Those who live paycheck to paycheck or struggle to pay their mortgage or car monthly know what it’s like to obsess over finances. If you don’t have it, it’s hard to find, and it’s often impossible to buy anything of value without it.
Welcome to NFL Free Agency 2022 for the Giants, a franchise that has overdrawn its account, requiring cost-cutting measures to get out of the red and into the black.
Thus, on Monday, when the negotiation window for free agents opens, there will be no spending. The Giants will do what they can, when they can. Be prepared for a less reliable catch.
“Very prudent,” said new general manager Joe Sean, outlining the expected course of action as painstaking work began to reduce the roster to create space for the salary cap. “We have to have contingency plans and sort of if-then scenarios. We have gone through many of them. If we don’t get to where we have money so we can do things with free will, then it’s going to be difficult.
“We want to be competitive today and also build the future. I think if we can do it right, I think there’s a real possibility that we can do it.”
Outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter is the most likely Giants unrestricted free agent to return. Charles Wenzelberg
It is unknown if Evan Engram will return to the Giants. Robert Sabo
The Giants will find their way within the league’s $208.2 million salary cap, but they don’t have much room to spare. This means that the first wave of free rein is likely to unfold with the Giants, if not as spectators, then certainly not super-aggressively – waiting for the market to shake, watching the big players leave the board and sign teams. who can afford them.
They have 22 unrestricted free agents and almost all of them will end up elsewhere. The most notable of these are outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter, tight end Evan Engram, defenseman Will Hernandez, defenseman Jabrill Peppers and tackle Nate Solder. Carter, who has had all five sacks of 2021 in the last four games, is likely to return — unless the market is hot for him.
Looking back at how the Bills turned into Super Bowl contenders when Shawn was assistant general manager, a far-sighted decision was made about a franchise quarterback (Josh Allen), prudent deals (wide receiver Stephon Diggs), some prudent signings free agents (receivers John Brown and Cole Beasley, tight end Tyler Croft), but mostly Sean and his boss Brandon Bean bolstered the roster with amazing draft picks: Allen, Tre’Davius White, Matt Milano, Dion Dawkins, Devin Singletery, Gabriel Davis.
Assessing the Bills’ plans for free agents this year, Bean said, “I wouldn’t want us to spend a lot of money or anything like that.”
This is the formula Sean comes up with to turn giants into rivals.
“Free will is an unknown commodity when you sign with someone from off the field and you don’t know their injury history, you don’t know how they learn, you don’t know what they do off the field.” Sean said. “You can’t ask these questions to competitors because they might try to sign them back. You can’t necessarily do all the research you need.”
High-level free agents will go elsewhere. Any forward looking to score gold – Brandon Scherff, Ryan Jensen, Austin Corbett, maybe Trent Brown and even Joe Noteboom – will be too rich to be touched by the Giants. However, offensive lines need bodies, and second- or third-level types such as John Feliciano (Bills), Ike Bettger (Bills) or Bradley Boseman (Ravens) may be options in the future – Duboll is familiar with Feliciano and Bettger from his time. together in Buffalo.
GM Giants Joe SeanGetty Images
With the release of the Devontae Booker, there was a need for depth to run away from Saquon Barkley. Mike Kafka, the Giants’ new offensive coordinator, was with the Chiefs last season when Darrell Williams superbly replaced injured Clyde Edwards-Heler and Jerich McKinnon. Williams, 26, a non-LSU pick, had 1,010 yards from scrimmage last season and could be a big factor in tandem with Barkley.
Extreme rushers make big money and it will be very hard for the giants to find much help here. Will Sean and Daball shoot Jerry Hughes after years of being together with the Bills? Turning 34 in August, he’s extremely hardy and could be a pass rush specialist. He has 58 career sacks but only two in 17 games last season.
One of the reasons the Giants’ owners found it untenable to keep Joe Judge as head coach for a third season was the possibility of a disagreement with the new general manager, who likely had no previous experience with Judge. Sean and Duboll have been together for four years in Buffalo and need to keep pace with how they want to build the roster.
“Yes, look, we speak the same language,” Daboll said. “The lineup is very important from the point of view of the coaching staff and the scouting staff. There is mutual respect. We’ve been together for four years, so I’ve seen some of what they did in scouting back in Buffalo and some of what we did in coaching, and then we’re just trying to teach our staff how to we want to do it, what is most important for the New York