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4 moves the NY Giants should focus on with increased 2023 NFL salary cap

By Zak Musso

Oct 23, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel jones (8) and running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrate a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel jones (8) and running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrate a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth quarter at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 11, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (3) gets away from a tackle attempt from Tennessee Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton (26) on his way to a touchdown during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 11, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (3) gets away from a tackle attempt from Tennessee Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton (26) on his way to a touchdown during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Re-sign WR Sterling Shepard

The 2023 free-agent wide receiver class is incredibly weak. The class is headlined by Jakobi Meyers, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Allen Lazard and Darius Slayton, none of whom are No. 1 wide receivers.

The Giants should pivot to the draft or trade market to find their WR1. In the draft, Quentin Johnston, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Jordan Addison are all possibilities, while Brandon Aiyuk, DeAndre Hopkins and Tee Higgins are among those who could be available in the trade market.

The ideal scenario for the Giants would be to snag one or two of those six wide receivers and re-sign Sterling Shepard. Shepard has not only been the best wide receiver on the Giants the last five seasons, but has also been the heart and soul of the team.

Shepard suffered a torn Achilles and torn ACL in back-to-back seasons, so he likely won’t cost much more than the veteran’s minimum. Re-signing Shepard on a cheap one-year deal would be great value for the Giants, and contain very little risk. Daboll has talked about how much Shepard means to this team. He’s a veteran leader who must come back.

The Giants receiving core is in better shape than many believe heading into 2023. Isaiah Hodgins will hopefully return. Don’t forget about Wan’Dale Robinson and Collin Johnson, both of whom are also coming off torn ACLs. People are worried about Shepard’s injury history, but with some more wiggle room cap wise, getting him back in blue next fall makes too much sense.

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