The New York Giants put a bow on their 2023 season with a 6-11 record. That record earned them the 6th overall selection in the upcoming 2024 NFL draft.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll conducted their 2023 postseason press conference on Monday, announcing several coaching changes including the firing of special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey. There is also the pending departure of defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.
Schoen will have many other decisions to make this offseason, including whether or not to draft a quarterback or roll the dice again with Daniel Jones, find a new offensive line coach, and replacements for those well-respected coordinators.
The Giants will have anywhere from $34 to $38 million in salary cap space (depending on which website you choose to believe) to spend on free agents this March and lots of holes they will be seeking to fill.
As a team that has not qualified for the postseason, they have already begun signing players to reserve/future contracts. All 10 players they have added thus far spent time on their practice squad this season.
With the 2023 season in the books, here are some important dates to know heading into the 2024 offseason.
February 4: 2024 Pro Bowl Games
This is basically a non-event for the Giants this season as they had just one player voted to the Pro Bowl Games: Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, Pro Football Focus’ highest-rated defensive lineman this season.
Running back Saquon Barkley and outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux were named alternates.
January 30-February 3: 2024 Senior Bowl
Many of the Giants’ top picks have participated in the annual classic held in Mobile, Alabama.
Expect the Giants to flood the game with scouts, coaches, and executives again to get an upfront look at this year’s senior class.
February 27-March 4: 2024 NFL Scouting Combine
The ‘Underwear Olympics’ (as Bill Parcells once called them) is the Super Bowl for scouts around the league as they get to work with, weigh, size up and time some of the upcoming draft’s top prospects in Indianapolis.
March 5: Franchise/transition tag deadline
There are only two candidates for a tag this offseason and it would be a last resort for both players.
Running back Saquon Barkley, who had the franchise tag placed on him last season, is eligible again. It will cost the Giants around $12.4 million for this season to do so. Barkley will also be very unhappy if he can’t test free agency and explore his options.
Safety Xavier McKinney is also headed for free agency and could be considered. That may not be the route the Giants want to go as the franchise tag tender price for safeties is $17.3 million and the transition tag is $13.4 million.
March 11-13: Free agency begins
No one knows what the Giants will do in free agency or where they will concentrate their resources.
It is suspected that they will be looking to fortify their secondary and offensive line, even though they’ve already gone that route in years past.
This time, however, they hope to get it right.
March 13: Trading period opens
The Giants are not happy with their roster regardless of what they say publicly. Schoen will be open for business and will listen to any and all offers, as he always does.
April 15: Offseason program begins
This will be the first time the team reconvenes at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center since the end of the 2023 season.
Keep in mind, most sessions are voluntary.
It will, however, give us a window into the health of some of the players who are rehabbing from injuries, such as Daniel Jones.
April 27-29: NFL draft
As stated, the Giants hold the 6th overall selection in Round 1.
In addition, they have two second-round picks (Nos. 39 and 47) and one in each of the next four rounds for a total of seven selections.
They have an additional second-round pick as a result of the Leonard Williams-to-Seattle deal at the trade deadline.
The Giants do not have a seventh-round selection having traded it away to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for linebacker Isaiah Simmons.
May 2: Fifth-year option deadline
First-round draft picks from the 2021 NFL draft are eligible to have their fifth-year option exercised this spring.
The Giants will not have any decision to make here as they have already made it.
Their top pick in 2021 was wide receiver Kadarius Toney, who they traded to Kansas City in 2022 for multiple draft picks.
