Giants quietly double down on physical identity right before free agency

Man, it hurts to be a tight end without a contract. Fortunately, New York Giants tight end Chris Manhertz wouldn't know what that feels like.

Terrible dad jokes aside, just hours before the league's legal tampering period opened, Adam Schefter reported that the Giants were bringing back the soon-to-be 34-year-old on a one-year deal:

Chris Manhertz remains Giants’ go-to sixth offensive lineman

Bringing back the 6-foot-6, 235-pounder is in line with what Giants fans have seen over the past week or so. They brought back wide receiver/kick returner Gunner Olszewski for another year, restructured Devin Singletary's deal, and cut James Hudson and Bobby Okereke.

It's becoming more obvious by the day that cap flexibility is going to dictate a lot of their decisions, which is a refreshing change of pace to how they've operated in the

Manhertz isn’t back in North Jersey to catch passes, and everyone involved seems perfectly fine with that. The 33-year-old has carved out a long career doing the dirty work, functioning more like a sixth offensive lineman than a vertical threat.

For an offense that wants to lean into a more physical identity under new head coach John Harbaugh, bringing back a guy who isn't afraid of a little contact makes a lot of sense.

It also doesn’t hurt that the deal barely moves the financial needle. It's a one-year, vet-minimum deal -- about as low-risk as it gets. The G-Men bring back a reliable blocker and special teams contributor without tying up cap space they’ll need elsewhere during free agency.

Manhertz’s return also quietly tells you something about how the tight end room might shake out. Theo Johnson is still expected to be the primary receiving option at the position, while Thomas Fidone II will likely continue developing behind him. Bringing Manhertz back gives the group a veteran presence and a specialist who knows exactly what his job is, which is sometimes all a coaching staff really wants from a depth piece.