The first wave of free agency is done, and the New York Giants have been among the standout teams for the past week. When the "legal tampering period" opened on Monday, things were relatively quiet on the Giants’ end to start, but they ended the day with four acquisitions that were deemed solid.
How did the Giants grade out? Quite well, actually, according to SI.com, Matt Verderame and Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated, who graded every major move so far this offseason.
Here’s what they had to say regarding a few of their moves.
QB Drew Lock: B-
With the Giants, Lock will be a reserve behind Daniel Jones, who, despite being signed through 2026, essentially enters a make-or-break year. Additionally, if the Giants draft a quarterback in the first round, Lock could be playing to stay around past the final cuts come summer.
Former backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor signed with the New York Jets, so the Giants had to find another veteran to bring in. Lock was signed to a one-year, $5 million contract to come in behind Daniel Jones.
Lock, 27, spent last season with the Seattle Seahawks, throwing for 543 yards with three touchdowns and the same amount of interceptions. He has a strong arm and willingness to throw down the field, which works well in Brian Daboll’s offense.
EDGE Brian Burns: B
The Giants gained a talented edge rusher to pair with 2022 first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. But New York might have overspent for Burns, 25, who hasn’t played up to his potential the past two seasons. On the other hand, Burns was stuck playing for arguably the worst franchise in the NFL the past two seasons. Burns, a ’19 first-round pick, has 46 career sacks.
Last year, the Los Angeles Rams offered the Carolina Panthers two first-round picks and more for Brian Burns. The Panthers declined that offer, and now he’s on the Giants, who traded only a second and a 2025 fifth-round pick (besides swapping 2024 fifth-round picks) to get him.
It was a great trade for the Giants, who were looking for pass rusher help to pair with former first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. The contract is likely where the grade dipped from an A to a B, as the Giants gave Burns a hefty $141 million deal, making him the second-highest edge rusher in the league behind Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers. The Giants are paying Burns to take the next step and become an elite edge rusher.
OT Jermaine Eluemunor: B
The addition comes hours after the team agreed to terms on a three-year, $30 million contract with offensive guard Jon Runyan to help improve one of the league's worst interior offensive lines. But will Eluemunor and Runyan block for Daniel Jones in 2024 or a rookie quarterback, with the Giants holding the No. 6 pick in next month’s draft?
Many predicted the Eluemunor signing, as he followed offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo from Las Vegas to New York. The veteran tackle spent most of his time on the right side the last two seasons and had his best year yet in 2023, surrendering six sacks and 28 pressures in all 17 games.
He’s coming in to compete with former first-rounder Evan Neal, who hasn’t had the greatest start to his young career. Eluemunor has been fired up about joining the Giants, as he’s put out a firestorm of tweets since he signed. Expect Eluemunor to be in the starting lineup at some point during the season.
RB Devin Singletary: B-
In New York, Singletary stands to have a prominent role on a team searching for playmakers. The Giants could also use the draft to take a quarterback.
Singletary was brought in on a three-year, $16.5 million deal, the price the Giants were willing to spend on a running back. He has connections to head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen during his time in Buffalo from 2019 to 2022.
Singletary’s been a solid ball-carrier throughout his career, rushing for 4,049 yards and 20 touchdowns on 4.6 yards per attempt. He’s had 1,000+ yards from scrimmage in the last three seasons and is extremely durable, missing only one game in the last four years. “Motor,” as he’s called, should be a solid player for the Giants going forward.
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