With the second week of free agency underway and most of the big names already signed, there are still some household names yet to drop. From quarterback Kirk Cousins and wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill to linemen like Joel Bitonio and Taylor Decker, teams can still address plenty of needs they may have.
The New York Giants have been active most days, signing big-name players like Isaiah Likely and Jordan Stout (yes, punters are important) while also surprising many with the re-signings of offensive linemen Evan Neal and Josh Ezeudu, two players most fans thought they had seen the last of.
New head coach John Harbaugh stated that he is coming in and giving players a blank slate, and that clearly is what he intends to do. While the Giants have retained some of these players for now, that won’t keep them from being active. They have already stated they still plan to add more players in free agency, specifically interior offensive linemen and defensive tackles.
While they more than likely won’t be making a splash signing, they remain confident they will sign veterans at both positions to improve them. So with that, let’s take a look at six players the Giants can sign to help bolster both sides of the trenches.
1. Greg Van Roten
This is the obvious one. Van Roten has been with the G-Men for the past two years after spending time with right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor and offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo. Van Roten was a staple of an offensive line unit that finished top ten in the league for the first time in a decade.
While he is older at 36 years old, he has still played the right guard position at a high level, and if the Giants plan to just run it back with the same unit from 2025, Van Roten needs to be brought back. He brought stability to the line with a solid pass-blocking grade and an even better run-blocking grade.
2. Brady Christensen
At 29 years old, Brady Christensen is a highly versatile offensive lineman. This past season, he was off to a good start until he blew his Achilles in Week 9. Christensen is able to play every position on the offensive line, which could also provide some depth for the Giants. Christensen is a reliable guard, solid in pass protection, and very good in the run game. He would be a younger option and could come cheap since he is coming off a season-ending injury last year.
Right now, the Giants’ options at right guard are Evan Neal and Joshua Ezeudu. Neither of them have proven to be reliable options, and neither is a lock to even make the team. If the Giants choose not to draft a day-one starting type like Vega Loane out of Penn State in the first round, they could turn to a vet like Christensen on a team-friendly prove-it deal.
Christensen could prove to be a quality starter for a team that wants to get back to the ground-and-pound game. With a smashmouth offense the Giants are installing, they’re going to need maulers up front, and Christensen can be a leader on that unit.
3. Joel Bitonio
Probably one of the biggest names still available, Joel Bitonio is still a free agent as of the second week of free agency. While his running mate, 31-year-old Wyatt Teller, just signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Houston Texans, the 34-year-old Bitonio still sits on the market. With age and a major injury being major factors, teams may be wary of committing any big money to the lineman. Bitonio is coming off a foot injury that sidelined him for the last 11 weeks of the NFL season.
With offensive line coaching ties to new Giants offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren, maybe there is a chance the Giants could lure Bitonio to MetLife. Chances seem slim after they failed to draw much interest from Teller, but if they could land the guard, the Giants would be signing a major boost to their offensive line. Bitonio could add great veteran leadership and communication on and off the field to an offensive line that wants to continue its upward trend and build on where it left off last season.
4. DJ Reader
One of the most talked-about defensive linemen still available is D.J. Reader. Reader, only 32, is one of the best defensive linemen in the league at stopping the run. He is known league-wide as a space eater and an elite game wrecker. The Giants need to add Reader to an abysmal run defense, which was one of the worst in the league.
For a long time, the Giants have been trying to fix the run defense with one-year quick fixes. They need to stop trying to apply a Band-Aid to the spot next to Dexter Lawrence and invest in a real quality player. Harbaugh has stated that he wants to heavily invest and finally fix the run defense, yet has not added a quality player on the interior. Reader can fix that ASAP.
5. DaQuan Jones
An older but also reliable option for the interior defensive line is DaQuan Jones. At 34, his prime may be behind him, but the 6-foot-44, 320-pound tackle still managed to be a reliable starter for the Bills defense this past season. Jones is known for eating and beating double teams, as well as being stout on the goal line.
If the G-Men can sign the veteran run-stopping defensive tackle for a low price, it’ll go a very long way toward fixing the run defense they desperately need to address. They added a very good run-stuffing linebacker in Tremaine Edmunds, and if they can get a run-stuffing lineman next to Lawrence who can eat double teams and allow linebackers to play clean, the defense can get back to being the tough, stout unit fans are used to. Rookie Darius Alexander could learn a great deal from the 12-year pro.
6. Greg Gaines
New York has a chance to make their first move for the defensive interior if it can sign seven-year veteran Greg Gaines. Gaines, still only 29 years old, is a cheaper option but a very cost-effective one. Gaines, listed at 6-foot-1, 312 pounds, is a reliable run-stuffing tackle. Gaines had a down year in his last season with the Bucs, but he has also been looked at as a reliable piece along the defensive line.
Gaines is known for using his leverage to hold up well against double teams, as well as his ability to plug gaps. Even if not a full-time starter, Gaines is a good rotational piece who could greatly help improve the Giants’ run defense.
Many people are shocked that the Giants haven’t made a single move on the defensive line in free agency. With the draft a little less than a month away, they still have time to get something done. The Giants say they remain active with free agents and will continue to wait the market out to see if they can add quality to the roster. Only time will tell if they can get something done.