5 moves the NY Giants can make to be NFC East contenders in 2024
Joe Schoen needs to work his magic in free agency for the G-Men
Last season didn't go as planned for the NY Giants and moving into 2024, the team seemingly doesn't have a set direction. While this isn't necessarily the best thing, it does open the door for New York to go in two different directions. On one hand, the Giants could break things down and rebuild, and on the other, they can shock fans and stock up on players in order to push towards contention.
If Joe Schoen goes down the path of contention, he needs to start by making some splashes in free agency. The Giants will be in (hopefully) on some top targets. With that said, here are five moves NY and Schoen can make to get them back in the NFC East title hunt:
5. Re-sign Xavier McKinney
Two of the top playmakers on the Giants over the last couple of seasons are hitting the open market in free agency and fans are worried that they may not return in 2024. While New York has limited cap space and these two likely want big contracts, re-signing at least one of them would likely play a big role in how well the team performs next season.
Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney have been two of the most consistent players for the Giants on both sides of the ball. However, Barkley had a down season in '23 and with there being so many needs on offense, we think Schoen should put more of an emphasis on bringing McKinney back to help bolster the defense.
We understand the conversations surrounding the importance of safeties in the modern NFL. However, with Adoree' Jackson likely walking, and no immediate backup plan for McKinney, letting a top coverage defensive back walk in free agency may not be ideal. While we would have liked to see Schoen slap a transition tag on the 24-year-old DB, we're still confident the two sides can strike a deal.
McKinney was one of the best coverage safeties in the NFL, having the best pass coverage grade amongst safeties while racking up 116 tackles as well. This type of versatility was super important to the Giants' defense and losing that to save cap space could have some negative repercussions.