The New York Giants have a big offseason ahead after their worst season in franchise history, and it will take an active free agency period from Joe Schoen and Big Blue’s front office.
Schoen was scrutinized countless times last offseason for not offering star running back Saquon Barkley an extension. Hard Knocks gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the negotiation process with Barkley, which exposed the Giants' front office and did not make Schoen look good to the New York media and fans.
Barkley left the Giants to join division rival Philadelphia Eagles, where he is coming off the best season of his career. The veteran running back now looks to help the Eagles win their first Super Bowl since 2017 next Sunday in New Orleans against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Safety Xavier McKinney also left the Giants last offseason, signing with the Green Bay Packers. Like Barkley, he is coming off his best season in the NFL with his new team. This past year, McKinney had 60 tackles, eight interceptions, and 11 passes defended, earning his first All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. McKinney did not receive an offer from the Giants either last offseason.
During a recent podcast interview with The 33rd Team, McKinney revealed to Ari Meirov that he could tell early on, before the free agency window even opened, that the New York Giants had no plans to retain him. McKinney added that he wasn’t surprised when Schoen and the Giants didn’t offer him an extension and that the team simply went in a different direction.
This news is frustrating, as McKinney was well-liked among Giants fans and spent four seasons in New York. It’s disappointing that Schoen and the team didn’t plan to bring back Barkley or McKinney. McKinney’s comments about the Giants raise questions about Schoen’s approach to free agency and whether he’ll take the same approach with this year’s class.
What other likable free agents could Joe Schoen let walk this offseason?
Could McKinney’s comments about knowing the Giants weren’t going to bring him back expose Schoen’s free agency strategy? And could the Giants' front office be planning to do the same thing again this offseason with their unrestricted free agents?
Well, the short answer is yes. This doesn’t help Schoen or the Giants’ reputation, and some players set to hit the open market may already be planning their next destinations. Some may already know they won’t return to New York in 2025.
Veteran wideout Darius Slayton and linebacker Azeez Ojulari are two players who will likely leave in free agency, and Schoen and the front office have probably already given them an idea. Both were trade candidates at this year’s deadline, but the team failed to move either.
The Giants struggled to restructure Slayton’s contract during training camp, which prevented the veteran from participating in team activities like OTAs. While the team and Slayton ultimately agreed on a new contract in time for preseason action and the regular season, it’s widely assumed that 2024 was his last year with the organization.
Ojulari, on the other hand, will likely not receive an offer from the Giants because the team has more pressing needs to prioritize this offseason. New York knows Ojulari’s injury history first-hand, which would add to Schoen’s hesitancy in bringing him back, even on a team-friendly contract. Several teams should express interest in Ojulari after an impressive 2024 campaign, but the Giants won’t be one of them.