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The needs are there, clear and concise. With the launch of the NFL free agency this week, the Giants can perhaps fill those two glaring holes on their roster.
They need a top notch wide receiver. And they need a dreaded edge razor. Can these two items be removed from the shopping list by selecting and securing them on the open market?
The short answer: No.
“Well, there’s a draft, right?” Giants general manager Dave Gettleman said. “So you don’t have to buy them both. We’re just going to see how it goes, see what guys are worth and what the spending costs are, and keep moving forward. ”
This is the key here: keep moving forward. The Giants might not fill either of their big two holes in the coming weeks. They don’t have a lot of money to spend and probably aren’t interested in purchasing power team building, as a rule.
A year ago, Gettleman and first-year head coach Joe Judge had some cash to spare and struck quickly – snatching expensive cornerback James Bradberry and a 10million inside linebacker from the market. dollars a year, Blake Martinez. These two signings were successful from all points of view. The giants don’t have the salary cap space to have a similar impact this time around.
Of course, if Kenny Golladay were signed, he would immediately become receiver # 1. Got $ 20 million a year to get him on? Shaq Barrett, if he didn’t sign again with the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers, would be the pass passer to perfectly complement Leonard Williams’ push inside. These acquisitions look great, but are not achievable for a team that had to remove a proven offensive lineman, guard Kevin Zeitler, in order to break below the salary cap of $ 182.5 million.
The Giants are heading into free agency about $ 4 million below the cap. If they can get Williams to sign a long-term deal and significantly lower Nate Solder’s cap ($ 16.5 million), they could effectively add more than $ 20 in cap space. The Giants will make their signings, creating more ripples than splash. It remains to be seen whether they can find the ceiling space to add even one expensive contract.
The judge comes from the way of making patriots, in which the draft was king and free will was largely an accompaniment. This does not mean that it is unfavorable to spending, if the money is there and the player is exactly what it takes.
“Look, I’m still a long-term photographer,” Judge said. “I think you are successful in continually building your team through the draft, developing your players, adding the right free agency players that not only suits you broadly but matches your personality and culture in the games. cloakrooms. I think the only thing to keep in mind as we go through this time of year in free agency, and, look, it’s very exciting, and there’s a lot of press and media and that’s all over the TV, but the reality is, it’s not football fantasy: You can’t just grab a player, put him on your team, and think everything is going to work out. ”
The judge is aware of himself. He knows his approach is not for everyone. Bradberry, Martinez and later Logan Ryan were signings that were 100% what the judge expects from veterans joining the program. He doesn’t appear to be the type of head coach willing to take leaps of faith or take big risks, regardless of the player’s skill level.
“There are things we do here that, look, we don’t make it easy for our players and coaches, it’s by design,” said Judge. “The guys we have in this locker room have joined in, we’re having a lot of fun here doing that, but we’ve got a way of doing it. It’s not for everyone, to be honest with you. ”
This year’s draft – without a combination of recognition, limited in-person interaction with prospects, and getting to know you through remote access – is in some ways an uncharted frontier, with teams less familiar than ever with the players in the game. ‘they are about to select. . Veterans in the open market are not, which could prompt the giants to try and sign in droves for deep list purposes.
“Uncertainty doesn’t really play out in unrestricted free agency,” Gettleman said. These are players who are in the league, spotting them is not the problem. ”
It’s hard to predict the Giants will have a big run against their own free agent, defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, who as a leader is likely to command more than $ 12 million a year. It would be a loss, accentuating the need for gains elsewhere.
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