NFL free agency effectively begins on Monday at noon with the ‘legal tampering’ period, and teams will be driving hard to the hoop to cover their roster needs so that they won’t have to rely on the upcoming NFL draft.
The New York Giants have a ton of work to do on their roster, which is one of the worst in the NFL. New general manager Joe Schoen is under no illusions and is in the midst of making some no-win decisions on key players.
The Giants need just about everything. They sent no one to the Pro Bowl last year, the second time in the past three seasons they went unrepresented. That speaks volumes about where they stand talent wise.
The folks at Pro Football Focus recently outlined each team’s roster needs heading into free agency and the draft. Here’s what they wrote about the Giants.
NEW YORK GIANTS: IOL, LB, EDGE
Some teams have several needs listed but may only have one that is pressing. For New York, these three position groups are all massive issues. The interior offensive line ranked dead last in unit pass-blocking grade, the linebacker corps was the third-lowest-graded and the edge group ranked fourth-to-last in pass-rush grade. The cap situation is a disaster for the Giants, but they are rich in draft capital, anchored by two top-10 picks.
Giants fans will agree their team needs all of those — and more. In fact, they only have one starter penciled in on the the offensive line, left tackle Andrew Thomas. Most teams usually have the other four spots covered and are in need of a left tackle, but these Giants have been doing things backwards for a decade now.
The Giants actually need to add a center, a guard and a tackle this offseason. Maybe even two guards as Nick Gates and Shane Lemieux are coming off injuries and there’s little chance they bring back Will Hernandez. Billy Price is headed for free agency and Ben Bredeson is still around, but the Giants are likely to seek upgrades
Maybe the team thinks recently signed Matt Gono and former third rounder Matt Peart can settle in at right tackle, but if the Giants have a chance to draft Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu, Charles Cross or Trevor Penning they almost can’t pass.
The Giants always need linebackers but they can solve one of their holes by re-signing Lorenzo Carter, who played as well as any outside linebacker in the league the final month of last season. Blake Martinez is coming back and they still don’t know what they have in Carter Coughlin, Tae Crowder and T.J. Brunson, so until they figure all of that out, it might be wise to use resources elsewhere.
As for Edge rusher, maybe people forgot they have some talent there. Azeez Ojulari had 8.0 sacks as a rookie last year, Quincy Roche showed promise and they still have no clue what Elerson Smith can provide. New defensive coordinator Wink Martindale might just figure out how to use these players along with Oshane Ximines, Leonard Williams and perhaps Carter and Jaylon Smith to conjure up a scheme-based pass rush.
If the Giants have to part ways with cornerback James Bradberry, they’ll be looking for a young replacement. They have Adoree’ Jackson and Aaron Robinson as well as Rodarius Williams and others, but losing Bradberry would be a major blow. They would be in position to select a top corner in the draft, however.
Tight end is another glaring hole. They cut Kyle Rudolph and Kaden Smith and Even Engram is likely to leave via free agency. There’s quite a few free agents to choose from out on the market and many more in the draft. Fans shouldn’t be nervous over this.
Believe it or not, running back is another thin area. Devontae Booker was released and Eli Penny will not be retained, and they’re trying to figure out what to do with Saquon Barkley. They still have Gary Brightwell and signed Antonio Williams but it’s likely they use a draft pick on one of the many useful backs in the draft.
