New York Giants: 5 Potential Free Agent Targets for 2012

On Tuesday, the New York Giants returned home following their Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots in Indianapolis.

Their ticker-tape parade at the "Canyon of Heroes" in lower Manhattan was followed with a rally at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

Both New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and New Jersey governor Chris Christie were on hand to help host their respective events.

While this is a time to celebrate and enjoy what the 2011 season brought for Giants fans all over, it's never too early to think about the 2012 year.

Since taking the job in 2007, Giants general manager Jerry Reese has done a fantastic job constructing a championship team filled with a ton of talent, which is why the Giants have won two world championships in the last four years.

Reese is always scouting new players to help the Giants get better and when the free agency period begins on March 13, he will look to improve the Giants for a defense of their title.

Here are five potential free agents that Reese could look to bring in to help in 2012.

Jared Gaither, OT-San Diego Chargers

Jared Gaither started the 2011 season with the Kansas City Chiefs but was waived and picked up by the San Diego Chargers on November 30.

Gaither played very well in the final five games as the starting left tackle for San Diego and could be a sought-after name for a few teams looking to bulk up on the line.

Gaither will only be 26 next season and, as a 6'9" tackle, he could really be a boost on the Giants offensive line if they don't want to bring back David Diehl or Will Beatty as the left tackle.

San Diego could get first-crack at him, especially if they do release Marcus McNeill next month. But the Giants do need to reinforce their offensive line in 2012.

Gaither could be a player the Giants could look at to do so.

Michael Bush, RB-Oakland Raiders

The Giants need to make a decision on Brandon Jacobs for 2012.

Jacobs, who turns 30 this year, will be in the final year of a four year deal he signed back in February of 2009.

The Giants running game ranked as one of the worst in 2011 and they need to fix that because their passing game works off the run, especially play-action.

Ahmad Bradshaw is the featured back and was locked up last summer, so don't be surprised if Jacobs gets the axe in March.

If he does get cut, the Giants will need to look to replace him and bring in a complement back to go along with Bradshaw.

Michael Bush is a possibility. Bush had 977 yards with seven touchdowns in 2011, but Darren McFadden is the Raiders primary back.

At 6'2" and 243 pounds, Bush could be a potential candidate for the Giants to go along with Bradshaw in the backfield in 2012.

Jermichael Finley, TE-Green Bay Packers

Before Sunday, I didn't think tight end would be an issue.

Then, the Giants sustained two injuries to their tight ends in the Super Bowl.

Travis Beckum tore his right ACL in the first half and Jake Ballard  tore his left ACL in the second half. Both could be out for a while.

Bear Pascoe was the remaining tight end on the team, but he's more of a blocking specialist who can occasionally catch a pass.

So if Beckum and Ballard take a while to get healthy, tight end becomes a need for the team.

And the name that really intrigues me is Packers Jermichael Finley, who has been trying to get a contract from Green Bay.

Packers GM Ted Thompson has yet to lock up Finley and if they continue to stall and not work out a deal, Reese could look to jump all over him.

Finley is 6'4" and 240 and an excellent receiver in the open field, catching 55 passes for 767 yards and eight touchdowns.

The one thing that could prevent Finley from hitting the open market is if Thompson slaps Finley with the franchise tag and then he is back on Green Bay in 2012.

Carl Nicks, OG-New Orleans Saints

Carl Nicks is probably the best offensive line on the list of free agents in 2012, so he will likely cost quite a bit to obtain.

Nicks does not expect to come back to New Orleans, as the Saints are looking to bring back Drew Brees and Marques Colston as well.

Nicks is 6'5" and 343 pounds and at left guard, will definitely help anyone's offensive line.

The Giants started out with David Diehl at left guard this year. But when Will Beatty was placed on the injured reserve, Diehl moved back to left tackle while Kevin Boothe started as the left guard for the rest of the season.

Boothe did a good job, but do the Giants see him as a long-term solution for a starter or better suited to be a solid backup?

If they see him as a backup and if Reese really wants to make a splash to help the offensive line, getting Nicks would be a statement move.

But do the Giants want to spend a lot of money for one of the top guards on the market? They could, but are they willing to get into a bidding war with several teams?

Steve Smith, WR-Philadelphia Eagles

If it weren't for Steve Smith leaving for the Eagles, Victor Cruz would have never gotten the chance to start and shine in 2011.

Smith left the Giants for the Eagles in the summer, but wasn't much of a factor in 2011. He caught 11 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown in nine games.

The one touchdown was against the Giants in Week 11 at MetLife Stadium, a touchdown that was the deciding factor in a 17-10 win for the Eagles.

There's a good chance that Mario Manningham will leave as a free agent and get more money on the open market, especially after his performance in the Super Bowl.

If in fact Manningham does bolt out of New York, Smith could be a great option for the Giants to look at.

Smith isn't going to be looking for big-time money, especially considering he missed the rest of 2011 with a knee injury and got put on the IR during Week 14.

If healthy, Smith was always a great target for Eli Manning to throw to and was one of his most dependable receivers.

Back in November, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Smith was open to a return to the Giants for 2012.

As long as his knee is healthy, I could definitely see Manning persuading Reese to bring back Smith.