Less than a week until the 2013 free-agent bonanza opens on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. But, as per usual, the New York Giants aren't expected to make more than a tiny splash on the open market.

But they'll certainly look to make some smart investments in order to help plug holes before completing their 2013 roster at the draft. Here's our free agency primer for the G-Men...

Bank Statement

After a series of restructures and cuts, the Giants are just over $4 million under the salary cap. That's the good news.

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Free agency gets underway on Tuesday, March 12 at 4 p.m. ET, and with the franchise-tag deadline out of the way we're beginning to get a strong feel for who will hit the open market when that time arrives. 

Don't expect the Dallas Cowboys to be major players in the wheeling and dealing that takes place throughout the second half of March, but you know Jerry Jones will find a way to lure at least a few guys to town.

Here's our free agency primer for "America's Team"...

Bank Statement

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Free agency starts in less than a week and the Dallas Cowboys are about $4-5 million over the salary cap. They have work to do, and the presumption is that, to get back under the cap in time, they'll either have to restructure several contracts or get something done with Anthony Spencer long term. 

Or, if they can't get Tony Romo signed to an extension that shaves some cash from his $16.8 million 2013 cap number, they could have to do both.

But I'm fascinated by Jean-Jacques Taylor's take on the Spencer situation. In an ESPNDallas.com column published Tuesday night, Taylor suggests that the Cowboys, who placed the franchise tag on Spencer earlier this week, force their best all-around defender to once again play under the tag in 2013. 

In other words, Taylor believes the 'Boys would be better off redoing deals for guys like Jay Ratliff, Doug Free, Orlando Scandrick, Nate Livings and Dan Connor than making a long-term financial commitment to Spencer. It's impossible to avoid both, especially if Romo's contract remains unchanged. 

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It looks as though London Fletcher is buying himself more time to add to a Hall of Fame résumé. The veteran linebacker has told David Elfin of 106.7 the Fan in D.C. that he's begun preparing for a 16th season in the NFL. 

While nobody will suggest that the 37-year-old Fletcher is the same player he used to be, he's still an extremely valuable piece to Washington's puzzle. Not only is he a key leader on defense and a role model within the locker room, but Fletcher is still the best option the 'Skins have for that inside linebacker spot next to Perry Riley. 

It concerns me a bit that, according to Pro Football Focus, only one player in the NFL (Tennessee's Michael Griffin) missed more tackles than Fletcher did in 2012. He'll turn 38 this spring and is, according to Elfin, undergoing two separate surgical procedures this month.

With that being said, he also made the Pro Bowl for the fourth straight year and was a second-team All-Pro. It's becoming apparent that the Redskins won't likely succeed at delaying free agency by way of an injunction and won't likely get any of their money back from the league after it docked them $36 million over the last two years for cap shadiness in 2010. 

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There's a decent chance that the biggest free-agent signing of the 2011 NFL offseason and one of the most heavily hyped veteran acquisitions in Philadelphia Eagles history will officially become a bust by the end of the week, because with Nnamdi Asomugha due to make $15 million and only 27 percent of that money guaranteed, the Eagles could release Asomugha before free agency begins next Tuesday.

Asomugha's career has careened off of a Hall of Fame track in Philly. A man who was considered, almost unanimously, to be the best active cornerback in the NFL has been torched time and again during his two years with the Eagles. 

The numbers are startling. 

* Rankings for 2008-2010 are based on the league average from those three seasons.

In other words, in a 32-game span, the greatest active corner in the game has become one of the worst corners in the game. 

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Brandon Graham has never been a 3-4 outside linebacker in his competitive football life. Not in high school, not in college and not in the NFL. He was a middle linebacker at Crockett Technical High School in Detroit, but he's clearly found his niche as an edge-rusher.

As a defensive end with the Philadelphia Eagles, Graham is coming off a breakout season. With his hand in the ground, the 24-year-old former first-round draft pick was rated by Pro Football Focus as the second-best 4-3 defensive end in the NFL. Using a formula that accounts for sacks, hits and hurries relative to snaps, PFF also concluded that Graham was the most productive pass-rusher in the league in his third season. 

Considering that the rest of the Eagles defense is either a mess or in complete flux, a lot of folks—including the guys from Iggles Blog—are wondering why new head coach Chip Kelly and defensive coordinator Billy Davis seem to be leaning toward a switch to a 3-4 defense, or at the very least some sort of hybrid. 

After all, it was Kelly who stated adamantly, and on more than one occasion, that his scheme would be dictated by personnel, not the opposite. 

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The New York Giants decided not to use the franchise tag after wrapping up left tackle Will Beatty long term, leaving a cap-strapped team with three starters set to become unrestricted free agents in one week. 

That has me wondering how much the G-Men value tight end Martellus Bennett and safety Kenny Phillips. 

I'd imagine Big Blue wants both players to return, but only at the right price. Both are surrounded by very different circumstances, but the key is that the Giants might believe they have the depth at both positions to survive without Bennett and/or Phillips. 

Beyond that, you have to consider that Bennett plays a position that the Giants don't seem to stress over. They were careless enough with Jake Ballard to expose him to waivers, letting the Patriots pounce. They let Kevin Boss walk. They traded Jeremy Shockey.

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No matter how much they meddle, team owners not named Jerry Jones very rarely dictate the style of offense being run by their coaching staffs. And thus, there's only so much they can control when it comes to protecting their franchise quarterbacks. 

But that didn't stop Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay from ruffling feathers 500 miles to the east with a pair of controversial sentences regarding Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins in an exclusive interview with Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star. 

Irsay is overestimating his team's ability to protect quarterbacks. His offensive line is much worse than Washington's, and Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post points to numbers from Advanced NFL Stats and NFL.com that indicate Andrew Luck took significantly more hits than Griffin did in 2012.

And don't forget about season-ending/career-threatening injuries suffered in recent years by Colts quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Kerry Collins. 

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