Giants' Team Needs to Fill in 2022 NFL Free Agency

It's safe to say that the New York Giants have some work ahead of them in the 2022 offseason. This franchise hasn't been above .500 at any point in the past five years and still doesn't know what it has in quarterback Daniel Jones.

According to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, the Giants are unlikely to pick up the fifth-year option on Jones' deal because of this.

"It seems likely they will pass since he's yet to show any real consistency in his first three seasons as a starting quarterback, and it would mean guaranteeing him $20-plus million for 2023," Raanan wrote.

The Giants also head into free agency—which officially begins March 16—projected to be $11.6 million over the salary cap. New York has to create cap space to be a free-agency player, which is needs to be.

New York has two top-10 draft selections but isn't going to fix every issue in the draft. With this in mind, let's take a look at three positions New York must first fill in free agency.

Offensive Line

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If the Giants hope to see Jones succeed, they desperately need to upgrade their offensive line. Jones was under pressure on 23.3 percent of his dropbacks in 2021. He also lacked the support of a strong rushing attack—New York ranked 24th in yards per carry—which starts up front.

You should expect the Giants to grab at least one offensive lineman at the top of Round 1. However, this doesn't mean that New York should ignore its line in free agency. This will require creating some cap room, of course, but budget options will be available.

Indianapolis Colts guard Mark Glowinski, for example, is projected to earn a deal worth $6.25 million annually, according to Pro Football Focus. That's a modest price for a starting-caliber interior lineman, which the Giants will need.

Guards Billy Price and Will Hernandez are both slated to hit the open market.

Kansas City Chiefs tackle Mike Remmers could be another budget target, as PFF projects him to land a one-year, $2.75 million deal.

The Giants need to throw multiple darts at the offensive line this offseason because if they cannot support Jones with better protection and a viable ground game, the 2019 first-round pick will have little chance of success.

Tight End

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It would also behoove the Giants to support Jones with a potent pass-catching tight end. Evan Engram is scheduled to reach free agency, and 2021 addition Kyle Rudolph underwhelmed in his first season with the Giants. Rudolph appeared in 16 games but logged just 257 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Finding a bargain at tight end will be tricky, but New York might consider taking a flier on Green Bay Packers pass-catcher Robert Tonyan. He suffered a torn ACL in October but was productive in both 2020 and in 2021 before the injury.

Tonyan finished the 2020 season with 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had 204 yards and two touchdowns in eight games the following year. In 2020 and 2021, he provided a quarterback rating of 147.6 and 106.1 when targeted, respectively. Pro Football Focus projected a one-year, $5.5 million for Tonyan in 2022.

Los Angeles Chargers tight end Jared Cook is an older but viable option too. The 34-year-old had 564 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2021 and is projected to earn just $2.75 million this season by PFF.

Backup Quarterback

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New head coach Brian Daboll will be tasked with getting the most out of Jones in what could be his final season with the team. However, Daboll should also have a quality understudy in place, both as a potential replacement option and insurance.

The combination of Jake Fromm and Mike Glennon was woefully ineffective when Jones was out last season. They went 0-6 collectively, and both quarterbacks logged passer ratings below 50.0.

Mitchell Trubisky would be a logical choice for the Giants if they can afford him. He played under Daboll with the Buffalo Bills last season and has 50 games of starting experience on his resume. Trubisky also has enough untapped potential to become a starting option if Jones doesn't pan out.

"He'll have to go out there and earn it, but there's certainly enough there where the right offense can accommodate him," one AFC executive told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Other experienced backup options include Tyrod Taylor, Marcus Mariota and Jacoby Brissett. Adding one of them would be a smart move because Jones remains far from a sure thing heading into the 2022 season.

                  

Cap and contract information via Spotrac. Advanced statistics from Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.