Eight Upcoming UFAs the Giants Should Consider Signing

The New York Giants need a lot of assistance on the roster because of the urgency produced by a dismal second season. The Giants will need to find the best possible balance between adding through free agency and the draft since they have limited resources.

The Giants now have $11,629,144 in effective salary space to sign players under the Top 51 criteria, according to Over the salary. However, after roster cuts and restructures are completed, that amount is anticipated to rise. The offensive and defensive lines, along with other concerns around the perimeter, are the Giants’ biggest areas of need at the moment.

Some well-known players are expected to enter the market as free agents and will come with hefty price tags. We assembled this list of prospective Giants free-agent targets based on need and what we believed would be a more affordable cost.

Josh Jacobs, RB, Oakland

Josh Jacobs might be the best option for the Giants if they are willing to let go of Saquon Barkley but still need a reliable back. Jacob is a vintage workhorseback with excellent balance, a very rugged running style, and a track record of durability.

Jacobs might be signed to a one-year contract, which he would probably use to establish himself as the league’s best back after having a disappointing season in which he averaged the fewest yards per carry of his career. Whether or not the Giants intend to retain him after 2024, it may work to their advantage.

The Colts’ Michael Pittman, WR

Pittman plays with his size and strength. He is what the Giants brass likely believed they had discovered in Isaiah Hodges, the breakout receiver for 2022. Pittman has spent the last three seasons consuming receptions. In 2021, during his first year as a full-time starter, he grabbed 88 receptions for 1082 yards.

He hauled in 109 receptions for 1,152 yards in the previous campaign. His four years as a professional have been particularly impressive because, during that period, he has had three different head coaches and seven different starting quarterbacks.

Although a lot of people believe that the Giants should seek Bucs WR Mike Evans, Evans is a bigger, younger receiver that the Giants could sign for a significantly lower price and use in their plans for the next three to five years.

OG/OT Onwenu Michael, Patriots

The Giants want Evan Neal to be their right tackle in 2024, but they need a reliable backup plan in case he doesn’t perform well.

Onwenu steps in at this point. He had already shown himself to be a top-tier guard in the league before 2023, but he also excelled at right tackle after the team had to switch him there due to injuries. That implies that he may kick to the right side and replace Neal if he keeps playing poorly, or he could use his strength and quickness to blend in next to Andrew Thomas as the Giants’ left guard.

The Giants should target the offensive line with their biggest free-agent acquisition, and Onwenu’s versatility would make the investment worthwhile.

NFL’s Kevin Dotson, OG

The former Ragin’ Cajun guard, 27, has shown promise as a full-time starter for the Rams in 2023 and Pittsburgh in 2022. Dotson is a quintessential guard at 6’4″ and 321 pounds, with the ability to play either side of the center with ease.

Over the past two seasons, Dotson has been a prime-time run blocker, helping the Steelers and Colts offenses increase their running totals when he was in the starting lineup. Finally, he could bring stability and consistency to an interior that has never been durable, steady, or reliable.

Jets’ Edge Bryce HuffIn his fourth season with the Jets, Huff had a breakout year, setting a career high in receptions. As a backup, he hauled in ten sacks. Even though they are not starters, the Giants absolutely need to produce sacks. The Giants can attack teams with a greater number of edge rushers.

The Giants may be able to get explosive depth at the position, something they haven’t had in a long time, if they add a player like Huff and let him play a role like what he has done previously in his career.

Of course, could Huff be more polished? Does he currently have more of a one-trick pony role in his career? Indeed.

Leonard Floyd, DE, Bills

Floyd plays defense like a regular end. This implies that he may perform in a four-tech or off-edge setting. Despite his 6’3″ and 240 pounds, he appears taller than he actually is. When the season starts, he will be thirty-two years old, but if the previous four seasons are any guide, he doesn’t feel like he is aging off.

Over the last four seasons, he has collected at least nine sacks; in 2023, he will tie his career high of 10.5 sacks, which he achieved in 2019 during his debut season with the Rams.

Floyd has performed admirably as a run defender in addition to rushing the quarterback. He can move beyond blockers and chase down rushers with his athleticism; he could be a valuable, experienced player to share trade secrets with Azeez Ojualri and Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Leonard Williams, DL, Seattle

Indeed, the Giants dealt him away in order to maximize his value last season, knowing that the season would not end. Williams will probably move from being seen as an overpriced player to a value-added element now that he is ready to become a free agent.

Williams has a lot more to give in this league, as demonstrated by the way he complemented Dexter Lawrence against whichever front the Giants choose to run.

David Lavonte, ILB, Buccaneers

More than 130 tackles in a year for David. In the history of the NFL, he has been among the most reliable linebackers. Micah McFadden missed a lot of tackles in the previous season, even with his play improving and his second season being rather strong overall.

David doesn’t make mistakes. When he teams up with Bobby Okereke, the NFL’s most formidable tandem is formed. Although David is growing older, his performance has not decreased. At thirty-four, he might be ready for a change of scenery, and the Giants should ask him if he’s open to it.