after cost-saving cuts and/or trades, they may be able to swing one lucrative long-term deal, with back-loaded money. That should come up front, whether on offense to boost the future QB's protection or on defense, where they've lacked a steady or elite pass rusher for too long. As nice as a Von Miller or Chandler Jones might be in 2022, the older vets don't warrant a Giants investment right now. An Emmanuel Ogbah or Haason Reddick? Those are worthy gambles. On offense, you might make an exception for the 30-year-old Brandon Scherff, but guys like James Daniels, Austin Corbett and Connor Williams would also make sense at or close to $10M per year.
5. Go bargain shopping everywhere else
Yes, it's broad, but the Giants could use legitimate help all over: offensive tackle, inside linebacker, cornerback, safety, wide receiver, tight end, you name it. The key here, as with QB and the other spots, is prioritizing youth and upside. This team isn't gonna be turned around with stopgap rentals. If you can find one diamond in the rough among, say, five one-year flyers, it's worth it.
