The New York Giants were among the biggest spenders in free agency this offseason as general manager Joe Schoen aims to retool the roster in response to a 3-14 finish in the 2024-25 season. Schoen kept his job despite the team’s failures last offseason and has been working diligently to not only salvage the roster he’s built but to keep himself in good standing with ownership.
This is Schoen’s third offseason as the Giants’ GM. Now with several years under his belt, clear conclusions and takeaways can be made about Schoen’s roster-building approach. This offseason, in particular, was mighty telling.
Joe Schoen is learning from his mistakes
Schoen received heavy criticism over the last year for letting two key players walk in free agency in 2024: RB Saquon Barkley and S Xavier McKinney. Positional value was a big talking point for New York last offseason as Schoen’s approach to roster-building emphasized that ideology. As a result, he did not see fit to overspend at the running back or safety positions. Resultingly, the Giants lost two of their best players who both went on to have career-best campaigns in 2025 with their new respective teams.
This offseason, Schoen has course corrected. Although he wasn’t willing to pay the exorbitant price tag McKinney received last offseason, he recognized the team’s need to fill in at safety and signed star safety Jevón Holland to a three-year, $45 million contract.
Another valuable factor lost in the departures of Barkley and McKinney was leadership. Both players were captains and key leaders in the Giants’ locker room. As was WR Darius Slayton, who, to the surprise of many, Schoen re-signed this offseason.
Schoen seems to have learned from last offseason’s mistakes. He placed less emphasis on positional value and placed more emphasis on adding high-quality leadership and talented players at positions of need rather than positions of value.
The Giants believe they are a QB away
The aforementioned Slayton extension is the only big move the Giants made on the offensive side of the ball. Schoen and company have not brought in any playmakers nor major reinforcements on the offensive line despite the Giants’ offense finishing 31st in the NFL with 16.1 points per game.
However, despite the offense’s struggles, the Giants are content with the playmakers they have and have only made depth additions on the offensive line. At the start of the offseason, both Schoen and team president/co-owner John Mara stressed the team’s desire to find a franchise quarterback this offseason.
Schoen explained at his end-of-season presser that the Giants felt as though a quarterback could have been the difference in several of their one-score losses. Considering the lack of playmaking talent that was added to the Giants’ offense this offseason, Schoen and his front office seem to really believe a quarterback will make all the difference.
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Schoen prefers to build through youth
One clear trend in the Giants’ offseason moves has been an emphasis on building through youth. Both of their marquee free-agency additions (Holland and CB Paulson Adebo) are both only 25 years old.
Schoen clearly prefers to only spend big money and hand out long-term contracts to youthful players. This preference was clear last offseason as well when he traded for 25-year-old EDGE Brian Burns and handed him a five-year, $141 million contract.
The Giants are building a young defensive nucleus, adding Adebo and Hólland to the secondary alongside third-year pro CB Deonte Banks and two second-year pros in SLCB Dru Phillips and S Tyler Nubin. This trend to favor youth has been visible across the roster.
There have been plenty of factors working against the Giants over the last few seasons as they have struggled to field a competitive team. Schoen has made his fair share of mistakes, however, his efforts so far this offseason have been met with positive reception. But whether or not it amounts to wins next season will be dependent on the eventual solution that Schoen and company find at the quarterback position.
