Entering the 2023 season, the NY Giants have tons of questions surrounding their roster. There are a ton of players on the Giants who are locked in to make a huge difference for this team from start to finish in 2023. However, could we see others moved before the trade deadline?
These five players may be solid, but positional upgrades, contractual issues, or a simple lack of production due to injuries may cause them to be traded away:
5. CB Rodarius Williams
While Rodarius Williams hasn't seen the field much in his career due to various injuries, he very well could have some value on the market due to the production he's had when healthy alongside his age. It certainly wouldn't be much value, but there is a chance the Giants could get a late-round pick out of Williams if an opposing team gets desperate for CB depth.
It would be nice to see Williams stick around, but it really seems like the Giants have their CB room figured out with the drafting of Deonte Banks. The odds of Williams getting snaps over Banks, Adoree' Jackson, Darnay Holmes, Aaron Robinson, or Cor'Dale Flott are slim to none, let alone some of the other players in the secondary.
Through three games last season, Williams racked up 15 tackles while allowing 10 receptions on 15 targets for 121 yards and one interception. These numbers may not be eye-popping, but the production is solid for a sixth-round pick coming off of an ACL tear.
If Schoen opted to cut Williams, the Giants would save a little under $900,000. While this is a decent amount of money, it would definitely make sense for Schoen to test the market and see if a team is willing to take a gamble on the 26-year-old DB.
4. WR Collin Johnson
There are few non-starters more interesting on the Giants than Collin Johnson. His combination of size and speed is tantalizing, but injuries have hampered his career in the NFL thus far. With all the additions to the Giants receiving core, alongside the potential upbringing of Bryce Ford-Wheaton, we could see Schoen let Johnson go.
Similar to Williams, Johnson very well could be released. However, it wouldn't surprise us one bit to see a team take a gamble on the physical traits Johnson brings to the game. While Johnson is coming back from an Achilles injury, his skill might be enough to overcome it if he can remain healthy for the 2023 season.
It's unfortunate that Johnson suffered the injury when he did. Not only was he coming off the heels of an incredible preseason, but with how poor the Giants receiving core looked, he had a real chance to be a big-time contributor to the offense.
Johnson's time in the NFL thus far has been a roller coaster. Whether he sticks with New York or goes elsewhere, we wish nothing but the best for him.
3. OT Matt Peart
At one point it seemed as if Matt Peart could be a starting tackle for the Giants. However, entering his fourth NFL season, it seems like Peart's time with New York could be coming to a close. While Peart could serve purpose as depth, the Giants have plenty of that at tackle already between Tyre Phillips and Devery Hamilton.
Teams are always looking to add offensive line depth to their team, so it makes sense that the Giants could potentially get some assets for the 25-year-old OL. Peart isn't awful by any means, but the odds of him ever receiving consistent snaps with the Giants are slim to none with Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal manning both tackle spots.
Last season, Peart played in 117 total snaps, sliding in at right tackle for the majority of them. In the 78 pass-blocking snaps Peart had, he allowed seven pressures and one sack. These numbers may not be awful, but they certainly aren't all that great.
If Schoen can manage to get any sort of asset out of Peart, it would be incredibly beneficial for the Giants. The team doesn't need to spend $1.3 million on a backup tackle considering how much Phillips and Hamilton are making this season.
2. CB Darnay Holmes
After tons of rumors floating around about the potential of Darnay Holmes getting cut, it seems like he could be here to stay, or so we thought. The Giants don't necessarily need to shed off Holmes' contract anymore. However, they also don't necessarily need him in the secondary anymore considering how disappointing of a season he had in 2022.
While he could be a nice depth piece, Holmes will at the very least be CB4 in the depth chart. There's no chance he plays over Jackson or Banks, and after what he showed during his rookie season, Flott will also likely be over Holmes on the depth chart.
The depth of the Giants' secondary hasn't been too big of a problem compared to their lack of a second dominant outside corner. New York can afford to shed some depth like Holmes in order to gain more assets.
Last season, Holmes racked up 40 combined tackles while allowing 43 receptions on 66 targets for 456 yards and one touchdown. In addition to this, Holmes was flagged in the secondary a whopping nine times. He may make some nice plays against the run occasionally, but his struggles in coverage cannot continue if he wishes to stick around.
1. RB Saquon Barkley
Call us crazy, but if contract negotiations go south and Saquon Barkley isn't given an extension, it would not surprise us one bit to see Schoen send him off in order to maximize his value. Considering how many trade rumors were surrounding the Pro Bowl running back last season, we think plenty of teams could be ready to make another run at him this fall.
This entire possibility depends on whether or not Barkley gets extended. This offseason has seen new players be signed or traded for and big names on the team get signed long term. However, the one person who hasn't been extended is Barkley. Maybe his agents are asking for too much, maybe Schoen doesn't want to trust paying a running back that much money. Regardless, something will likely be done this season.
We would hate to see Barkley go, but if the two sides can't come to an agreement and he makes it clear he won't re-sign, then it may be best to trade him away. The Giants can likely get a second or third-round pick for the two-time Pro Bowler, which isn't a bad return considering the value his position has been given in recent years.
It's been unfortunate to watch this offseason go on while Barkley remains unhappy. Hopefully, the two sides can come to an agreement soon because it's not easy to replace the production he gave us last season. Barkley is one of the best RBs in the game, but contract issues could lead to a trade - you just never know what might happen.