With the Super Bowl behind us, the NFL offseason has officially begun, which means for John Harbaugh and the New York Giants, it's time to start constructing a roster for 2026. The G-Men will look to do this through free agency and the NFL Draft.
One of Big Blue’s priorities should be to improve its wide receiver depth, which includes Malik Nabers (returning from a season-ending ACL tear, with an unknown return date), veteran Darius Slayton, and Jalin Hyatt, who many may have forgotten is still on the active roster with his lack of playing time the last few years.
Luckily, the Giants have a few options to improve their wide receiver depth: retain Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency, draft a receiver like Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, or bring in a veteran through free agency who can complement Nabers. There may be a perfect fit with one wide receiver who already has ties to both Harbaugh and the Giants’ new offensive coordinator, Matt Nagy.
Hollywood Brown's connections to the Giants could make him a fit in NY
I’m, of course, talking about Hollywood Brown, whom Harbaugh and the Ravens drafted at pick No. 25 in 2019 out of Oklahoma. He spent two years with the Cardinals before heading to the Chiefs, where he has played the last two seasons under Nagy. So clearly, he is well-versed with the Giants’ coaching staff and how things will run on offense next year.
Hollywood’s style of play is a lot like Wan’Dale’s in that they are both shorter receivers known for their speed and catching abilities. The only significant difference is that Brown has dealt with injuries over the last few seasons, making him a cheaper option in free agency than Robinson, who is coming off a career year with the Giants and is expected to get paid wherever he ends up.
Brown missed the entire 2024 regular season with the Chiefs due to a sternoclavicular joint dislocation. He has previously played through recurring knee and hamstring issues with the Ravens, but when healthy, he is a great option to have on offense.
The Giants are projected to have only $6.9 million in cap space this offseason, which means if they want to be active in free agency, they will have to cut some players or restructure the high-value contracts of Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence, and Andrew Thomas. These moves would free up space and allow for over $40 million in total projected cap space.
Spotrac lists Brown’s projected AAV at just over $5 million. It would surprise me if he signed his next contract for more than one or two years, so regardless, the G-Men wouldn’t necessarily be making a dent in their salary cap to sign him this offseason, but they can’t do anything until they restructure some contracts or free up some space.
We’ll see how the Giants decide to address the wide receiver position through the draft and free agency, but regardless, they must surround Jaxson Dart wth weapons.