GM Joe Schoen: Giants 'have to make some tough decisions' due to salary cap

In late January, newly hired New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen predicted he'd have to "clear out $40 million from a bloated and mismanaged salary cap this spring" as part of the rebuilding process for a team that won just 10 games across the past two seasons. While recently speaking with Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, Schoen offered more information about the club that is roughly $10 million over the cap ahead of the start of the new NFL year next month. 

Schoen wants around $17 million to $18 million to sign to-be drafted talents but also admitted he doesn't expect to be a major player in free-agency bidding wars. 

"First off, we have to get underneath [the cap], we have to make some tough decisions here in the near future just to get in a place where we can sign draft picks and be below the cap," Schoen explained. "There’s a fine line, because you can’t purge."

As Schwartz wrote, starting cornerback James Bradberry is on a contract that carries a $21.8 million salary-cap hit for 2022. The Giants could save cash by restructuring that deal or by trading a key figure of their secondary, but Schoen insisted he doesn't want to gut the roster while he and a new coaching staff evaluate quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.  

The Giants must make a decision about the fifth-year option attached to Jones' rookie contract this spring, while Barkley is set to play on his fifth-year option in 2022. 

"I don’t want to purge the roster, because we still want to find out what Daniel Jones can do, we want to find out what Saquon can do," Schoen said. "We got some good pieces on defense. The fine balance, the fine line is cutting players that can really help you win but you also got to get under the salary cap, then you’re gonna have the draft picks."

Schoen's comments suggest that, as many Giants fans feared, Big Blue is likely going to get worse before it gets better.