https://sports.yahoo.com/5-free-agents-giants-target-140000170.html
The Giants will run it back with head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen in 2025. You would expect two men entering their fourth seasons to have a team ready to compete, but that is not the case.
While the roster is not expansion-level mediocre, there is still so much work to be done. The issue: John Mara’s patience — evident by his postseason press conference — is running thin. The Giants’ owner made it clear he’ll make wholesale changes if he doesn’t see substantial improvement.
The pressure is on Schoen and Daboll, as a result. This usually sets the stage for an aggressive offseason, beginning in a few weeks with free agency.
Here are five players the Giants could target to jumpstart their rebuild.
Tee Higgins, WR
The Giants have Malik Nabers on a rookie contract. They also look primed to have a rookie quarterback, too. This gives them cap flexibility to spend a little more aggressively elsewhere. Higgins is undeniably the top free-agent option available. There are some durability concerns, but when on the field, he is a dynamic player.
Higgins logged 73 catches for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 12 games for the Bengals this past season. The problem? He’s played a full campaign only twice (2020 and 2022).
The key for the Giants will be surrounding whatever quarterback they select with as much talent as possible — protection and playmakers. Nabers, Higgins, and Wan’Dale Robinson would give the franchise its best crop of pass catchers since Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, and Victor Cruz.
D.J. Reed, CB
Reed is among the more underrated cornerbacks in the NFL. He really blossomed during his three years with the Jets, cementing himself as a legitimate outside corner who flashed shutdown capabilities. More important, though, is Reed’s leadership. He played a major role in acclimating All-Pro corner Sauce Gardner to the league.
Reed would be valuable to the Giants as they try to salvage Deonate Banks‘ career. He also finished the last three seasons with ProFootballFocus grades of 72.5, 77.9, and 70.7.
Stefon Diggs, WR
Diggs has a relationship with Daboll, dating back to their overlapping years with the Bills. The 31-year-old wideout posted 100-plus catches in three of their four seasons together, and in his career year of 2020, he caught 127 passes for 1,535 yards and eight scores.
Diggs, coming off a season-ending knee injury, is not the player he once was. But conerns about his age and durability will drive his price down and likely scare off some teams. He’s a nice consolation prize if the Giants don’t land Higgins.
Russell Wilson, QB
The Giants had Wilson in for a visit last offseason before he ultimately signed with the Steelers — a place that offered and provided a better opportunity to start. There have been so many rumors linking Wilson to New York over the years, dating back to his time with the Seahawks, because of his celebrity wife Ciara’s love for the area.
This could be the year that happens, if the Steelers let him walk. Wilson could give the Giants a short-term fix under center as they develop a quarterback drafted in the first or second round.
Will Fries, OL
The Giants’ offensive line performed better than in years past, but it was pieced together with bandaids. There are still major concerns going into next season. All-world left tackle Andrew Thomas finished the last two years on injured reserve. Jon Runyan, last year’s big-ticket free agent, had the second-worst season of his career by ProFootballFocus standards (56.1 grade).
Greg Van Roten is aging (34) and an unrestricted free agent. Second-year center John Michael Schmitz improved from a disastrous rookie campaign (41.4), but still finished with an ugly 51.4 ProFootballFocus grade. Jermaine Eluemunor is okay, but his 63.2 grade this past season still isn’t dominant by any standard.
The Giants could once again dabble in the top end of the interior line market, with someone like Trey Smith. But that’s a ton of money tied up to the two guard positions. Fries has some impressive upside (certainly more than Van Roten) and won’t cost as much. He had an 86.8 ProFootballFocus gade last season with the Colts, before fracturing his tibia in Week 5.
https://sports.yahoo.com/5-free-agents-giants-target-140000170.html
