Throughout the history of the NY Giants, we have seen some pretty incredible talents suit up for the team. While many have stuck around for the long run, we have seen the teams' various front offices let some guys go. Some of these decisions have been good, however, others have not and have even hurt the Giants at times.
Despite how successful the Giants have been in the past, it still hurts to think about what could have been. These four players were with New York at one time or another and were promptly let go. Following this, they went on to have successful careers with other teams, making the Giants regret their decisions:
4. DL Linval Joseph
Selected 46th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft, Linval Joseph would spend four seasons with the NY Giants before they opted not to extend his rookie contract. Following this, Joseph would go on to have a very long career as one of the better defensive tackles of the 2010s.
After leaving the Giants, Joseph would sign with the Vikings where he would stay for the next six seasons. During this time, Joseph would make two Pro Bowls and establish himself as one of the better run-stopping tackles in the NFL. He was never a superstar, but he always brought consistently good play to the table.
If the Giants had opted to keep Joseph, he could have provided some incredibly solid veteran play during the team's transition from Super Bowl contenders, to rebuild. While losing him wasn't the end of the world, it certainly hurt to watch Joseph succeed for another team.
The Giants have almost always had incredibly stacked defensive lines throughout the team's history, so it's not surprising to see the team have to shed some talented players in order to free up room for other star players. However, it still would have been nice for New York to have kept the Pro Bowler during their rebuilding period.