2012 NFL Free Agents: Is a Reunion in Sight for Kevin Boss and the N.Y. Giants?

Free agency begins on Tuesday for the NFL.

For a lot of Giant fans all over, it's a time period that begins re-tooling and re-loading their Super Bowl championship roster.

Since Super Bowl XLVI, a lot of us writers have done multiple stories stressing the need for the Giants to either draft or sign a tight end for the 2012 season.

They need a tight end because of Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum's ACL injuries that will likely put them on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list when next season begins.

On Monday night, another name hit the market, and it's another name that makes a ton of sense for the Giants.

Adam Schefter from ESPN reported that the Oakland Raiders will release tight end Kevin Boss, a year in from the four-year, $16 million deal he signed last summer.

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Raiders plan to release TE Kevin Boss, who last summer signed a four-year, $16 million deal, including $6 million guaranteed.

Boss had an extremely disappointing season in Oakland, catching just 28 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns."

If Dallas Clark's price tag is too high or if he simply follows Peyton Manning wherever he goes, then bringing Boss back to the Giants makes a ton of sense.

Oakland already owes him $2 million guaranteed from his deal, so whatever he makes on a new contract will be icing on the cake. Six million dollars of the $16 million deal was already guaranteed for Boss.

When Boss took over as the full-time starter at tight end for Jeremy Shockey, he was a reliable target for the Giants and for Eli Manning, catching a lot of important passes in the red zone.

He's only 28 years old, so Boss still has a lot of good football left to play in him, and he would still fit into the current Giants offense as a deep threat.

Michael David Smith of NBC's ProFootballTalk said today that he could absolutely see Boss returning to play for the Giants in 2012 because they have an immediate need for a tight end, and Boss is familiar with the Giants' current system.

I could not agree more with Smith. I think Boss would be an easy fit for the Giants.

And once free agency starts, I think Giants General Manager Jerry Reese will be pursuing Boss for a reunion in 2012.

Stay tuned, Giants fans,