American Football

New York Giants free agency primer: A franchise-shaping stretch could be commencing

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New York Giants v Philadelphia Eagles
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Who might, and might not, be Giants once free agency gets underway?

NFL free agency begins Monday at 4 p.m. ET when the negotiating window opens. For the New York Giants, this is a free agency that could have far-reaching implications for the 2024 roster and the legacies/futures of GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll.

Let’s get you ready for the action.

Signing — or not signing — their own

Will Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney be Giants in 2024? Shoot, will they even be Giants by the end of the day on Monday? That’s what this comes down to.

Schoen has said he would like to have both players back. He has made it clear, though, with his words and with actions like not tagging either player, that he will do so only at his price. The Giants are allowing both players to go to the free agent market.

What type of offers either player will find, with depressed markets and talent gluts at both positions, is anybody’s guess.

Former sports agent and current CBS Sports salary cap analyst Joel Corry said recently that if he were representing Barkley the target contract would be three years, $33 million, $23 million guaranteed.

Whether he can get that is anybody’s guess. The Giants and Barkley’s apparently did not even exchange numbers when they met at the NFL Scouting Combine. They simply agreed to let Barkley test the market and have the rest of the league set his value.

What will that value be? Nobody really knows. There are some who think Barkley could challenge the three-year, $42 million ($19.347 million guaranteed) Jonathan Taylor got last year from the Indianapolis Colts. There are others who think Barkley won’t reach $10 million in average annual value or find a deal for more than two years.

McKinney is interesting. He is 24, should be entering his prime, and at first glance it would seem that a team like the Giants that hopes to steadily build something sustainable would want to keep a player like that. Yet, Schoen, a believer in positional value, appears to be sticking to his notion of what a safety is worth.

McKinney recently told Kay Adams that he would like to remain with the Giants, but “the money has to make sense, and everything else has to make sense.”

There have been reports that McKinney is seeking $17 million or more annually. He may not find that in a crowded safety market. He almost certainly won’t get that from the Giants.

What about quarterback?

Do the Giants really have “buyer’s remorse” when it comes to the four-year, $160 million contract they gave Daniel Jones? Are they really “completely done” with the quarterback, even if he has another full year of guaranteed money on that deal?

The approach to free agency might give us a clue.

The Giants know they have to do something. They probably have to do something in both free agency and the draft. How big of a something, though?

Do the Giants have real interest in Russell Wilson, or was Thursday’s “exploratory meeting” just a convenient piece of due diligence? Wilson is intriguing because he’s the most accomplished quarterback on the market, and because of his contract with the Denver Broncos, would also cost the league minimum for his experience level.

A Wilson swing would certainly be a “replace Jones” option, even if it is the Kerry Collins-Kurt Warner-Eli Manning scenario, where Wilson replaces Jones and keeps the seat warm for a highly-drafted rookie.

Or, will the Giants swing for someone like Josh Dobbs, former backup Tyrod Taylor or someone else of that ilk who could play if they had to but would not replace, or directly challenge, Jones in 2024?

Other things to do

There are, quite honestly, a lot of things the Giants could do with their free agent dollars. They have needs across the roster. Those needs are complicated by the Darren Waller situation (will he or won’t he retire) and the free agencies of Barkley and McKinney. All of those players would have to be replaced, adding to Schoen’s to-do list, should they leave.

Here are 10 players who I think it makes sense for the Giants to target.

OL Michael Onwenu — If there is an offensive lineman in this free agent class who feels like a perfect fit for the Giants, the 6-foot-3, 350-pound 26-year-old seems like that guy. Onwenu has significant starting experience at right tackle and both guard spots. The Giants seem intent on giving Evan Neal one more chance at right tackle. Onwenu would be an expensive, but excellent insurance policy. He could begin at guard and, should Neal struggle again, slide pretty seamlessly out to right tackle. [More on Onwenu]

OL Jermaine Eluemunor — Eluemunor could do many of the same things for the Giants as Onwenu, at a fraction of the cost. The 29-year-old was the starting right tackle for the Las Vegas Raiders the past two seasons, with new Giants’ offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo as his position coach. Eluemunor has significant experience at both tackle spots and right guard, and a few career snaps at left guard. If not a starter, he could be a four-position backup for the Giants. [More on Eluemunor]

G Jonah Jackson — How does plugging a talented 26-year-old left guard into the Giants’ lineup sound? Jackson, 26, has started all 57 regular season games in which he has played, and made the Pro Bowl in 2021. He has a reputation as a powerful run blocker who isn’t quite as good in pass protection. [More on Jackson]

Edge Bryce Huff — The Giants desperately need pass rushers. New York blitzed more than any team in the NFL other than the Minnesota Vikings last season, yet were one of the worst teams in the league in terms of pass rush production. They were 28th in sacks and 24th in quarterback knockdowns. Huff is a dynamic, soon-to-be 26-year-old pass rushing specialist who had 10.5 sacks in 2023. [More on Huff]

Edge Danielle Hunter — Pairing Hunter, still one of the game’s best pass rushers when healthy, with Andre Patterson, the defensive line coach largely responsible for developing Hunter from an under-productive college player to a standout NFL one, would be a dream scenario. It does, though, figure to be expensive. [More on Hunter]

Edge Denico Autry — If the Giants can’t land Huff or Hunter, or would rather not commit the financial resources necessary, Autry is an excellent lower-cost, short-term option to upgrade the pass rush. Autry will be 34 when next season begins, meaning he would be a short-term solution. It is impossible, though, to argue with Autry’s production in recent years. In 2023, he set career highs in sacks (11.5), quarterback hits (17), tackles (50), solo tackles (30) and was one off his career-high in tackles for loss (12).

In three seasons under Bowen, Autry has 28.5 sacks. [More on Autry]

S Jordan Poyer — If the Giants move on from McKinney, this recently-released former Buffalo Bills safety makes sense as a short-term replacement. Poyer turns 33 in April, but was an All-Pro just two years ago. Schoen and Daboll obviously have familiarity. While Poyer may have slipped a bit, Poyer could likely buy the Giants a year.

CB Sean Murphy-Bunting — The Giants need a cornerback to replace Adoree’ Jackson, who is heading to free agency. They are reportedly hosting Darious Williams, released by the Jacksonville Jaguars, for a free-agent visit on Monday. Murphy-Bunting, who played well in Tennessee for Bowen last season, makes sense. [More on Murphy-Bunting]

S Kevin Byard — Byard was a two-time All-Pro for the Tennessee Titans after being a 2016 third-round pick, including when he was playing for Bowen in 2021. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in the middle of the 2023 season and is now a free agent. Like Poyer, he has perhaps slipped a bit but could buy the Giants time to find and develop a young safety. He could also help Bowen as he teaches a new scheme. [More on Byard]

WR Gabe Davis — Davis is not a No. 1 wide receiver. The soon-to-be 25-year-old was sometimes considered an under-achiever with the Bills. Still, the 6-foot-2, 225-pound former fourth-round pick has a better resume than any wide receiver on the Giants’ roster other than Darius Slayton. He is a field-stretcher with a 16.7 yards per catch career average. Schoen and Daboll obviously know him well.

Position previews

BBV’s Nick Falato has been offering players at each position he believes the Giants could or should target. Some of those are below. Please see our New York Giants free agency hub page for all of our free agency coverage.

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