Day 1 of free agency flew by and the NY Giants had themselves quite a time. While Joe Schoen made some darn good moves, this doesn't mean he didn't miss out on some potential game-changers for New York. We have trust in Schoen, but we wish he could have been a little more aggressive out of the gates.
These six players were reported targets for Schoen and Co., yet they decided to sign elsewhere. We have to give Schoen props for landing Brian Burns in a blockbuster trade, while also improving the offensive line with the additions of Jon Runyan Jr. and Jermaine Eluemunor. However, it stings knowing these guys won't be with the G-Men in 2024:
7. RB Tony Pollard
Imagine sticking it to the Dallas Cowboys a bit by bringing in Tony Bollard on a 2-3 year deal. This was very much in the works, with multiple reports stating the Giants had interest in the speedster. From the start, it was a long shot the Giants were going to re-sign Saquon Barkley (more on that later in this piece).
In the end, Pollard agreed to a three-year, $24 million deal with the Tennessee Titans, where he'll take over the starting role for the departing Derrick Henry. With Pollard off the board, Schoen went in a different direction at RB, bringing in former Texans and Bills running back Devin Singletary on a three-year agreement.
Singletary is coming off the best season of his career, posting 898 rushing yards in 2023. In his five years in the league, Singletary has more than 4,000 yards to his name. He was a bit cheaper than Pollard too, with his contract coming in at three years for $16.5 million (worth up to $19.5). Yes, Schoen didn't make things happen with Pollard, but Singletary can prove to be a quality move too.
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6. EDGE Bryce Huff
Early on in the offseason, it was reported that the Giants were interested in Bryce Huff, an undrafted rising star from the Jets who hit the open market. Unfortunately, though, Huff will join the Eagles on a three-year, $51 million deal. Another power move from Howie Roseman? Looks like it.
Huff was coming off by far the best season of his young career, racking up 29 tackles, 10 sacks, and 67 pressures. Given how much the Jets have invested in their pass-rush, it's not surprising to see them save money by letting Huff walk.
As for the Eagles, their defense completely fell apart in the second half of the season, so improving thngs up front makes sense. While they should realistically be targeting secondary players, we know how much Roseman loves his pass-rushers.
Fortunately for the Giants, they managed to pull off a monster deal, acquiring Burns from the Panthers. The trio of Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Dexter Lawrence is absolutely wild. Is this the best DL in the league? We think so, and it certainly will make people forget about missing out on Huff.
5. OG Jonah Jackson
One of the most sought-after guards in free agency this offseason was Lions guard Jonah Jackson. Given that Jackson plays a position of need for the Giants, it was assumed that Schoen would target the 27-year-old hoss. However, it didn't take very long for another team to swoop in and snag Jackson from the market.
Jackson agreed to terms with the Rams on a three-year, $51 million deal just like Huff. Schoen would eventually find his guard replacement in the form of Jon Runyan Jr., but he likely won't have the same impact as Jackson.
Regardless, we're just glad that the Giants eventually signed a guard because last year's offensive line was a disaster that could not be repeated. Hopefully, Runyan pans out and isn't another dud like former Giant Mark Glowinski.
4. RB Saquon Barkley
In a heartbreaking twist of events, Giants star running back Saquon Barkley opted for the Eagles on a three-year, $37.75 million deal. We understand this move for Barkley for a few reasons, but that doesn't change the fact that he back-stabbed the Giants and their fans.
Barkley is a Pennsylvania native and went to Penn State, so his local ties make for a compelling reason to join the Eagles. This, combined with their elite offensive line and Super Bowl aspirations only added fuel to the fire. Not to mention that Roseman and company finally gave Barkley the money he deserved.
Time will only tell if this move will work out for the Eagles, but given Barkley's previous production behind poor offensive lines, it seems like a match made in heaven for the two sides. If Barkley can stay healthy, he has the chance to finally reach the potential that made him worth being selected No. 2 overall back in 2018.
3. OG Robert Hunt
One of the more surprising moves from the first day of free agency was the Panthers deciding to give former Dolphin Robert Hunt a massive five-year, $100 million contract. While this was likely way out of the Giants' price range, they were still rumored to have been interested in the guard and we can't blame Hunt for taking such a massive payday.
Hunt is a good player, there's no doubting that, but making him one of the highest-paid players at his position is a little crazy. In 11 games with the Dolphins last season, he allowed five pressures and one sack, which are very good numbers.
We'll have to wait and see if the 27-year-old OG keeps up the production. Given the Panthers' poor personnel decisions over the last couple of years, they likely can't afford to miss on another player, especially one who makes so much. Hunt to the G-Men would have been nice, but it's not going to go down.
2. S Xavier McKinney
It seemed doomed from the start, but there was still hope that the Giants and Xavier McKinney could work out a deal to keep the two sides together. However, just like Barkley, McKinney left on a massive payday, choosing the Packers and a four-year, $68 million contract.
This makes sense for the Packers, as they had lost starting safety Darnell Savage to the Jaguars and made several cuts to have more spending money in free agency. Now, with McKinney, Green Bay has one of the NFL's youngest, and best safeties to pair alongside stars like Jaire Alexander and Rashan Gary for their defense.
The Packers have been building an impressive defense in recent seasons and McKinney will make for a fine addition to this unit. The 24-year-old DB was the highest-graded coverage safety in the NFL last season according to PFF and was paid like it.
Hopefully, Schoen has a backup plan at safety because right now, a unit of Dane Belton and Jason Pinnock is not looking very ideal. Perhaps Belton could break out, but given his lack of improvement in the run game, we're questionable about his potential. The NFL Draft will be key for a McKinney replacement, with names like Jaden Hicks and Javon Bullard being ones to watch.
1. OL Mike Onwenu
We were hoping that if Schoen was to make one splash in free agency, it would be acquiring Patriots offensive lineman Mike Onwenu. However, just like everyone else on this list, our dreams did not come true and Onwenu re-signed with the Patriots on a three-year, $57 million deal.
Onwenu was a top target in free agency due to his impressive versatility. The Commanders, Titans, and Giants were all reported to be interested in the 26-year-old OG, but for one reason or another, he opted to stay in New England.
According to some reports, Onwenu could have potentially gotten a higher paycheck, but he's clearly invested in what the Patriots are building. His experience at both guard spots, and right tackle, will make him an incredibly valuable player for New England.
It's unfortunate that the Giants couldn't make a deal work with the Onwenu, but at least Schoen made a few sneaky moves to bolster the line. Hopefully, these moves pan out so the Giants can finally have a functioning group up front that won't drive fans mad.