4 free agents the NY Giants were wise to stay away from in free agency

In his second season leading the New York Giants into free agency, general nanager Joe Schoen has made it clear that he is looking to construct the best roster that he can. Following the move to extend quarterback Daniel Jones and franchise tag running back Saquon Barkley, Schoen and the Giants attacked free agency. With the trade to acquire Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller, and the signing of Indianapolis Colts linebacker Bobby Okereke, the team has already added elite playmakers.

But, Schoen could have chosen to approach free agency differently. By targeting other players, and giving out different contracts, this team could look drastically different and not in a good way. Here’s a look at four guys Schoen and Co. were smart to stay away from:

4: Browns DT Dalvin Tomlinson

During the four seasons that defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson spent with the Giants, he became a fan-favorite. Over 64 games with the team, he recorded 207 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 20 quarterback hits, and eight sacks.

Following his departure from the Giants, Tomlinson landed with the Minnesota Vikings. During his two years with the team, he played well. As he hit free agency, he was rewarded with a strong contract.

Tomlinson agreed to a four-year deal worth up to $57 million with the Cleveland Browns. For the level that he has played at, this deal makes sense. But for a Giants team that is looking to improve the defensive front, this is not the type of contract that they could have afforded to give out.

During the Combine, Schoen stated that the team will look to add depth on the defensive front. Targeting a player of Tomlinson’s caliber could have been an option. But instead, they targeted a depth piece on a much more affordable option. This comes with the addition of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches.