Ten players who might no longer be Giants following Sunday’s matchup with the Eagles.
The New York Giants’ season finale on Sunday may also mark the final game for a number of free agents to play for the team.
Saquon Barkley — We are not tinkering. Let’s start with the largest of the fish. Last offseason, Barkley and the Giants came just short of a multi-year contract by a few million dollars. It’s anybody’s guess as to whether the Giants will attempt to negotiate with Barkley once more. My guess is that a deal worth roughly $36-39 million, with roughly the first two seasons guaranteed, could be reached.
Barkley’s year has been decent but not outstanding. The next season, he will be 27. He sprained his ankle high once more. Another year of deterioration lies ahead. A number of free agents may not play for the New York Giants again after this Sunday’s season finale.
Saquon Barkley — We’re not fiddling around. First, let’s talk about the biggest fish. Barkley and the Giants narrowly missed out on a multi-year contract last offseason by a few million dollars. Whether the Giants try to work things out with Barkley again is anyone’s guess. My estimate is that a contract with a guaranteed salary for the first two seasons, worth approximately $36-39 million, could be reached.
Barkley has had a passable but unremarkable year. He will be 27 in the upcoming season. Again, he sprained his ankle severely. There’s another year of decline in store.
I have a suspicion that McKinney and his camp may view him differently than the Giants do, somewhat like they did with Julian Love a year ago.
Tyrod Taylor: The Giants appear to be hinting that the journeyman backup quarterback, who alternates between looking like Jake Fromm and Josh Allen, won’t be returning for the upcoming campaign. Another NFL team will be happy to sign him, and he’ll likely play for as long as he wants.
Sterling Shepard: I have to think that the 30-year-old Shepard is out of options. This season, he has only caught seven passes, never more than one in a single game. In the last four weeks, he has only played nine snaps.
Ben Bredeson It is difficult to decide what to do with the 25-year-old guard, who is a decent player who can play both center and guard. Despite having made 24 starts in 44 NFL games, you shouldn’t plan on starting him in the first week of the season. Reintroducing Bredeson as a backup interior offensive lineman is something I could support, but I wouldn’t pay him starter-level wages and expect him to be among your top five offensive linemen.
Justin Pugh is a wonderful man. From the moment he “straight off the couch” to join the Giants, his leadership, experience, and willingness to play any position are assets.
Given that he is currently under 300 pounds, gaining some weight and having a full offseason could be beneficial for him. However, considering his age of 34 the following season, penciling him in as a starter may not be the best course of action given his current performance.
A’Shawn Robinson: To help add depth to the interior defensive line, the 28-year-old signed a one-year, $5 million contract ($4 million guaranteed). With Leonard Williams’ midseason trade, he has seen an increase in both his role and his production.
Along the defensive line, the Giants could really use another player of Williams’ caliber, and Robinson isn’t it. Still, he’s a pretty decent player. Again, another fair-priced one-year contract would do.
Darnay Holmes: Despite playing a career-low 117 defensive snaps, the four-year veteran lost his position as the Giants’ slot cornerback this season. As a gunner on special teams, he has proven beneficial to the Giants. Given that Dale Flott is firmly established in the Giants’ slot right now, it is likely that Holmes is looking for a different opportunity.
Parris Campbell This one is simple to predict. Campbell agreed to a one-year, $4.7 million contract with the Giants. He started the season as the team’s top slot receiver, but Wan’Dale Robinson replaced him as soon as he was fit enough to play a full-time role. With just 20 receptions, Campbell was moved to kickoff return duty and hasn’t played in the last four games.
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