The NY Giants are in a much better position salary cap wise than they’ve been in a long time, but that doesn’t mean they’re batting 1,000 with the contracts they’ve doled out. Dave Gettleman had the franchise in knots when Joe Schoen took over the team’s roster, and there’s been a ton of movement over the last two seasons due to the former general manager’s transgressions.
Regardless, Schoen has his fingerprints all over this season’s roster, and the team’s current financial makeup. Every NFL team has a couple of contracts they’d like to be without, and the Giants aren’t an exception to that rule. Here are the four worst on the team, as the franchise looks to bounce back in 2024, with training camp officially underway.
4. WR Darius Slayton
It’s true that Darius Slayton has been the Giants best wide receiver since he’s come into the NFL. It’s also true that Slayton’s contract was a bit of a bargain when Schoen and Co. signed him to it. However, the unfortunate truth is that he’ll be the team’s WR4 in all likelihood in 2024, making it a steep price to pay.
Slayton has one season remaining on his deal, which carries a hit of almost $8 million for 2024. He’s been Daniel Jones’ most reliable target throughout his time in the NFL, but some recent additions have made Slayton expendable, like Malik Nabers and Jalin Hyatt. They’re simply more exciting, and will take up a lionshare of the targets in 2024.
However, there’s some interesting depth behind Slayton, like Bryce Ford-Wheaton and Isaiah McKenzie. While Slayton has proven more valuable than expected during his time in New York, there’s only so many targets that can go around. His pricepoint doesn’t exactly match his value, and the Giants would’ve been better off spending their change elsewhere in 2024. Who knows, a trade could still come this summer too.
3. OT Evan Neal
Evan Neal may only be taking up a little less than three percent of the Giants’ cap, but his play hasn’t warranted the massive contract a first-round selection receives after the NFL Draft. His hit is a bit under $7 million for the 2024 campaign, but Neal’s been providing the Giants with below average play since coming into the NFL, and that doesn’t look like it’s going to change in 2024.
While the Giants had hoped their revamped offensive line would include the former Alabama star, it doesn’t seem like there’s a spot for Neal any longer. After he began training camp on the PUP list, the Giants have done some shifting, and once they get comfortable with their starting five, if Neal’s not in it, that could spell bad news for the offensive lineman.
It may feel silly to give up on Neal without seeing him under some new leadership, but the Giants have to be running out of patience. He’s been the equivalent of a traffic cone on the field, and he hasn’t shown the character the team hoped off the field, which is more surprising than anything. It’s not a massive contract, but with the play he’s provided, Neal’s deal feels like a black hole.
2. K Graham Gano
Graham Gano is slated to have a cap hit of over $7 million in 2024. That’d be fine if he was kicking like he’s shown in the past in New York. However, if the Gano of 2023 shows up this season, the team has a massive problem on their hands.
While Gano was more than reliable during his first couple of seasons with the Giants, leading to Schoen inking him to a huge extension for a kicker, he didn’t show that reliable leg in 2023. From Week 1 until he opted to have season-ending knee surgery, Gano was a bit off. His injury had a negative impact on him, but still, he missed kicks that used to be automatic for him.
At the least, the Giants can get out of Gano’s contract at the end of the season. If he’s back to his reliable self in 2024, it’s a price the Giants will be happy to pay for their kicker. However, if the inconsistent Gano returns to the lineup, it’s curtains for the Scottish boot, and he’ll be looking for a new franchise to call home next season.
1. QB Daniel Jones
The worst contract on the Giants is an easy one to come up with. Taking up almost 20 percent of their salary cap in 2024, Jones will be expected to return to the form that made Schoen ink him to a massive extension. However, that’s far from a guarantee and his $47.85 million cap hit for '24 is a total nightmare.
While Jones’ contract for 2024 is astronomical, the saving grace is the out the Giants have after this season. While they could always choose to keep Jones afterwards, his injury history and inconsistent play would make that a surprise outcome. Then again, Jones being signed to one of the larger contracts for a quarterback at the time of his new deal was one, as well.
The best case scenario for the Giants and Jones is that he returns to the 2022 play that made New York want him to be their quarterback of the present and future. It’s evident Brian Daboll and Schoen believe in his abilities when healthy, and with a weak 2025 quarterback class, not having to reach for a signal-caller would be huge. The ball, and the future of the Giants, is in the quarterback’s court in 2024, it seems.