Looking Ahead: The Most Ideal Offseason for Big Blue
via NFL.com
After an abysmal 4-13 season, the Giants have some serious decisions to make heading into next year. The Giants have already wasted no time making personnel changes, with former (Thank God) GM Dave Gettleman making his departure official Monday morning. Many Giants fans hoped that HC Joe Judge’s fate would be decided similarly, but instead are forced to deal with him for at least one more season.
It’s pretty evident that change needs to be made, with both sides of the ball severely underperforming. To avoid a repeat of last season, here are a few things that could accelerate the Giants’ rebuild and make them competent once more.
Find the right GM
Perhaps the most important thing on this list is finding a GM who can lead the Giants in the right direction. After a disastrous tenure with Dave Gettleman, the roster is currently in shambles. The G-Men have requested interviews with with two Tennessee Titans execs - VP of player personnel Ryan Cowden and director of player personnel Monti Ossenfort according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The Giants have also requested permission to interview Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen and Kansas City Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles. Regardless of who’s GM, they will be assigned one of the more difficult tasks in this upcoming offseason. The Giants have to make sure they nail this hire on the head to avoid further embarrassment (and potential riots outside Metlife Stadium).
Be financially sound this offseason
The Giants are going into the offseason almost $10 million below the cap. For a team with a significant amount of roster changes that need to be made, this is certainly not ideal. A few roster moves could make way for the Giants to string up enough cash. TE Evan Engram and OL Will Hernandez will most likely not be resigned (and should not be), enabling the Giants to avoid two lucrative contract extensions and spend their money elsewhere.
By getting rid of CB James Bradberry, LB Blake Martinez, WR Sterling Shepard, and TE Kyle Rudolph, the Giants can free up nearly $30 million in cap space. Trading WR Darius Slayton and releasing P Riley Dixon would free up $6 million. The Giants are a financial disaster at the moment, and moves like this need to be considered.
Lastly, I know some fans may not want to hear this, but trading RB Saquon Barkley would free up $7.2 million for the Giants. After this season, the Giants need all the help they can get to put together a legitimately competent roster, even if that means getting rid of some of their premier guys. By making these moves, the Giants would go from having $3 million in cap space to upwards of $40 million.
Bring in some QB competition
The backup QB play from the Giants offense was nothing short of horrendous, with QBs Jake Fromm and Mike Glennon combining for 5 touchdowns and 13 interceptions on the year. Given that QB Daniel Jones has an uncertain future ahead and this quarterback class is not very eye-opening, dabbling in the QB market should definitely be considered. Experienced QBs like Marcus Mariota and Jacoby Brissett should interest the Giants as possible insurance options, and potentially starters for the season.
Jones has yet to be challenged in his tenure with the Giants, and considering that Jones is in a make-or-break season (for real this time), adding some competition could provide a deserved sense of urgency for his job security. Bottom line is, the Giants need a proficient QB behind Jones that can lead the offense if need be to avoid a repeat of this season’s debacle.
Improve the defense
Sure, LB Blake Martinez missed the entire season with an ACL tear, but come on. Other than DL Leonard Williams and LB Azeez Ojulari, the Giants have yet to put together a menacing front-seven on the defense. Again, the lack of cap mobility makes it difficult for the Giants to go after some big names in free agency, but that doesn’t mean they can’t find settle on a few decent options. Cheap options like Emmanuel Ogbah and Melvin Ingram II can instantly make an impact on a defense that needs all the help it can get.
The secondary also needs some serious work. The Giants need to pair their young star Xavier McKinney with a solid complement in their secondary. With the Giants having two picks in the top 10 this year, Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton is a name to keep an eye on. Hamilton, standing at 6’4 and 217 lbs, would immediately provide a much needed spark on defense. If things go as planned, McKinney and Hamilton could become a super promising duo for years to come.
Nail the draft.
There is no other way to say it, the Giants NEED to ace this draft after striking out too many times in recent years. Big Blue will be picking at 5th and 7th in the upcoming draft, and the pressure is on for whoever is at the helm to deliver with their picks. There is a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, but the Giants need to rebuild their offensive line. The odds are that the only current lineman returning for the Giants is LT Andrew Thomas. Given Evan Neal will probably be taken before 5th, a couple guys like Tyler Lindenbaum (C, Iowa) and Ikem Ekwonu (G, NC State) are names that Giants fans should hope are available. By restructuring the line, the G-men would resolve their most pressing issue that has lingered for far too long.
As for the 7th pick, the Giants should literally select the best player available at that point. This could be someone speedy that bolsters the offense, like Jameson Williams (WR, Alabama) or perhaps find a solid edge rusher in George Karlaftis (DE, Purdue). Regardless, the Giants need to find their guys in this draft and develop them (properly) into viable starters for the future.