Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley, Giants Free Agents' Projected Contracts
The New York Giants have an opportunity this offseason to build on their most promising campaign in recent memory. The Giants made it to the divisional round of the playoffs in 2022 and could have the foundation of a perennial contender in place.
If New York is going to build on what it accomplished in 2022, however, it has to keep a few key players in place. None are more vital to the organization than quarterback Daniel Jones, who finally looked like a potential franchise quarterback under rookie head coach Brian Daboll.
The Giants are projected to be $43.2 million under the salary cap, but that number will shrink when players like Jones are under contract. Even with a glut of cap space, it's fair to wonder if New York can fit its most important players under the cap.
With this in mind, let's dive into some contract projections for New York's top impending free agents. Factors like past production, health, age, upside and positional value were all considered, and a complete list of New York's 2023 free agents can be found at Spotrac.
Daniel Jones
1 of 3
This is the big one because starting over at quarterback could derail most of the progress the Giants made in 2022. The Giants are determined to keep Jones, and they're prepared to use the franchise by Tuesday's deadline to do it.
"If there's no deal in place with Jones by that point, the Giants will almost certainly tag Jones - who finished 2022 tied for sixth in QBR at 60.8 - to keep him off the market," ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote on Sunday.
Jones was an above-average starter this past season, and the 25-year-old would undoubtedly draw heavy interest in free agency. That could drive his price point much higher than his projected market value of $26.2 million annually.
According to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, Jones is seeking more than $45 million per year on an extension. Jones should try to maximize his earnings, but that's probably too high, considering the former Duke QB has just one year of strong production on his resume.
A fair price point likely falls somewhere between these two numbers. Jones could earn $32.4 million fully guaranteed on the franchise tag, and that should be the starting point for him. Jones should want at least that much annually and at least that much in guarantees on any new contract.
Considering Jones hasn't proven that he can be above-average for more than one season, any interested teams should be eyeing more of a "prove-it" deal than a long-term one.
Contract Projection: two years, $69 million with $35 million guaranteed
Saquon Barkley
2 of 3
If the Giants can sign Jones to a new deal by Tuesday, they'll immediately turn their attention to star running back Saquon Barkley.
"I'm also hearing that the Giants will franchise-tag Barkley at $10.1 million should they reach a long-term deal with Jones," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote.
This is entirely logical. Barkley—who had 1,312 rushing yards, 338 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022—is nearly as important to the Giants offense as Jones. If the franchise tag is off the table, though, Barkley will be costly.
The 26-year-old has a projected market value of $12.3 million annually. That's not much higher than the tag value, but a lot could hinge on how long of a deal Barkley wants. He has an extensive injury history, and New York may not be comfortable with more than a short-term extension.
In fact, using the franchise tag might be the "safest" approach the Giants could take with Barkley.
However, some team will undoubtedly offer Barkley a long-term deal in order to land him. A three- or four-year deal could be sensible if a team builds in a potential out after one or two years.
Contract Projection: four years, $51 million with $26 million guaranteed
Darius Slayton
3 of 3
The Giants should be looking to overhaul their receiving corps this offseason. It was one of the league's most underwhelming units in 2022, and New York ranked just 25th in yards per pass attempt (6.6).
However, retaining wideout Darius Slayton would be logical. He has already established chemistry with Jones, and he led New York with 724 receiving yards this past season. The Giants can add pieces around Slayton without letting him walk.
Keeping Slayton shouldn't be overly expensive either. While the free-agent receiver market isn't talent-rich—it's headlined by the likes of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Jakobi Meyers—Slayton is unlikely to be a market headliner. He has a projected value of just $3.5 million annually.
That's not a bad price for a 26-year-old receiver who has plenty of experience playing with Jones and the rest of the roster. It's also a price New York could afford to pay, even if it shells out a fair bit of cash to both Jones and Barkley.
And at Slayton's age, he'd be worth locking up for more than a season or two.
Contract Projection: three years, $12.5 million with $6 million guaranteed
*Cap, contract and market information via Spotrac.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
