5 Biggest Moves New York Giants Must Still Make This Offseason
Thirteen wins in the last two seasons is unacceptable for a franchise as fortunate as the New York Giants.
Some major moves must be made this offseason in order to restore past success; five of them are listed in the slides to follow.
This overhaul will take months to complete, not to mention tons of hard work from everyone involved. The executives, coaches and players have each made an investment. Everyone must do their part this offseason to ensure the 2015 season is a winning one.
Click "Begin Slideshow" to see my five-step plan to rebuild Big Blue.
Free Cap Space with Cuts, Extensions
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Before the Giants start building next year's team, they need to take care of some outlying contracts. The salary cap experts at Over The Cap have compiled all of New York's current contracts, ranking them from highest 2015 cap number to lowest.
A few names and numbers near the top of the list may surprise you. Is Mathias Kiwanuka really slated to become the fourth-highest player on the team? Is Eli Manning really going to earn 15 percent of the team's total cap number?
The answer to both questions: Yes, if the Giants do nothing.
New York will either cut Kiwanuka or force him to take a major pay cut. There's no way he's on the team in 2015 with his $7.45 million price tag intact. The veteran defensive end will be 32 years old in March and recorded only 2.5 sacks in 11 games played last year.
Kiwi's linemate, tackle Cullen Jenkins, is also in danger of being cut. The 34-year-old is owed nearly $3 million in 2015, after collecting just 16 tackles through 12 games last season. It also doesn't add up to have two middle linebackers—Jon Beason and Jameel McClain—combining to make nearly $11 million next year, especially when both players have notable injury histories.
There's no easy solution for the salaries due to Beason and McClain, but there is one for Manning's.
The Giants should extend Manning's current contract, pushing some of the money he's owed over the next few years. Although he's 34 years old now, the quarterback is thriving in Ben McAdoo's revamped offense. If New York executes the remaining moves listed in this slideshow, last year's statistical success should translate into more wins and fewer losses in 2015.
Re-Sign Indispensible Players
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After freeing up some spending money, the Giants can then use it to retain a couple of key players. Over The Cap also has a full list of Giants scheduled to become free agents in the spring.
If the Giants don't pay these players, someone else will. They would be remiss if Jason Pierre-Paul and/or Antrel Rolle were to suit up for another team in 2015.
New York needs Pierre-Paul, as evidenced by his 2014 snap count of 981, which Nick Powell of NJ Advance Media says ranked third-highest of all 4-3 defensive ends. Those still concerned with JPP's back should look at his last five outings (nine sacks). His output should only improve another year removed from surgery.
Rolle's presence is almost as important. The team captain is the unquestioned leader of the defense from his safety position, and his voice carries more weight than almost any other in the locker room. The Giants paid Rolle an average of $7.4 million per year during the prime of his career; the 32-year-old should return the favor and agree to a team-friendly deal.
The rest of New York's impending free agents fall into the expendable category. A couple guys could be key contributors if retained, or they could be easily replaced with retreads on the open market.
Mark Herzlich strikes me as one player who might be re-signed. Always a valiant special teams performer, his experience as a reserve linebacker may come in handy some day a la Chase Blackburn, who was integral during the Giants' Super Bowl XLVI run. Perhaps Henry Hynoski is asked to stick around, too. Even though the true fullback is a dying breed, the veteran can play running back or tight end in a pinch.
With Pierre-Paul and Rolle expected to cost quite a bit, the Giants must be economical with the remaining players they choose to re-sign.
Sign Veteran Free Agents
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Once the Giants take care of their own, they can then shift the focus to the open market. Here is a list from Over The Cap showing all players slated to become free agents this spring.
After spending a ton last offseason, Giants general manager Jerry Reese already said they'd be thriftier this free agency period, according to Nick Powell of NJ Advance Media. Still, the Giants should make an effort to sign at least one or two players who can contribute immediately in 2015.
Earlier this week, I introduced Orlando Franklin as a plausible target. Through four seasons with the Denver Broncos, the 27-year-old has displayed valuable inside-outside flexibility and has missed only one game. For a pricier, purebred left guard, New York can go after Mike Iupati. An All-Pro with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012, Iupati is proven to be just as tough.
The need and projected market align for the Giants at offensive line, but perhaps they choose to retool the defense with impact free agents.
Derrick Morgan is a former first-rounder that piques my interest. A consistently disruptive pass-rusher for the Tennessee Titans, the 26-year-old has experience playing tackle, end and even outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. If the Giants are looking to improve the back end of the defense, maybe they'll take a look at safety Rahim Moore since the Broncos aren't in great position to re-sign him, per Joel Corry of CBSSports.com.
Outside of these options, New York will need to be bargain shoppers when plugging the rest of their holes.
Select Impact First-Rounder in Draft
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The Giants nailed their first-round pick last year with the selection of Odell Beckham Jr. at 12th overall. Similar to the way the young wide receiver breathed life into an unstable offense, the Giants could use the same type of player on the defensive side of the ball.
Here is the latest "big board" from Bleacher Report draft expert Matt Miller.
A pass-rusher like Nebraska's Randy Gregory is the player New York really needs, but right now he appears to be out of reach. That leaves Missouri's Shane Ray, an imperfect 'tweener, and Kentucky's Alvin Dupree, most likely a reach, in the Giants' range with their ninth-overall pick.
I know it sounds crazy, but maybe pass-rusher isn't the best bet for this first-round pick.
The player that actually fits best is Washington's Shaq Thompson. The versatile linebacker has talent worthy of a top-10 pick, fits with the Giants schematically and would fill a major need on the weak side. Thompson is every bit as athletic as Devon Kennard, but in the opposite fashion. Where Kennard is a downhill aggressor, Thompson is a fluid reactor.
Get a fully healthy Jon Beason back in the middle and New York could field a tremendous group of linebackers.
There's also a chance the Giants draft an offensive lineman with their first-round pick. No one would complain, since it's a position of need. If that's the case, Iowa's Brandon Scherff is the popular pick. Watch for Pitt's T.J. Clemmings to shoot up some draft boards, though. He could wind up in the Giants' range if he continues to impress beyond the Senior Bowl (h/t Mike Huguenin, NFL.com).
Create Defensive Identity
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The Giants have parted ways with former defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and reunited with Steve Spagnuolo, who held the position from 2007-08. Last season, an offensive change in leadership (Kevin Gilbride to Ben McAdoo) worked wonders—can the same be done on defense in 2015?
The key will be to create an identity.
During Spagnuolo's first stint with the team, the Giants were a team built on the pass rush. In Super Bowl XLII, he unleashed Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, ruining a previously perfect season in quite possibly the biggest win in franchise history.
Will it be more of the same during Spags' second stint?
The advent of spread offenses and quicker timing patterns in the NFL have made life tougher for professional pass-rushers, particularly New York's. Perhaps an updated method is needed.
The Seattle Seahawks have been pretty successful with their dominant secondary. Last year, the Giants tried to copy Seattle's model by building a formidable defensive backfield, and it looked pretty promising until injuries destroyed the unit. Maybe Spagnuolo's experience as the Baltimore Ravens' secondary coach can help New York hold it together this year.
Once given the talent, Spags must decide what kind of defense he wants to coordinate.
Will it be a throwback unit that relentlessly rushes the passer? How about a shutdown secondary? A lineup of athletic linebackers?
We'll learn in the months to follow.
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