New York Giants Power Rankings: 5 Most Questionable Offseason Moves so Far

The New York Giants offseason was built around signing Eli Manning’s top weapons—Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks—to long-term contracts, but that still hangs in the balance.

In the meantime, the Giants improved in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

Big Blue said goodbye to Osi Umenyiora and rebuilt a defensive line that recorded just 33 sacks last season. Newly-signed defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins should have an immediate impact in the run game.

The Giants offensive line returns virtually intact. First-round draft pick Justin Pugh moves to right tackle where he’ll anchor the run game for one of the NFL’s best offensive fronts. 

While the Giants have improved at the point of attack, there still remains plenty of questions about the team, especially on defense.

Here we’ll take a look at questionable moves that Giants general manager Jerry Reese made—or failed to make—this offseason.

Failed to Sign Hakeem Nicks to a Long-Term Contract

The 25-year-old wide receiver will reportedly play out his rookie contract and test free agency next summer, according to NFL.com.

Nicks, who will make $2.73 million this season, is sure to be a hot commodity in 2014. 

Last season, Nicks was hampered by injuries to his foot and knee that caused him to miss three games and parts of several others. Nicks managed just 53 catches while registering career-lows with 692 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Giants GM Jerry Reese should’ve used Nicks’ down season as an opportunity to extend his contract, but instead has focused his energy on re-signing Victor Cruz. 

This could prove to be a costly decision. If Nicks manages a return to form this season, he’ll likely command something in the range of the $30 million guaranteed contract given to Mike Wallace by the Dolphins.

The Giants have a long list of pending free agents next summer, but Nicks will be the top priority.  

Released Michael Boley

Boley was part of a February bloodletting that also victimized running back Ahmad Bradshaw and defensive tackle Chris Canty.

The Giants cut Boley to save over $4 million in cap room, but weakened an already uninspiring linebacker group. Boley was the Giants most consistent linebacker during the past two seasons and helped lead the team to the Super Bowl in 2012.

Outside linebackers Jacquian Williams and oft-injured Keith Rivers will be expected to fill the void created by Boley’s departure.

You could argue the Giants have gotten worse at linebacker this offseason as Mathias Kiwanuka moves back to defensive end full-time.

Signed Dan Connor

The Giants signed Connor to replace Chase Blackburn at middle linebacker. Connor is two years younger than Blackburn, but not nearly as productive. In 14 games with the Cowboys last season, Connor had 56 tackles with no sacks or forced fumbles.

Meanwhile, in 2012, Blackburn had 98 tackles, three sacks and five forced fumbles. It remains unclear why the Giants turned their back on the Super Bowl 47 hero in favor of what appears to be a lesser player.

Connor will compete for the starting "Mike" spot with Mark Herzlich while Chase Blackburn signed a two-year deal with the linebacker-stacked Panthers. 

Failed to Draft a Linebacker

Starting to notice a trend?

The Giants continue to play with fire by refusing to adequately address the defense’s need for a playmaker at linebacker. Aaron Curry is a low-risk signing, but the draft provided an opportunity to add depth at the second level.

In the draft, the Giants selected DT Johnathan Hankins and DE Damontre Moore—in the second and third rounds, respectively—choosing instead to bolster their defensive line.

New York hasn’t drafted a linebacker in the first round since 1983, but certainly could’ve afforded to add depth at the position. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. gave the Giants a C+ grade for failing to address the team’s needs at linebacker (via ESPN.com's Dan Graziano).

The result? Expect plenty of two-linebacker sets in nickel and dime packages this season.

Failed to Add Secondary Depth

Corey Webster avoided a fate similar to Michael Boley's by accepting a $3 million pay cut to stay with the Giants. 

However, unless you consider Aaron Ross an upgrade at cornerback, the Giants didn’t improve at one of their weakest positions in the offseason.

In 2012, the Giants allowed 254 passing yards per game—fifth worst in the NFL. New York managed to snag 21 interceptions, including eight by safety Stevie Brown, to bail out an otherwise over-matched secondary.

This season, the Giants are banking on a bounce back season from beleaguered CB Corey Webster and the continued improvement of Prince Amukamara.

Honorable Mentions

The addition of corner Aaron Ross, who is returning from what he told NFL AM was a "nice paid vacation" with the Jaguars (h/t Pro Football Talk), doesn't exactly staunch the bleeding in the secondary. 

Similarly, the Giants took a shot in the dark by signing draft bust Aaron Curry but might've been better off adding a trusted veteran like Nick Barnett. 

Finally, the Giants selected quarterback Ryan Nassib in the fourth round of the draft when the team has plenty of needs that haven't been addressed. It's smart to plan for the future, but the Giants need to take care of the present for now.