We take stock of where the Giants are entering the offseason as we begin laying out a plan for trying to build the 2025 team
Because we know New York Giants GM Joe Schoen is a voracious reader of Big Blue View and loves to solicit ideas for how to do his job from would-be GMs on the Internet, it is time to put forth some thoughts on how to build the 2025 Giants.
This will be done in multiple parts. We start with a simple overview of the salary cap and draft capital available, team needs and Giants free agents.
Salary cap space
To start with, a reminder that the salary cap is always fluid. We do not know what the cap for the 2025 season will be. It is projected to be $272.5 million, with the Giants having $43.38 million to spend. Twelve teams are projected to have more available cap space.
If the Giants wanted to, they could work their way to nearly $100 million in cap space on that projected $272.5 million cap with ultra-aggressive use of cuts and contract restructures. I don’t think they would go to this extent, but here is what they could do and how much each move would save. We will use the Cap Calculator at Over The Cap for our numbers.
Cuts
- PK Graham Gano (pre-June 1 cut cap savings $3.165M | post-June 1 cut savings $4.415M). For our purposes, we will consider him a post-June 1 cut.
- DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches (pre-June 1 cut cap savings ($3.6M).
Those two moves would bring the Giants to $51.395 million in cap space.
Restructures
For our purposes, I will use the maximum restructure allowed for each of the players listed below.
- Edge Brian Burns (2025 cap number $29.75M | Cap number after restructure | $13.565M | Cap savings $16.185M)
- DT Dexter Lawrence (2025 cap number $23.840M | Cap number after restructure $13.581M | Cap savings $9.886M)
- OT Andrew Thomas (2025 cap number $21.087M | Cap number after restructure $8.351M | Cap savings $12.584M)
- LB Bobby Okereke (2025 cap number $14.463M | Cap number after restructure $10.548M | Cap savings $3.915M)
- G Jon Runyan (2025 cap number $11.75M | Cap number after restructure $7.710M | Cap savings $4.04M)
Those moves would push the Giants to $98.531 million in projected cap space. Each of those moves, of course, kicks money into the future. The more aggressive the moves, the more future cap space is eaten up.
I certainly don’t think the Giants should do all of that. Would it surprise me if they make at least a couple of moves to add some cap space? Not at all.
Draft capital
The Giants’ current draft picks are as follows:
- Round 1 (No. 3)
- Round 2 (No. 34)
- Round 3 (No. 65)
- Round 4 (No. 103)
- Round 4 (No. 133 — Compensatory/projected)
- Round 5 (No. 154)
- Round 7 (No. 220)
- Round 7 (No. 247)
The projected compensatory pick would be for losing Xavier McKinney to the Green Bay Packers. There is still a possibility of an additional third-round pick in 2025 and 2026 if offensive coordinator Mike Kafka gets the New Orleans Saints head-coaching job because Kafka’s grandparents are Puerto Rican, qualifying him as a minority.
Team needs
Quarterback is the biggest one, of course, and we have already spent a lot of time on it:
- Sign one? Draft one? Phil Simms says New York Giants need to do both in quarterback hunt
- At least one Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback might not be available to New York Giants
- Is Russell Wilson the right bridge quarterback for the New York Giants?
- 6 bridge quarterback options for New York Giants
There are plenty of other positions on the roster that need to be addressed. Among them:
Defensive line, cornerback, safety, edge depth if Azeez Ojulari leaves, offensive line (right guard and depth), wide receiver — especially if Darius Slayton leaves in free agency.
As we work our the plan we will address each of these.
Giants free agents
Unrestricted free agents
WR Darius Slayton | Should Slayton stay or go?
QB Drew Lock | Should Lock stay or go?
LB Isaiah Simmons | Should Simmons stay or go?
P Jamie Gillan | Should Gillan stay or go?
G Greg Van Roten | Should Van Roten stay or go?
CB Adoree’ Jackson | Should Jackson stay or go?
Edge Azeez Ojulari | Should Ojulari stay or go?
TE Chris Manhertz | Should Manhertz stay or go?
LS Casey Kreiter
G Aaron Stinnie
LB Matthew Adams
T Chris Hubbard
S Elijah Riley
LB Ty Summers
DT Armon Watts
QB Tim Boyle
WR/KR Gunner Olszewski
CB Greg Stroman
WR/KR Ihmir Smith-Marsette | Should Smith-Marsette stay or go?
S Jason Pinnock | Should Pinnock stay or go?
Edge Patrick Johnson
Restricted free agents
DL Timmy Horne
Exclusive rights free agents
LB Dyontae Johnson
QB Tommy DeVito
Edge Tomon Fox
CB Divaad Wilson
S Jonathan Sutherland
