NY Giants Free Agents: Ranking Re-Sign Priorities for New York

The New York Giants are not planning to go crazy in free agency this year, at least that’s what general manager Jerry Reese indicated to reporters at his year-end press briefing.

They really don’t have to either, despite the fact they have 19 soon-to-be unrestricted free agents looming.

As Dan Graziano of ESPN.com noted, of the 26 free agents signed by the Giants last year—a list that included players who had been with the Giants in 2013 but who were given new contacts—a vast number of them were injured and unable to make enough of a contribution.

With some better luck—and that of course is subjective—the Giants are hoping some of those contracted players, such as linebacker Jon Beason, offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz and running back Rashad Jennings, can have more of an impact in 2015.

Returning to the 19 players who are about to become unrestricted free agents—the complete list can be found via Pro Football Focus—determining who the priorities are shouldn’t be too challenging.

The following slideshow identifies five players who are a priority, ranking them in order of importance from lowest to highest. 

5. FB Henry Hynoski

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

If you blinked during games, you might have missed the appearance of Henry Hynoski, the affable fullback who, per Pro Football Focus, finished as the third-best fullback in the NFL, behind Anthony Sherman of the Kansas City Chiefs and Bruce Miller of the 49ers" target="_blank">San Francisco 49ers.

Strangely enough, Hynoski saw his game snaps reduced in 2014. He finished with 209 snaps, a 48 percent reduction from the 428 he played in 2012, his last 16-game season.

Also odd was that in 2014, Hynoski, who had begun to establish a reputation as a reliable receiver out of the backfield, didn’t have a single pass thrown his way in 2014. Instead, he carried the ball a career-high seven times for just 13 yards.

So why is Hynoski a key re-sign? Because of his primary job description, which is to run block. As a lead blocker, Hynoski finished with a 6.2 run-blocking grade from PFF, second to Sherman’s 7.1.

More importantly: When Hynoski led the way, the Giants running game got results.

If the team is content to go into 2015 with its tight end situation as is—Larry Donnell as the starter and Adrien Robinson as the backup—Hynoski has value to help in that running game, even with the anticipated changes coming on the offensive line.

4. TE Daniel Fells

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

In 2013, tight end Daniel Fells was out of the league, having failed to catch on with the then-tight end starved New England Patriots.

The Giants, who usually play the Patriots in the preseason finale, saw something they liked in the 31-year-old Fells, whom they signed last year to a one-year minimum qualifying offer, also affectionately known as a “show-me deal” in the NFL.

That something was his ability to run block, where, per Pro Football Focus, he graded out with a 3.9 mark, just one-tenth of a point below Martellus Bennett of the Chicago Bears.

Fells wasn’t too bad as a receiver either. Per PFF, he caught 16 out of 20 balls thrown his way for 188 yards and four touchdowns—one touchdown per every four receptions, which isn’t shabby at all.

Overall, he finished as PFF’s eighth-best tight end, ahead of Dwayne Allen of the Indianapolis Colts, Brent Celek of the Philadelphia Eagles and—wait for it—Jimmy Graham of the New Orleans Saints. 

With all of that said, the Giants would be wise to not spend more than a two-year deal on Fells, who can serve as a safety net just in case Larry Donnell’s blocking doesn’t improve or Adrien Robinson doesn’t work out this year. 

3. S Antrel Rolle

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

The Giants’ safety situation is perhaps the most precarious on the team, as other than the inexperienced Nat Berhe and Cooper Taylor, there are no other safeties under contract.

While Berhe and Taylor will get a chance to compete for jobs this summer, they won’t be the only ones in the picture, as the Giants are certain to add additional safeties through free agency and perhaps even the draft.

If they can reach a cap-friendly contract with Antrel Rolle, a longtime defensive leader, that would be an ideal way to go.

Rolle, 32, can provide leadership in that defensive backfield, and despite his drop in production this past season, he can probably still play at a high enough level for another year or two.

While the Giants shouldn’t invest long term in Rolle given his age, the idea of having him back for at least one more season while they slowly transition to the younger players drafted is intriguing.

Of course, the big problem with Rolle will be the money and the role he would be asked to play. Would Rolle accept a lower average salary per year than the $7.42 million Over the Cap reported him receiving in the contract that’s about to expire in March?

Would Rolle be accepting of perhaps a Deon Grant type of role on the defense?

If the answers to both questions turn out to be “yes,” then re-signing Rolle is a no-brainer.

2. CB Walter Thurmond III

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Picture a defensive backfield featuring a healthy Prince Amukamara, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Walter Thurmond III lining up against a top-rated passing attack.

That scary scenario (if you're a Giants opponent) is what New York envisioned last year when it inked Thurmond and Rodgers-Cromartie to contracts.

However, that nasty little injury bug got in the way, claiming Thurmond after the second week of the season while forcing Rodgers-Cromartie to gut out season-long physical issues.

What does a healthy Thurmond bring to the table? Going back to 2013, when he was a member of the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, Thurmond, a slot cornerback, finished with a 74.9 overall NFL rating in coverage, per Pro Football Focus.  

As a slot cornerback, Thurmond’s rating was even better. He finished with a 69.5 NFL rating, the seventh-best mark among all slot cornerbacks that season.

Moreover, he allowed just 195 yards to be completed against him by the slot receiver, the third-lowest total of the slot cornerbacks in 2013.

If the Giants can re-sign Thurmond—and it would be surprising if they don’t—Giants fans will get a chance to see what the defense was meant to look like after the team invested all of that money last year. 

1. DE Jason Pierre-Paul

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Regardless of what you might think of defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, there are countless reasons why he needs to be the Giants’ top free agent re-signed.

First, a little history refresher.

Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense is built around the pass rush. Pierre-Paul was the Giants’ best pass-rushing defensive end last season, particularly in the second half of the season when little nagging injuries started to subside.

Per Pro Football Focus’ signature stats, Pierre-Paul played 548 pass-rushing snaps, 484 of those coming against the opponents’ left tackles, the position that is supposed to be the best of the pass-blockers.

All Pierre-Paul did was record 11 of his 12.5 sacks this season and 51 of his 60 total pressures.  

Besides showing signs of returning to his 2011 Pro Bowl form as a pass-rusher, Pierre-Paul has blossomed into a stout run defender, particularly in tandem with Johnathan Hankins.

PFF has Pierre-Paul down for 31 stops (for zero or negative yardage), second best (behind Atlanta Falcons defensive end Kroy Biermann's 38) among 4-3 defensive ends who played in at least 75 percent of their team’s defensive snaps.

Should the Giants break the bank for Pierre-Paul a la J.J. Watt? Absolutely not. It’s unlikely Pierre-Paul will get anywhere close to the deal Watt received from the Houston Texans from any potential suitor.

Is the 26-year-old Pierre-Paul worth a good chunk of Watt’s six-year, $100 million deal? Without question.

If the Giants are in “win or else” mode—and team co-owner John Mara has twice now in sessions with the media made it clear they are—Pierre-Paul needs to be re-signed.

All contract data from Over The Cap unless otherwise noted. All grades and stats are from Pro Football Focus unless otherwise sourced.

Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes and information obtained firsthand unless otherwise sourced. Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.