Free-Agent Contracts Giants Must Pursue After Preseason

The New York Giants are heading into what is likely to be a rebuilding campaign. They have a new coach in Brian Daboll and are looking to evaluate players like quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley for the future.

If everything goes well, perhaps New York will also stay relevant in the NFC East along the way.

Is New York's roster good enough to make a surprise run at the division? That remains unknown. What we do know is that the Giants aren't likely to make significant additions ahead of their Week 1 matchup with the Tennessee Titans. They are $6.6 million over the salary cap and will need to both clear space and examine budget options to make any last-minute additions.

Bargain players can bring value, though, and here, we'll examine three who should be on New York's radar coming out of the preseason. We'll examine how these players could help and what sort of contract offers would make sense for the Giants.

As part of the cutdown process, the Giants made the surprising decision to release linebacker Blake Martinez. The move cost the Giants $7.5 million in dead money but according to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, it was "mutual, according to a source."

The loss of Martinez leaves the Giants with some questions in the linebacker room. Micah McFadden is a rookie, and Tae Crowder had his ups and downs as a first-time starter in 2021. He missed eight tackles and allowed an opposing passer rating of 103.0 in coverage.

A 32-year-old linebacker, L.J. Fort might not give New York a better starting option, but he could provide depth and likely at a bargain price. He's coming off of a season lost to a torn ACL.

Fort last played on a one-year, $1.1 million deal.

The advantage of adding Fort is that he shouldn't take long to adapt to the scheme. The Northern Iowa product spent the last three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens under new Giants defensive coordinator Don Martindale.

With 91 games and 19 starts on his resume, plus experience in Martindale's system, Fort would make contributions sooner than later.

Contract Offer: One Year, $1.4 million

Giants general manager Joe Schoen made another difficult decision this offseason, releasing starting cornerback James Bradberry. While the move did create some cap room, it was a significant blow to New York's secondary.

"He's a starting corner in the league," Schoen told WFAN before Bradberry's release (h/t Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com). "It's just where we are financially."

It would behoove the Giants to add some veteran insurance to their cornerback room ahead of Week 1. Doing so at an affordable price, however, won't be easy.

2017 third-round pick Fabian Moreau might be available on the cheap. He had signed on a one-year, $2 million deal with the Houston Texans this offseason but was released and is still owed $1 million in dead money.

While Moreau has never been a Pro Bowl-caliber player, he was a 16-game starter with the Atlanta Falcons last season and has 76 games on his resume. He'd be able to step in and spot-start if Adoree' Jackson or Aaron Robinson struggles early.

And with the Texans paying out half of Moreau's contract, he might be willing to play for very little up-front money.

Contract Offer: One Year, $1.5 Million

If the Giants are able to create a considerable amount of cap space, they should take a long look at offensive lineman Daryl Williams.

The Giants, on paper, have a solid set of tackles in Andrew Thomas and rookie first-round pick Evan Neal. However, they've had some injury issues at guard during camp and the preseason.

Rookie third-round pick Joshua Ezeudu and Shane Lemieux both dealt with preseason injuries, and Lemieux (foot) landed on injured reserve to open the season. Max Garcia was released and signed to the practice squad.

Williams has experience playing at both tackle positions and at both guard spots. He started all 17 games for the Buffalo Bills last season, where he worked under Daboll and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson.

Familiarity would allow Williams to step in and contribute right away, and he'd provide valuable depth at multiple positions. The caveat here is that he probably wouldn't be bargain-basement cheap. His last contract was worth $8 million annually. However, he's owed $3.6 million in dead money from Buffalo, so he may be willing to play for a low number in 2022.

Contract Offer: Two Years, $10 million

Cap and contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference.