The New York Giants have a long and arduous off-season ahead, especially after head coach candidate Brian Flores filed a class-action suit against the team on Tuesday afternoon. Flores indicated there was racial bias involved in the head coaching search, as the Giants landed on Brian Daboll of the Buffalo Bills.
According to texts from New England coach Bill Belichick, the Giants were close to hiring Daboll before Flores even interviewed, arguing that they were simply adhering to the Rooney Rule requirements.
Nonetheless, the Giants will begin looking to the future with new management in place. Part of their rebuild process will be to clear up money so they can sign several free agents off the open market. Currently, the Giants have $-10.7 million in cap space, putting them in a peculiar situation.
New GM Joe Schoen will have no choice but to part ways with several high-profile players making big money. Notably James Bradberry, Blake Martinez, Sterling Shepard, Kyle Rudolph, and punter Riley Dixon. It’s possible they re-work deals to reduce the cap hit, but there will be casualties that will likely be addressed through the 2022 NFL Draft.
One way Schoen and Daboll can impact the team positivity is to bring in familiar faces from Buffalo. They’ve already signed practice squad RB Antonio Williams to a futures deal, indicating a shift in culture familiarity.
Another name that could pop up come the off-season is Bills’ WR Isaiah McKenzie, who had himself a relatively quiet campaign but could be an impact player for Big Blue down the road if considered.
McKenzie finished the 2021 season with 178 receiving yards and 1 TD, tallying 47 rushing yards and a score on the ground as well. There’s a belief that Buffalo may try to bring him back, but given Daboll’s influence and his likely cost-efficient deal, the Giants could take a swing at the dual-purpose weapon.
As a former 5th round pick, McKenzie once ran a 4.42 40-yard dash and showed great game speed. His agility and quickness make him a legit weapon, and with Daboll likely to implement a more motion-heavy system, his services could be useful.
Here’s a great story between McKenzie and Daboll:
It was only a few weeks ago that Daboll came running down the tunnel expressing his love toward McKenzie after a huge win over the Patriots the day after Christmas.
“Dabes is running down towards me in the locker room with the biggest smile on his face, like jumping, knees up,” McKenzie explained. “I’m like, ‘Damn, boy, what is up with you?’ He hugged me and he slapped my hand and hugged me and said, ‘I love you, and I’m proud of you.’”