The New York Giants only have a specific amount of resources they can allocate this off-season, and they will have to be strategic with how they manipulate the money available. They are currently $3 million over the cap, which means they don’t currently have the cash and flexibility to extend Leonard Williams on a multi-year deal. They will have to shed dead weight and find ways to open up money, but that is what professional financial experts are expected to do, like Kevin Abrams.
However, it is quite disappointing that the Giants don’t have much cap space despite the fact that they have a quarterback on a rookie deal. They have too much money tied up in players who aren’t making an impact, like Nate Solder and Golden Tate. The expectation is that they will move on from these two this off-season unless they can find efficient ways to reconstruct their current deals.
Nonetheless, multiple positions need upgrades badly, and the Giants have a few ways they can maneuver their cap situation and utilize their draft picks.
Ranking the three weakest positions for the New York Giants:
1.) WR
Finding an offensive playmaker this off-season is essential, as the Giants ranked last in yards of separation among their receivers in 2020, forcing quarterback Daniel Jones to carry the load. Jones only threw 11 touchdown passes this past season, a steep drop off from the 24 he threw his rookie year.
Ultimately, the expectation is that Big Blue will find a receiver in free agency, whether it be Corey Davis or Curtis Samuel, and utilize either the 11th or 43rd overall pick on a playmaker. This is a unit that desperately needs help, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be a WR, they could also target a player like TE Kyle Pitts in the draft.
The Giants can explore many different avenues, but we won’t forget co-owner John Mara guaranteeing they will allocate resources toward the position’s upgrade.
2.) RT
Right tackle has also been a tumultuous position, as the Giants utilized a rotation of Cameron Fleming and Matt Peart in 2020. Fleming was decent as a run blocker but a liability in pass protection. He played a key role in the Giants’ OL being the worst-ranked pass-blocking unit in the NFL. He is currently a free agent, so the Giants have to make another decision at RT, whether it be drafting a player in the first two rounds or signing a free agent. They could always stick with Peart, who is going into his second season but missed a good chunk of the 2020 campaign due to COVID-19.
Dave Gettleman has been guaranteeing the solution for the OL for years now, and we are still right where we started in 2018.
3.) OLB
The New York Giants posted only 40 sacks in 2020, and after both starters went down with the season-ending injuries, the Giants did their best to supplement.
Ultimately, a majority of their pressure came from the interior defensive line, but they desperately need an upgrade at OLB, as relying on Lorenzo Carter and Oshane Cimines is becoming redundant. Neither has proven to be productive pass rushers, despite Carter showing a bit more development prior to tearing his Achilles against Dallas last season. There are a few options in the draft that could fall to the Giants at 43, including Joseph Ossai and Jayson Owen from Penn State.