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The New York Giants on Sunday signed former Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin to play tight end after he worked out with the team during its rookie minicamp.
Benjamin, 30, has not suited up in a regular-season game since he was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2018. However, the big-bodied pass-catcher does have some track record of success.
He put up 73 receptions for 1,008 yards while catching passes from Cam Newton as a rookie for the Carolina Panthers back in 2014. After missing the entire 2015 campaign to a torn ACL, Benjamin responded the following season by recording 941 yards and scoring seven touchdowns.
Now set to join a tight end room that includes Evan Engram and the recently-signed Kyle Rudolph, the 6-foot-5 Benjamin has his work cut out for him.
Meanwhile, the Giants also added running back Corey Clement from the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles. Clement put up nearly 1,000 total yards in four seasons with Philadelphia. He’ll provide depth behind Saquon Barkley and Devontae Booker in the backfield.
Below, we look at three more moves the New York Giants should make this offseason after adding these two veterans.
New York Giants sign Trai Turner
Surprisingly, New York avoided the offensive line in the 2021 NFL Draft. There was some thought that general manager David Gettleman might want to add another interior lineman with Will Hernandez’s recent struggles. Perhaps, that could still come to fruition via the NFL free agent market.
If so, Turner makes a ton of sense. The five-time Pro Bowler appeared in just nine games with the Los Angeles Chargers a season ago before being a surprise release back in March. He could slide in at left guard with Shane Lemieux moving to the right side. A move of this ilk would also likely lead to New York trading the aforementioned Hernandez.
New York Giants sign Le’Veon Bell
Sure the Giants added Booker and Clement to the mix during free agency. But they can’t be confident in the top backups to Saquon Barkley. This is especially true given that Barkley himself is returning from a torn ACL he suffered early during the 2020 season.
Why not take a chance on Bell? Despite some major struggles with the Jets and Chiefs over the past two seasons, Bell has a track record of success. He also fits what Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett likes to do in the backfield. Providing Barkley with depth in the form of a proven veteran almost makes too much sense.
New York Giants sign Sheldon Richardson
A surprise release of the Browns earlier this offseason, Richardson returning to his Jersey roots might in fact be in the cards. A former teammate of Leonard Williams with the Jets, Richardson has experience playing in the Giants’ 3-4 defensive front. He was also solid in two seasons with the Browns, recording a combined 16 quarterback hits and 7.5 sacks.
The idea would be to add another pass rusher to the front seven to go with Williams and rookie Azeez Ojulari. Richardson, 30, likely won’t be demanding a whole heck of a lot on a short-term deal given the late nature of his release from Cleveland.