For some NFL teams, this time of year is dedicated to celebrating playoff success. For the NY Giants, though, they're stuck at home and tasked with making multiple difficult decisions before the start of the 2024 season. With somewhat limited cap space, multiple expiring contracts, and tons of positions in need of improvement, Joe Schoen is going to be in rough waters trying to navigate this upcoming offseason.
However, these five decisions stick out a little more than the rest. Not only could they have a real impact on the Giants' future, but if Schoen messes them up, the 2024 season may be over before it even starts.
5. Should the G-Men spend big on a new pass-rusher?
One of the biggest issues with the Giants' defense last season was their pass-rush, despite making some pretty big investments. Whether it be drafting Kayvon Thibodeaux No. 5 overall, giving Dexter Lawrence a massive contract, or taking Azeez Ojulari 50th overall, past and present Giants executives have made no shortage of attempted upgrades to the front five.
Despite this, New York's pass-rush still ranked 29th in sacks and 20th in pressures, so it's pretty clear these investments aren't paying off. While Thibodeaux and Lawrence have had incredible individual success, the rest of the unit hasn't shown up. This leads us to suspect that Schoen could potentially be in the market for another top tier pass-rusher this offseason with the limited cap space the team has.
While the Giants are likely going to have a little more than $20 million in cap space after the draft and some contract changes, they may still have the flexibility to bring someone in. Some of the potential options this offseason include Danielle Hunter, Josh Allen, and Brian Burns. All of these players will bring hefty price tags, but if the Giants want to really build up this pass-rush, it may be a price worth paying.
4. Re-signing Xavier McKinney
This may not seem like a difficult decision to some, but with Xavier McKinney potentially wanting $12+ million per season, it wouldn't seem crazy to see the Giants maybe be a little hesitant to bring the 24-year-old safety back on such a big deal. Despite this, we really think McKinney would be worth every penny because he truly does provide a ton of value to the Giants' defense.
Last season, McKinney was one of three players in the entire NFL to play every single snap on defense, which is impressive in its own right. Alongside this, he also had the highest pass coverage grade amongst all corners and safeties according to PFF.
His abilities to make a difference in the run and pass game makes him super valuable, so to reset at his position when the option to re-sign him is right there just seems silly. We hope Schoen doesn't find this decision too difficult, but hearing what some fans have said about McKinney over the years makes us think the odds of him coming back could be lower than we think.
3. To draft a QB, or not to draft a QB
One of the biggest conversations surrounding the Giants this draft cycle is whether or not they are going to draft a QB with the No. 6 overall pick. While there are certainly some incredible QB prospects in this year's class, this does not mean they will all be available.
For example, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are two potentially generational prospects, which means it would take a miracle for them to fall to six - it's not going to happen. This leaves the Giants with guys like Jayden Daniels, who may be gone before No. 6 as well, Michael Penix Jr., and Bo Nix.
With all due respect to Penix and Nix, if the Giants take them in the first round, we won't be the happiest. So, this leaves them with the potential of trading up with Chicago to get the first pick to take Williams, or perhaps even taking someone in the second round.
You never know how the draft will unfold, and with the potential of Penix, or a young stud like J.J. McCarthy falling that far, Schoen could be tempted to gamble on either of them with one of their two second-round picks. Regardless, we wouldn't be surprised if Schoen opted to take a QB at some point in the draft to potentially be the future of the Giants and take over for Danny Dimes.
2. Giving Saquon Barkley a multi-year extension
This was a decision the Giants were tasked with last offseason as well. They opted to place Saquon Barkley on the non-exclusive franchise tag and now the team is right back to square one. With Barkley coming off a down season and the team having several holes in more important positions, Schoen has to question how much he trusts giving a soon to be 27-year-old running back a big-time contract.
The Giants need two new guards, potentially a right tackle, some new defensive linemen, and maybe even some corners as well. While Barkley is an incredible player, if Schoen opts to pay him big-time money with the limited cap space the team has, the rest of the team around him won't get any better, which is a problem.
We've seen how Barkley performs under bad circumstances and it gets tough to watch, so if Schoen really wants to waste both Barkley's career, and the Giants' money, then the team likely isn't going to make a move. I don't mean to come off so cruel, but unfortunately, with the state of the Giants, this is just how it is. Barkley is an incredible talent, one that has been wasted by New York thus far. We'd love to see him have success with Big Blue, but at this rate, it doesn't seem like it's going to happen.
1. Whether or not to go through on building around Daniel Jones
While Daniel Jones did have a tough season with injuries, when on the field, his play was less than ideal. This has led several Giants fans and analysts to believe the team could move on from Jones just one full campaign into his brand-new contract. Based on his stats, and what his actual film showed us, it's very easy to see why.
Through the six games he played, Jones completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 909 yards, two touchdowns, six interceptions, and four fumbles. Whether it be his inability to move off his initial read, poor decision making that came back from seasons past, or his awful pocket presence, Jones simply failed at every level.
In today's NFL, you can't win with mediocrity unless you have an absurdly elite team around said QB like the 49ers. Unfortunately, the Giants are not at that level and neither is Jones, so it may simply be time for the Giants to focus on a future without him.
While Schoen has said the current plan is to build around Jones, we don't exactly believe him considering how early it is in the offseason. Jones' run in 2022 was great, but it's time for the Giants to face reality and move on for the sake of their future. That's why Schoen pulling off a stunner to bring in an elite QB in the 2024 NFL Draft could very well happen.