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2023 NFL Free Agency: Potential exodus of big name NFC East players

By Terence Watson

Sep 8, 2019; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (55) in action during the game between the Cowboys and the Giants at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 8, 2019; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Leighton Vander Esch (55) in action during the game between the Cowboys and the Giants at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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2023 NFL Free Agency
2023 NFL Free Agency: Quarterback Daniel Jones #8 of the New York Giants passes during the game against the Detroit Lions at MetLife Stadium on November 20, 2022, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

New York Giants 2023 Free Agents

2023 Projected Salary Cap Space: $58,069,685

Big Name Free Agents: QB Daniel Jones, RB Saquon Barkley, WR Sterling Shepard, OLB Oshane Ximines, WR Richie James, S Julian Love, WR Darius Slayton

Who Possibly Stays: Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley, Julian Love, Sterling Shepard

Who Possibly Goes: Darius Slayton, Oshane Ximines, Richie James

The Giants in their second year under head coach Brian Daboll have turned themselves into a team on the rise in the NFL thanks to great coaching that elevated the players around them. But while that’s a good thing for the team’s future, it becomes an issue once free agency comes around and while the Giants have the most projected salary cap space of all the NFC East teams they face the toughest balancing act. They are currently in a situation where they have to decide whether to pay or franchise tag their star running back who has had injury problems or pay or franchise tag a quarterback who has come on this season but has issues with turnovers.

If they chose to tag Jones the price tag would be over $30 million dollars whereas for Barkley the price falls to a more manageable sum of a little over $10 million. Should be an easy decision right, actually, it’s not, and depending on how much of a hard stance the player and his agent take it could lead to the team not being able to go deals done in time to keep more of their important players. Most teams have to deal with this situation but the Giants haven’t for some time now and it will be interesting to see how they approach it.

I believe though that they will franchise-tag Barkley and work out a deal with Jones using his issues holding onto the football and one year of quality play on the field to their advantage to get more of a team-friendly deal. As for the rest of the players on this list, Shepard, and Love will remain with the team, unfortunately, they won’t be able to keep the rest of this group thanks to teams coming in and offering more money and or playing time.

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