GM shares Giants' free-agent strategy
Due to the horrible contracts inherited from former GM Dave Gettleman's tenure, the Giants had limited cap space last offseason. As free agency approaches, GM Joe Schoen says that the financial situation is different this time around.
Schoen intends to spend heavily during this offseason and has already begun doing so. New York made significant moves on Tuesday, inking quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million deal and franchise-tagging star running back Saquon Barkley.
Speaking at the news conference announcing Jones' extension, Schoen was asked by Newsday's Kim Jones how it feels to have more flexibility after last season's tight budget.
"I'll give you a good example," Schoen said. "We were just talking about a player. I won't name the position or anything. We were like, 'Yeah, we're guessing his market might be $2.5 [million],' and I was like, 'We can afford that. It's only $2.5. We can actually afford it.'"
"We're not shopping for minimum players anymore," he continued. “So, even players like that that can be really good depth players will make us that much better."
After cutting several failed Gettleman signings, the Giants had $53.8 million in dead money last season, which led to the acquisitions of the "minimum players" that Schoen mentions.
New York's most expensive additions were guard Mark Glowinski, who signed a three-year $18.3 million deal, and backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who signed a two-year contract worth $11 million.
This offseason, the Giants have $18.6 million in cap space, according to Spotrac. They plan to cut wide receiver Kenny Golladay on the first day of the new league year (March 15), which saves $6.7 million against the cap.
There will be some cap space reserved for active players on the roster. The team has started talks with defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence about a long-term extension, and Schoen said he's hoping to work out a deal with Barkley.
Regarding roster construction, Schoen recognizes the value of free agency but also emphasizes the importance of the draft. The Giants have 11 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft after being awarded two compensatory picks on Thursday.
"I still think with Daniel and Dexter coming down the road and some of the other players, you're still going to need to build through the draft because I think there are going to be some players who will be making good money on our roster. So, it's still going to be important," Schoen said.
Schoen identified and signed viable, cost-effective options in 2022, which helped the Giants finish the regular season 9-7-1 and win their first playoff game since 2012. With more cap space available, it'll be intriguing to see which of the higher-priced free agents the GM pursues.
The legal tampering period begins on March 13, two days before free agency opens.
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