New York Giants Players Guaranteed to Be Gone After 2012 Season

After Sunday's performance, you may want the New York Giants to get rid of all their players after this season is over. Fortunately, the salary cap doesn't allow completely gutting a team to be a realistic option. Trust me, this is a good thing, as the Giants still have a lot of players worth keeping despite their 34-0 shellacking at the hands of the Falcons.

Some players, however, are guaranteed to leave after this season because they are either not very good or don't have a place on the team and their contract situation is favorable to a parting of the ways.

Keep in mind that the following list are of players that, in my opinion, definitely won't be on Big Blue in 2013. Other players are likely to not come back. They did not make this list, however, because it is conceivable, though not likely, that they could be back with the team. 

Osi Umenyiora, Defensive End

There are too many reasons why Umenyiora shouldn't be on this team next year to think that there is any chance that he will be.

For starters, despite restructuring his contract in the offseason, it is voidable after this season. The 31-year-old is going to want big money in free agency and the Giants won't be the team to give it to him. This has been proven through the several contract squabbles Umenyiora and the Giants have had in recent seasons.

In the past, New York has appeared to be stingy when it comes to paying Umenyiora what he deserved. Unless he has a big last two games though and plays well in the playoffs, if the Giants get there, he does not deserve a lucrative contract after this season.

He has been bad against the run in 2012 as witnessed by -4.1 rating in this area, courtesy of Pro Football Focus. He has also been an average pass rusher, with only six sacks and six quarterback hits.

Umenyiora has, for the most part, been a good Giant for 10 seasons but his run with the team is about to come to an end.

Domenik Hixon, Wide Receiver

Hixon is in a place that you don't want to be as a veteran player in the NFL.

He's a good receiver but not elite and has no upside or untapped potential after seven seasons in the league. He'll be an unrestricted free agent this offseason but it will be tough to receive a contract much above the league minimum given his ordinary ability, age and injury history (two ACL tears in the last three seasons).

His days with the Giants are numbered since rookie Rueben Randle is ready to take over the third wide receiver and punt return duties full time.

Hixon won't even be retained as a fourth wideout. The Giants will sign free agent Ramses Barden over him since he is younger (26 years old compared to the 28-year-old Hixon), has more upside in the red zone with his 6'6" frame and is not as injury-prone.

Hixon will find another team that can use his services next season, but it won't be with the Giants. 

Travis Beckum, Tight End

Beckum has never been able to find his niche in his four seasons with the Giants, despite being a talented pass catcher.

The fact that he was a poor blocker coming out of Wisconsin and has never really improved in this area is one reason why.

There also has always seemed to be a tight end ahead of him on the depth chart. First it was Kevin Boss in 2009 and 2010, then Jake Ballard last season and now Martellus Bennett.

He only has 269 yards receiving in his time with New York and his only memorable play with the team was the 67-yard touchdown catch he had against the Packers last December on the opening drive of the game.

The 25-year-old is an unrestricted free agent and still has a future in the NFL if he can find a team with a need for a pass-catching tight end. It is apparent at this point, though, that the Giants aren't that team. 

Others Guaranteed-to-Be Goners

Rocky Bernard, DT - He is a free agent and has never really stood out in his four seasons in New York. The Giants will look to cut ties with the 11-year veteran, who will be 34 at the start of 2013.

Jim Cordle, C - Another free agent (they all are on this slide) who had two costly penalties as a blocker on kickoff returns in the Week 13 Redskins game. The second one was especially painful since it negated a David Wilson return to midfield on the Giants' penultimate drive early in the fourth quarter.

Besides these recent miscues, Cordle has proven to be a hard-working player in his two seasons with the Giants but one with limited talent. Big Blue will let him go and likely replace him with a higher upside option, either through the draft or in free agency.

Justin Tryon, CB  - Famously burned by Kevin Ogletree and company in the opening game against the Cowboys subbing in for Michael Coe (now a member of the Cowboys after the Giants released him a few weeks ago), who was injured early in the game.

The Giants need help in the secondary but Tryon is definitely not the player to provide it. I wouldn't be surprised if he finds himself out of the league next season.

Ryan Torain, RB - He's only been a Giant for three weeks but he is already on his way out the door. The Giants will look to retain the injured Andre Brown, who is also a free agent, as their third running back behind Ahmad Bradshaw and David Wilson.

Torain's only shot of staying with the team is as a fourth running back but in this role your ability to play special teams is more important than your skills as a runner. Since fellow newcomer Kregg Lumpkin is better in this area he will likely get the nod over Torain.