1. CB Darnay Holmes
Entering last season, many thought that Darnay Holmes was primed for a breakout year following some incredible performances during training camp. Despite this, he didn't break out at all, in fact, Holmes was rather disappointing considering how many opportunities he was given to take a step up and be a difference-maker for the Giants' defense.
Now, entering the 2023 season, it seems like Holmes very well could be released due to how much money would be freed up by doing so. Alongside this, there are plenty of cheaper, more tantalizing young players in the secondary who very well could earn a spot over Holmes on the depth chart.
The Giants currently have $575K in a cap space. They'll need roughly $2.5M to sign their draft class. A breakdown of when those signings could happen, and why the Giants might need to create some cap space by the weekend: https://t.co/ouZQtGq7CN pic.twitter.com/DwpV5Ohkhm
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) May 1, 2023
Last season, Holmes racked up 40 combined tackles while allowing 43 receptions on 66 targets for 456 yards and one touchdown. While Holmes made some very impressive plays as a run-stopper, he struggled heavily in coverage at times throughout the season. In addition to this, Holmes was also responsible for nine penalties - not good.
Maybe Holmes has more left in the tank, but with the flashes players like Cor'Dale Flott and Aaron Robinson have shown us, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Holmes be let go of in order to free up snaps for these two players.
Even if these two don't play well, the decision to release Holmes makes too much sense financially to not go through with. Oh, and don't forget about NY's first-round pick in Deonte Banks. Adding a star like him could make the Holmes call easier for Schoen.
READ MORE: 3 reasons the NY Giants got things right with the Deonte Banks trade