3 Available NFL Free Agents Giants Must Pursue Amid 5-1 Start
The New York Giants' 5-1 start is one of the more improbable openings to a season in recent NFL memory.
New York produced its record with no receivers that have 200 receiving yards and with a banged-up Daniel Jones at quarterback.
In order to sustain the playoff push, head coach Brian Daboll and his staff need to evaluate some of the offensive weapons on the free-agent market.
Odell Beckham Jr. is the first name that comes to mind when trying to fix the Giants' wide receiver issues, but he will not be ready until the second half of the season.
The other wide receiver options are not great, but the Giants should at least consider bringing in a veteran just to provide some depth to a position group that has been plagued by injuries and poor performances.
Odell Beckham Jr.
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Odell Beckham Jr. is the big-ticket item on the free-agent market.
He happens to fit the biggest offensive weakness that the Giants have at the moment.
Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Wan'Dale Robinson and Sterling Shepard all dealt with injuries in the first six weeks. Shepard is out for the season. Golladay and Toney are still on the shelf.
The Giants can't sustain their winning product by trotting out the likes of Richie James each week.
New York has been able to get by with its collection of wideouts because Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley have been fantastic in big moments.
The Giants need one more playmaker on offense if they want to continue to contend with the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East title.
Beckham would not be ready until the second half of the season, at best, but if he can be on the field in parts of November and December, he could make the difference between qualifying for the postseason and not.
Beckham made a massive impact on the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl run last season, and he may be convinced to go back there if he is wanted.
Until Beckham decides on a team, the Giants should at least stay interested because they are suffering from poor play at the position.
Will Fuller
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Will Fuller is the best healthy wide receiver on the free-agent market.
The Giants could look to Fuller to provide some veteran leadership and depth at the position instead of waiting around for a Beckham decision.
Fuller was on the Miami Dolphins roster last season, but he failed to make an impact in the three games in which he was active.
Fuller is not far removed from his best season in the NFL. He had 879 yards for the Houston Texans in 2020 before he was suspended for six games.
He would give the Giants a consistent No. 1 target and would allow Richie James, Darius Slayton and others to settle into supporting roles.
New York thought it had that deal in place when it signed Kenny Golladay last offseason, but that has not worked out yet.
If the Giants do not feel comfortable adding a wide receiver, they may look to a running back who can help them in the passing game to at least give Daniel Jones one more target to work with.
David Johnson
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David Johnson could add a different element to the New York offense.
Johnson would give the Giants a strong pass-catcher out of the backfield to complement Saquon Barkley and also give the star running back some time to rest.
Johnson had over 30 receptions in each of his last four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans.
He is coming off the worst rushing season in his career, but he still put up 225 receiving yards in a miserable Texans offense in 2021.
Johnson would not be a long-term fix, but he would be a decent addition to the offense as the team tries to find new dimensions to its passing game.
Matt Breida and Gary Brightwell are not notable pass-catchers, and while Barkley has been great in that aspect of the game, the Giants can't ask their star running back to do everything over the course of a 17-game season.
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