According to Over the Cap, the New York Giants have roughly $38 million in cap space and are expected to be active in free agency.
Although general manager Joe Schoen will be active, he will spend money wisely unlike his predecessor, in acquiring players that can help the team for years to come. It became obvious when he elected not to give Saquon Barkley or Xavier McKinney the franchise tag, that he’s looking at the team’s best long-term interest as opposed to a one-year solution.
The Giants need to address several areas in free agency, and here are our rankings of the top four priorities Schoen must fix.
New York Giants must upgrade the offensive line
The offensive line has been abysmal for the better part of the last decade and remains the biggest issue to this day. Except for left tackle Andrew Thomas, there are huge question marks across the entire line.
This is why upgrading the line has to be the top priority for Schoen, and one person who needs to be on his radar is Mike Onwenu. The 26-year-old has played all four of his seasons with the New England Patriots and can play right tackle or guard. He only allowed 23 pressures and three sacks this season and is viewed by many as the best free-agent offensive lineman.
Other linemen that Schoen should target are Robert Hunt, John Simpson, and Lloyd Cushenberry. Quality linemen who are under 30 do not stay available for long, so the Giants need to act quickly if they’re going to acquire one.
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Finding a veteran cornerback
With Adoree’ Jackson a free agent and not expected to be back with the team, New York will need to add a veteran corner to play on the opposite side of Deonte Banks. The Giants reportedly met with Darious Williams on Sunday after the soon-to-be 31-year-old corner was cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Another corner that could be in the mix for Big Blue is Kenny Moore II, who spent all seven of his seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. He’ll turn 29 in August and has 17 career interceptions on his resume.
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Add another edge rusher
The Giants pass rush has been consistently inconsistent for several seasons. The team desperately needs someone other than Kayvon Thibodeaux, who had 11.5 of the Giants’ 34 sacks last season, to step up. The team’s next-best pass rusher Azeez Ojulari is in the final year of his contract and has been plagued by injuries appearing in just 18 games over the last two seasons.
A veteran like Leonard Floyd might be in the mix for New York as a rotational pass rusher. He’ll turn 32 in September, but he’s had at least nine sacks in each of the last four seasons, proving that he’s still effective. Whether it’s Floyd or someone else, Schoen has to make sure he adds an effective pass rusher that can relieve Thibodeaux and Ojulari.
Acquire a veteran running back
The way things look right now, it seems unlikely that Saquon Barkley will return to the Giants. Due to the current state of the franchise, Schoen doesn’t see the value in paying a running back an eight-figure annual contract when there are many holes on the team to fill.
The team feels last year’s fifth-round pick Eric Gray has a promising future ahead of him, but he hasn’t had the opportunity to show that he can be a lead back. That’s why the team should look to add a veteran to go along with Gray in case Barkley doesn’t return.
Zack Moss might be an ideal candidate since he’s only 26 and would command a lucrative contract. The team could also look to AJ Dillon, who would add a physical presence to the ground game.