The New York Giants are heading into Year 2 of the Joe Schoen/Brian Daboll regimes and for the second offseason in a row, have gone through some major changes.
Schoen continued to tweak and fortify his roster, adding some much-needed speed and depth to a young roster that appears to be ready to blossom into something special.
Here are the top five moves Schoen has made this offseason (re-signing in-house free agents not included).
5
Reserve free agent adds
Schoen did a great job picking up odds and ends that fill needs but also are bargains. Players such as wide receivers Parris Campbell and Jeff Smith and defensive linemen A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches.
Campbell is seen as an ascending player and Smith could be a valuable special teams add. The two linemen are strong run defenders and the Giants had a weak run defense in 2022.
Yes, Dexter Lawrence will be planted in the middle on most downs but the addition of Robinson and ‘Nacho’ will give Lawrence a much-needed break, making him stronger in the fourth quarter.
4
Selecting cornerback Deonte Banks
Not many experts and NFL executives felt Deonte Banks was a first-round pick. They believe he is a legitimate NFL talent but many would not have taken Banks in the first round.
That’s where Schoen is different. Cornerback was high on his list and we’re sure there were a few he had rated higher than Banks that were selected earlier in Round 1, but Banks was high on the list. So high, that he traded one spot up to grab him.
That aside, Banks’ competitiveness and toughness sold the Giants’ scouts to the degree where Schoen couldn’t risk passing on him. Banks is scheduled to start Day 1 and the Giants hope their intel on him was right.
3
Signing linebacker Bobby Okereke in free agency
Bobby Okereke has been an underrated performer ever since he came out of Stanford as a third-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts back in 2019. But in reality, he’s one of the most productive players at his position in the entire league.
Okereke gives the Giants a legitimate off-ball presence at linebacker but can also play the run and rush the passer if needed. His athletic ability was on display in the Week 17 games here against the Giants last year when he racked up 17 total tackles, two for a loss, and forced a fumble.
The Giants are counting on Okereke to continue to grow going forward and lead the defense back to prominence.
2
Selecting center John Michael Schmitz
Again, in order to compete, you must be strong up the middle. The Giants have been in need of a ‘franchise’ center and John Michael Schmitz — although he wasn’t the first center taken (Wisconsin’s Joe Tippmann was – by the Jets) — is widely regarded as the best center prospect in the draft.
Schmitz has a legacy of being a tough guy and a leader and the Giants hope he will be snapping the ball for Daniel Jones and leading the offensive line for many years to come.
1
The Darren Waller trade
The Giants needed to add a legitimate weapon, or target, for Daniel Jones to lean on. Instead of reaching or overpaying for a “No. 1” wide receiver, Schoen picked Waller off the Las Vegas Raiders’ roster for a third-round pick.
The Giants then reworked Waller’s contract, whittling his salary cap hit for this season down to $4 million when they converted $9.835 million of this year’s salary into a signing bonus, clearing $7.3 million.
Waller gives the Giants a player that defenses will have to account for. His 6-foot-6, 245-pound frame makes him an instant mismatch, which is smelting we’ve already seen in workouts as Waller has been featured in the red zone and up the seams.
