The initial bonkers wave of free agency is over, and so now the New York Giants will pivot from "holy cow, blockbuster addition," to "that's a nice depth piece... I like that depth piece." But it's not just the G-Men. It's happening across the league as the free agent herd has been picked off by the other 31 teams.
I'm talking one-year prove-it deals, low-risk steals, and veteran feels.
Now is the time when teams show what they’re made of. Anyone can overpay for a star in the first wave of free agency. The hard part is finding the right depth piece that could secretly hold the power of turning an entire season around. Those are the moves that make or break a season.
So when NFL insider Mike Garafolo reported that a team like the Baltimore Ravens stole veteran cornerback Chidobe Awuzie right from under their noses and brought him back on a one-year deal -- a player who would have been such a perfect John Harbaugh pickup -- it’s frustrating:
The #Ravens have agreed to terms on a deal with CB Chidobe Awuzie, source says. Back to Baltimore for Awuzie, who had five starts in 14 games played for the team last year. pic.twitter.com/Es1yeGU0H0
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 11, 2026
Awuzie could have been an unreal, cheap, under-the-radar addition to Big Blue's cornerback room, and one Ravens expert all but shouted it from the rooftops.
Giants miss out on ideal John Harbaugh reunion with Chidobe Awuzie
Resident Ravens expert and Ebony Bird site leader Connor Burke has to be loving life now that the Flock officially re-signed the 30-year-old to a one-year deal. He told GMENHQ in an exclusive interview what Big Blue Nation is missing out on:
"In the NFL, you can never have too many good corners. Even into his 30s, Awuzie remains just that. While the Ravens’ secondary was abysmal in 2025, Awuzie consistently held up his end of the bargain. His physicality makes him a problem on the boundary, and his experience can boost any secondary.
It’s not easy to find cornerbacks still playing at a high level deep into their careers, but Awuzie has shown he can still be a capable starter."
So yeah, shoulda, coulda, woulda been pretty nice having a guy like that on the team instead of... well... no one.
Awuzie would have been the exact type of low-risk, high-reward addition who would instantly make the CB room better. He’s still a savvy boundary corner who knows how to play physical and wouldn’t have needed much time to fit into new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson’s defense, because he already played in it in Tennessee.
Even though the G-Men have signed Greg Newsome II and Ar'Darius Washington, the secondary still needs help, especially with Cor'Dale Flott leaving for the Titans. The former Colorado Buffalo might be getting up there in age, but he still could have been a great addition to the team. It's a major bummer the Giants missed out on such a seemingly easy deal.