In Year 1 of the Brian Daboll era, the New York Giants made the playoffs and advanced to the Divisional Round. They might have been the most surprising team in the NFL and now they have entered one of their most important offseasons in recent years. They have two huge free agents scheduled to hit the market later this month: QB Daniel Jones and RB Saquon Barkley.
NewYorkBets.com – your source for New York sports betting – analyzes where the Giants stand heading into free agency.
NFL free agency officially begins March 15 at 4 p.m. The negotiating window starts on March 13 at noon.
How to Handle Jones, Barkley
The Giants are likely to prioritize Jones because of his position and the growth he showed in 2022. The issue will be finding the right amount to pay him after just one year of solid production. But that is their No. 1 goal this offseason as they want to lock up their franchise quarterback.
In the last day or two, reports indicate the team and Jones are getting close to parameters for a deal.
The Barkley decision is much more challenging due to his injury history and the value of running backs in the NFL. Barkley did have a fantastic season in 2022 as he was named to the Pro Bowl. But paying him as one of the top running backs in the league might be a challenge, especially if they do give Jones a long-term contract.
While the Giants would love to have him back in 2023, it wouldn’t be a complete shock if Barkley did hit the open market and leave this offseason. It's also worth mentioning that if the Giants complete a deal with Jones in the upcoming days, that will free up the team to use the franchise tag on Barkley to keep him around for another season.
Other Free Agent Considerations
Outside of those two free agents, the Giants still need to do a lot of work on offense this offseason. They need to find a No. 1 receiver for Jones, but there just isn't one available in free agency. So instead, they might add more depth at the wide receiver position.
Allen Lazard is one of the top free agents expected to hit the market and could be a solid fit in Daboll’s offense. His best trait is blocking, but he can stretch the field and be used as a big red-zone target for Jones. But don't rule out smaller receivers like Mecole Hardman or Parris Campbell as this offense desperately needs an influx of speed.
Linebacker is also a massive need area for the Giants as Jaylon Smith and Jarrad Davis weren't good enough last season. Both players are also free agents, but expect the Giants to look elsewhere to improve the unit. The top free-agent linebacker is Tremaine Edmunds, who Daboll knows well from his time in Buffalo. That would be a fantastic fit as Edmunds is just 24 years old and coming off one of the best seasons of his career.
But if the Giants don’t want to spend $15 million or more a season for a single linebacker, look for them to do some value shopping in free agency. Denzel Perryman and Leighton Vander Esch could be had for much cheaper rates and would be significant upgrades on defense.
The Giants have a lot of cap space entering free agency ($46 million), but most of that is being saved for Jones, Barkley and other free agents. However, expect the Giants to sign one or two big-name free agents to keep pace with the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East.
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Giants and Free Agency
NewYorkBets.com looks at some previous maneuvers in free agency by the New York Giants.
Free Agent Hits
Free Agent Misses
How Oddsmakers See Giants
The 2022 NFL season was the first full one for New York sports betting apps. The oddsmakers certainly were surprised how well Daboll’s team did in his first season. Good enough to win some Coach of the Year awards.
What is the early line on the 2023 Giants?
Fan Duel NY, the No. 1 sportsbook in the state, has the Giants at +4000 to win the Super Bowl, which is tied for 18th among the NFL’s 32 teams with the Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders.
The Giants are the third pick in the NFC East at +550, behind the Philadelphia Eagles (+105) and Dallas Cowboys (+175) but ahead of the Washington Commanders (+1000).
