It goes without saying, but NY Giants general manager Joe Schoen has a ton of decisions to make this offseason. He needs to continue to add talent to this depleted roster, while determining the future of some of the core players the team currently has.
The future of players like Saquon Barkley, Xavier McKinney, and Isaiah Simmons, who Schoen traded for, are yet to be determined. With many of their big-name players seemingly going to free agency, Schoen can ill afford to lose some of the core pieces on the team.
With that said, Schoen can also go a long way in bringing key pieces back/signing studs in free agency by creating some cap space. According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, one move in particular will generate $14.4 million. Oh, and said move is a no-brainer: restructuring the deal of Andrew Thomas.
💰 Giants can add $14.4 million in cap space with a max restructure to Andrew Thomas' deal, per Dan Duggan of The Athletic #NYG #BigBlue #NYGiants pic.twitter.com/wCeFT6QEQt
— Fireside Giants (@FiresideGiants) February 8, 2024
The Giants restructuring Andrew Thomas' contract is a no-brainer
The 25-year-old offensive lineman is already one of the best tackles in the entire league. Thomas is coming off signing a massive five-year deal worth $117.5 million. The Giants have invested in Thomas heavily and he has paid them back with some outstanding play.
The organization and fans alike love Thomas and want him to be the Giants franchise left tackle for the next decade or more. If Schoen can kick that money down the road and open up some more money for the offseason, it will go a long way towards them adding some much-needed players to this team. Playmakers on each side of the ball are necessary to get NY back to be the yearly contender they once were.
Rumors have already started to swirl about the Giants potentially moving on from veteran players Darren Waller, guard Mark Glowinski, and wide receiver Darius Slayton, who has quietly been one of the Giants most consistent and productive weapons.
Cutting the three players could give Schoen a lot more to work with financially, but it would further weaken an already anemic offense. Instead, re-working Thomas' deal feels like the best move to make. Who knows, maybe it could play a role in Schoen finally reaching an agreement with Barkley on an extension.