New York Giants: 5 Sleepers to Save the G-Men from a Lackluster Free-Agent Haul

Free agency is a wonderful thing; it is the land of opportunity when it comes to filling holes and improving a team.

That is, of course, unless you are the team sitting across the division from the Miami Heat of the NFL in the Philadelphia Eagles.

With the signing of Steve Smith, the Eagles' free-agent signings have covered virtually every skill position on the field. The New York Giants, on the other hand, won’t be criticized for overpaying and selling out this year.

In fact, they haven’t done much at all.

With a solid core of returning players, it seems the Giants' management is content with seeing what kind of success they can pull in with their current nucleus. They have also been unwilling to overpay for anyone, no matter how much that player has meant or will mean to the current team. This was demonstrated by their refusal to give Osi Umenyiora a new contract, letting Kevin Boss go and their unwillingness to outbid the Eagles on Smith.

Because of this unwillingness to open the checkbook, contributions will be needed from places that were otherwise untapped in previous years.

Here is a list of five sleeper candidates to have breakout seasons and help the Giants compete in the reloaded NFC East.

Ramses Barden, WR: He's Got the Height

Ramses Barden has had trouble staying healthy over his first two seasons in the NFL, but the wideout has the tools to be a successful receiver.

He measures 6’6”, an inch taller than Eli Manning's former red zone favorite, Plaxico Burress. He is on the light side for his height at 224 lbs. and a little added muscle might serve the former third-round pick well in avoiding the injury bug. 

Barden played just five games in 2010, pulling in five catches for 64 yards before suffering a fractured ankle. This was just one in a slew of injuries to the Giants' seemingly snakebitten receiving corps last year. Avoiding this type of injury breakdown will be key to a successful passing game.

Jerrel Jernigan, WR: He's Got the Speed

Jerrel Jernigan, another third-round pick, is the next potential sleeper for the G-men. The former Troy Trojan is the type of slot and open-field receiver that could step into the hole vacated by Steve Smith.

Jernigan may not have the hands or super-precise routes that made Smith so successful, but what he does bring is speed and supreme athleticism to the slot position. Jernigan is small, standing just 5'9", but he uses his low center of gravity and strong base well when working in the open field (as demonstrated in the video above). 

With the depth that the Giants have at the receiver position, it is unlikely Jernigan will see many snaps in 2011. However, with his excellent speed, Jernigan could contribute in the return game as well as give the Giants versatility if he does get on the field with potential end-arounds and screens.

If the Giants sustain anywhere near the amount of injuries they did last season, Jernigan might see significant action sooner than most would expect.

Travis Beckum, TE: He's Got the Skills

Travis Beckum is yet another third-rounder—selected just 15 picks after Barden in 2009—that could surprise a lot of people this season.

With the departure of Kevin Boss there is a glaring hole at the tight end position. Beckum, while being undersized at 6'3", 230 lbs., will be called upon and will likely deliver in that role. No, he is not the stereotypical "lineman with hands" as per the general description of a tight end. However, the NFL has adopted a new role for this position and that is one of a "receiving" tight end. 

The best and most successful example of this type of player would be Aaron Hernandez of the New England Patriots. Hernandez is slightly smaller and more naturally athletic than Beckum, but the similarities remain. Beckum will give Eli Manning more of a wild-card option off the line and he will allow the Giants' play calls to be less predictable. 

Obviously there is still the issue of run blocking and pass protection, but there is no reason a more generic tight end cannot be brought in for just this purpose. If we want pure blocking, maybe even give Bear Pascoe a chance; we all know he can block.

Da'Rel Scott, RB: Don't Challenge This Man to a Race

Seventh-round picks are usually the afterthoughts of the NFL draft. Most of those picked that late don't even make their respective teams.

This year, Da'Rel Scott was picked out of Maryland with the 221st overall pick. The Giants haven't selected a runner that late in the draft since 2007, when they used their 250th pick to take another small but speedy runner out of Marshall University. If Scott can be remotely as successful as that man was, the Giants will be ecstatic. 

That pick: Ahmad Bradshaw

Scott was not highly-touted coming out of Maryland, but what he does have is blazing speed—his 4.34 forty-yard dash at the NFL combine was second only to No. 5 overall pick Patrick Peterson—along with good hands coming out of the backfield. 

It is unlikely Scott will be part of the backfield rotation to begin the season, but his speed could undoubtedly benefit the return game. Also, with Brandon Jacobs' bruising running style and opposing players constantly targeting his knees, don’t be surprised to see the speedy Scott get his chance before the season is finished.

Domenik Hixon, WR: He's Done It Before

My last choice, Domenik Hixon, is a different type of “sleeper” simply because he has already proven his worth. People have simply forgotten he exists.

At the start of the 2010 season Hixon was looking to challenge for and may even have had an outside shot of taking the No. 3 wide receiver position on the depth chart from Mario Manningham. Unfortunately, he had a season-ending injury after being tripped up by the turf in New Meadowlands Stadium.

Not only did the 6’2”, 186-pound receiver show significant improvement in the passing game, he was also an adept returner in his time performing that task.

While 2009 was a down year for the former Akron Zip, Hixon was a large contributor in the Giants' 2008 season. He saw time in all 16 games, starting seven, and hauled in 43 catches for 596 yards. Those are not bad numbers for a guy competing to be the No. 3 receiver on any team.

Given the chance and a fair number of targets in 2011, I believe Hixon could have the most successful season of anyone on this list. I wouldn't be surprised to see upwards of 50 catches and maybe 700-800 total yards.