NFC East: Grading the team moves made in free agency
New York Giants
Franchise Tagged: Saquon Barkley
Signed: QB Daniel Jones, LB Bobby Okereke, DL Rakeem Nunez-Roches, P Jamie Gillan, RB Matt Breida, WR Sterling Shepard, LB Jarrad Davis, WR Isaiah Hodgins, LS Casey Kreiter, WR Jeff Smith, WR Parris Campbell, OLB Jihad Ward, WR Darius Slayton, CB Leonard Johnson, S Bobby McCain
Traded for: TE Darren Waller
Players Lost: OL Nick Gates, S Julian Love, OL Jon Feliciano
Released: WR Kenny Golladay
Cap Space: $3,732,171
At the start of free agency, the Giants had quite a bit of cap space but after the signing of quarterback Daniel Jones and franchising running back Saquon Barkley they still had enough money to go out and make moves to try and help their new franchise quarterback. So far they’ve signed five wide receivers, they also made a move much like the Cowboys that shocked everyone trading for tight end Darren Waller for a third-round pick and immediately giving Jones the best tight end in the NFC East, when healthy.
They’ve also added a few nice pieces on defense, bolstering their defensive line with Nunez-Roches, linebackers Okereke and Davis, and safety McCain.
.@giants @BobbyOkereke finally…Finally the G-Men have a MIKE LBer . It’s a decade or more…but Okereke never comes off the field. Easy to see why he is a priority signing. #nfl #freeagency. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/6ZlNM6BZmp
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) March 15, 2023
The one area they still have work to do is along the offensive line, now that they’ve signed their quarterback and given him weapons it means nothing if they are unable to protect him or establish a running game. Last season Jones saved the team thanks to his ability to run the football and extend plays. In order to keep him healthy and give him a clean pocket they should have tried to go out and sign an offensive lineman or two.
As of right now they’ve lost two offensive linemen and have yet to replace them in free agency. Maybe they plan to take some linemen early in the draft but they are pretty far down the list in terms of draft position and that could blow up in their faces.