Giants free agents 2024: Who stays (and goes) for Brian Daboll’s 3rd season? Full rundown

07/01/2024

New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (13) hauls in a bomb during the fourth quarter which was nullified by a holding penalty against the Giants, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in East Rutherford, N.J. The Los Angeles Rams won, 26-25.

As the Giants prepare to finish their miserable 2023 season Sunday at home against the Eagles, let’s take a look at their pending in-house free agents.

Who stays? And who goes, as coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen prepare for Year 3?

Let’s break that down, shall we?

(By the way, we aren’t including kickers Cade York, Randy Bullock, and Mason Crosby on here, since Graham Gano will be back from his knee injury in 2024. Bullock and Crosby are aging, declining veterans who will be gone. York, 23, could be retained as a second kicker for the offseason. But he isn’t going to overtake Gano, who just signed a contract extension.)

New York Giants return man Gunner Olszewski (80) breaks a tackle and pinballs off a half dozen Los Angeles Rams as he returns a punt for a Giants touchdown late in the fourth quarter to draw the Giants to within 1 point, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in East Rutherford, N.J. The 2-point conversion attempt was no good and the Rams won, 26-25.

• CB Adoree’ Jackson: Schoen just drafted Deonte Banks in Round 1 last year — to be the Giants’ No. 1 cornerback of the future. Jackson turns 29 in September. And his production has dipped considerably this season (43.9 Pro Football Focus coverage grade).

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• RB Saquon Barkley: Unlike Jackson’s situation, there’s some debate here. It’s not an easy answer. A lot depends on what Schoen wants to do at quarterback. But we think it’s likelier that Schoen avoids spending significant money on a 27-year-old running back.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• QB Tyrod Taylor: He’ll be 35 when next season starts. Daniel Jones will be back, coming off a torn ACL. And there’s a good chance Schoen will draft a quarterback — to either replace Jones or be a younger backup. Taylor hasn’t played superbly enough to justify re-signing him. And no, the Giants can’t enter 2024 depending on Tommy DeVito to be their No. 2 quarterback.

New York Giants place kicker Mason Crosby (21) reacts after he missed a potential game-winning field goal late in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in East Rutherford, N.J. The Rams won, 26-25.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• ILB Isaiah Simmons: An intriguing, versatile piece who hasn’t played a ton. So he might prefer to go elsewhere. Still, he has performed well in limited action (342 snaps) — 70.2 PFF grade. He’s worth retaining on a modest one-year contract.

Stay-or-go verdict: Stay

• DL A’Shawn Robinson: He turns 29 this offseason, so there’s a good chance he’ll be a one-and-done guy for the Giants. He hasn’t been particularly productive — 58.4 PFF grade.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• WR Parris Campbell: He definitely will be one and done with the Giants, as Daboll has phased him out of the offense, in favor of younger receivers Jalin Hyatt and Wan’Dale Robinson — which makes sense.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• FS Xavier McKinney: This one depends on the price. After struggling in 2022, he is having his best season now in Year 4 — 79.1 PFF grade, including 83.7 in coverage. The safety franchise tag is projected as $17.2 million, which might be steep for McKinney. But the Giants don’t have a lot of good young players who potentially can be foundational pieces. McKinney projects as one of them.

New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale (left) and head coach Brian Daboll react as a two point conversion fails late in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in East Rutherford, N.J. The Rams won, 26-25.

Stay-or-go verdict: Stay

• OLB Jihad Ward: He turns 30 this offseason. The Giants need more young depth at outside linebacker. And he hasn’t played well this season — career-worst 37.6 PFF grade.

New York Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) reacts after he threw a bad pass on a two point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in East Rutherford, N.J. The Rams won, 26-25.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• RB Matt Breida: He’s about to turn 29 and the Giants just drafted running back Eric Gray in Round 5 last year — a younger backup running back option. Neither Breida nor Gray is starter material. So Schoen still must determine what to do if Barkley leaves.

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll (center) has words with quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) after Taylor could not get the ball to a wide-open Saquon Barkley for a two point conversion late in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in East Rutherford, N.J. The Rams won, 26-25.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

New York Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor (2) throws the ball behind a wide-open Saquon Barkley for a two point conversion attempt late in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in East Rutherford, N.J. The Rams won, 26-25.

• LS Casey Kreiter: He’ll be 34 in August, but his PFF grade this season (81.2) is by far the best of his career. It won’t be too expensive to retain him, of course.

Stay-or-go verdict: Stay

• WR Sterling Shepard: No chance he is back. And he knows it. His career might be over, as he turns 31. He is the Giants’ longest-tenured player, having spent all eight of his NFL seasons with them. But he played just 125 snaps this season, as Daboll favored Hyatt and Robinson.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• ILB Jarrad Davis: He’ll turn 30 in November and just missed the entire 2023 season, as a result of an offseason knee injury.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• OT Matt Peart: A failed Dave Gettleman pick, from the 2020 third round. He never materialized into a productive player — even as a backup — with the Giants.

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll reacts as a two point conversion fails late in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023 in East Rutherford, N.J. The Rams won, 26-25.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• C J.C. Hassenauer: He didn’t play this season, because of a torn triceps he suffered in August. He’ll be 29 when next season starts.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• CB Darnay Holmes: Similar story to Peart, though Holmes was more productive. Gettleman picked him in Round 4 in 2020. Holmes has barely played on defense this season — 117 snaps. It’s clear he will be gone.

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll during the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers, Monday, Dec. 11, 2023 in East Rutherford, N.J.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• PR/KR Gunner Olszewski: He is still just 27 and has flashed at times as the Giants’ replacement returner. They signed him in late October. It’s worth bringing him back for another shot — albeit not with any kind of long-term contractual commitment, of course.

Stay-or-go verdict: Stay

• OG Ben Bredeson: The Giants’ interior offensive line has struggled this season. We know center John Michael Schmitz (2023 second-round pick) will return. But the Giants could have two new starting guards in 2024. Bredeson’s PFF grade this season is 41.3. He turns 26 next month, so perhaps he’s worth retaining as a backup. Definitely not as a sure-thing starter.

Stay-or-go verdict: Stay

• OG Justin Pugh: He was never going to be a long-term solution. The Giants signed him in early October because of offensive line attrition. He’ll be 34 when next season begins — and has a 40.7 PFF grade this season. He’s definitely a goner.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• OG Shane Lemieux: Another miss in the 2020 draft for Gettleman. Lemieux, a fifth-round pick, hasn’t been able to stay healthy over the past three seasons — just 147 snaps in six games.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• ILB Cam Brown: He’s been a valuable special teams player since Gettleman picked him in Round 6 in 2020. It makes sense to bring him back, especially since he won’t cost much.

Stay-or-go verdict: Stay

• ILB Carter Coughlin: Similar situation to Brown. He was a seventh-round pick in 2020 and has played almost exclusively on special teams. And like Brown, he is effective in that area.

Stay-or-go verdict: Stay

• OT Tyre Phillips: He was the injury replacement for right tackle Evan Neal in 2022 and 2023 — and did well at times. But he just tore his quadriceps last week, so the Giants can’t count on him for 2024. Brutal timing for that injury. The Giants have a lot to sort out at right tackle now, though it’s not like Phillips had shown he can be a sure-thing starter in place of Neal next season anyway.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• C Sean Harlow: He’s a depth guy who has played 16 snaps this season and is about to turn 29.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• TE Lawrence Cager: He hasn’t played much this season — 101 snaps on offense, 140 on special teams. So it’s not like retaining him is a priority, with Darren Waller and Daniel Bellinger returning in 2024.

Stay-or-go verdict: Go

• WR Isaiah Hodgins (restricted free agent): The first-round restricted free agent tender is projected to be worth $6.4 million, compared to $4.6 million for the second-round tender and $2.8 million for the low tender. Hodgins has just 30 targets, 18 catches, 194 yards, and three touchdowns this season. If he’s back, it’ll be at the low tender amount. The Giants don’t need to worry about another team giving up a second-round pick for his services.

Stay-or-go verdict: Stay (at low tender)

• CB Nick McCloud (restricted free agent): He also should be back at the low tender amount. Remember, the restricted free agent tenders aren’t guaranteed. So retaining a player at the lowest level is not a huge commitment. McCloud is a versatile defensive back. And though he isn’t starter material, he provides special teams value.

Stay-or-go verdict: Stay (at low tender)

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Darryl Slater may be reached at [email protected]