In somewhat of a surprising move, the New York Giants did not give either Saquon Barkley or safety Xavier McKinney the franchise tag.
Now both are free to sign with another team when free agency begins on Monday. Although there’s optimism that both could return since New York has over $38 million in cap space, other teams appear to be in pursuit of their services.
We should find out early in free agency if the Giants will be able to bring back two of their best players. But there are other notable free agents that the Giants should avoid at all costs.
Related: Top NFL free agents in 2024
Gabe Davis, WR
Ever since Brian Daboll became head coach of the Giants in 2022, there have been rumors that the team would look to acquire Gabe Davis. After all, Daboll was the Bills, offensive coordinator when Davis had the best game of his career against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2021 AFC Divisional Round when he caught eight passes for 201 yards and four touchdowns.
The Giants are in desperate need of a number one wideout, but Davis hasn’t shown as of yet, that he can be that guy. He’s never had more than 48 receptions in a season or more than 836 receiving yards. Davis will turn 25 next month, and he does have a ton of potential, but he wouldn’t make the team significantly better, and it won’t be cheap to acquire him. A case could be made that he and Darius Slayton, who led the team in receiving yards in each of the last two seasons, have similar skill sets.
Although Davis is a solid deep threat, the Giants already have one of the fastest deep threats in the league in Jalin Hyatt.
Upgrading the receiver position will be one of the team’s top priorities this offseason. But taking one of the top wide receiver prospects in the draft on a rookie deal would be a better option than acquiring Davis and giving him a lucrative contract.
Related: 3 Wide receivers that will be on the New York Giants’ radar in Round 1 of the NFL Draft
Stephon Gilmore, CB
Despite being 33 years old and playing on his fourth team in four seasons, the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year still showed he can play at a high level with the Cowboys last season. He started all 17 games last season and had 68 tackles, to go along with to go along with 13 pass defenses and two interceptions.
With Adoree’ Jackson a free agent and unlikely to return, Giants do need another cornerback to play on the opposite of Deonte Banks. Gilmore would bring a ton of experience and leadership to the team. But he turns 34 in September and doesn’t fit the youth movement that seems to be going on in New York.
General manager Joe Schoen has given the impression that the team is more than a player or two away from being contenders. So signing an aging player that you will have to replace in a year or two doesn’t make sense, given the current state of the franchise. The Giants will likely add a corner in free agency, but it won’t be a corner that’s approaching their mid-30s.
New York Giants aren’t the right fit for Ryan Tannehill
There’s still uncertainty on whether Daniel Jones will be 100 percent for the start of the 2024 season as he recovers from his torn ACL. With Tyrod Taylor a free agent, the team must add a quarterback to go along with Jones and Tommy DeVito.
This is why some feel quarterback Ryan Tannehill might be a viable option for New York this season. In his 11-year career, he’s compiled a win-loss record of 81-70 and thrown 216 touchdowns to 115 interceptions.
Tannehill would, without question, be the most talented quarterback on the team’s roster next season if the Giants signed him. However, Tannehill turns 36 years old in July and has been dealing with injuries over the past two seasons. Players don’t tend to get healthier as they get older. Jones is already injury prone so it wouldn’t be ideal to bring in a quarterback almost ten years older than Jones who has dealt with injuries recently.
If New York signs a veteran quarterback this offseason, Russell Wilson would be a better fit than Tannehill due to fewer injury concerns. It’s been reported that the Giants and Wilson met on Thursday, so it will be interesting to see how this story unfolds.
Related: 2024 NFL mock draft: Falcons find QB, Round 1 projections after NFL Combine