Notable Free Agents
RB – Andre Brown, Peyton Hillis, Da’Rel Scott (RFA)
WR – Hakeem Nicks
TE – Brandon Myers, Bear Pascoe
G – Kevin Boothe
DL – Justin Tuck
DB – Ryan Mundy, Stevie Brown
K – Josh Brown
2014 Draft Picks
Round One: Pick 12
Round Two: Pick 11
Round Three: Pick 10
Round Four: Pick 13
Round Five: Pick 12
Round Six: Pick 12
Round Seven: Pick 10
Biggest Offseason Needs
Guard: The offensive line was awful this season and needs a lot of reconstruction. Drafting Justin Pugh was a strong start in rebuilding the line but with constant injuries to David Baas and Chris Snee, the Giants have much work to do to protect Eli Manning.
Running Back: With the departure of Andre Brown and Peyton Hillis there is some need of depth at the running back position. David Wilson was a bust last season but will come back from a midseason injury as the starter and try to prove to the organization he is the full time starter.
Wide Receiver: The Giants seemed to be one of the deepest teams at the wide receiver position but it’s looking a lot less now. It doesn’t seem like they will resign Hakeem Nicks. The Giants sit in a prime position in the first round of the draft to take a top tier receiver like Mike Evans or Allen Robinson.
Cornerback: Injuries have taken a hit to some of the Giants cornerbacks that either hurt their development as a player or overall career. Corey Webster doesn’t seem likely to return after many injuries, Stevie Brown missed all of 2013 and Jayron Hosley has constant hamstring problems. The Giants need to restock the cornerback position by adding some depth.
Tight End: With Brandon Myers and Bear Pascoe looking to be testing free agency, the Giants will desperately need to find a new tight end. There is still a chance that they re-sign one of the two leaving tight ends but the Giants want to get young at the position so there is a possibility they search for a good value tight end in the upcoming draft.
One Player New York Should Target In Free Agency
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie would be a player that the Giants could benefit most from. Yes his age is getting up there but he had a huge turnaround season in Denver that will make many teams take a chance to sign him.
The Giants need some depth in the cornerback position and Cromartie would definitely help especially if the Giants plan to let Stevie Brown walk away into free agency.
One Player New York Should Retain
According to some reports, defensive lineman Justin Tuck is ready to test the free agent market so it seems the Giants will not be able to re-sign their top pass rusher. The player the Giants should strongly consider in retaining would be running back Andre Brown. He has the tools to be a solid running back and with all the questions surrounding David Wilson, this would be a smart move by the Giants to keep Brown on the roster.
Players In Need Of Extensions
Antrel Rolle: He led the team with 98 tackles and six interceptions which were both career highs. Rolle is a huge playmaker for the Giants and is much needed for that secondary. He is in the final year of his five year contract making $7 million this upcoming season. He is 31 years old so his age is getting up there but with the numbers he put up this year, his is worth adding a few more years onto his contract.
Prince Amukamara: He set career highs in just about every category that a cornerback can have. Amukamara was third on the team with 85 tackles and second on the team with 14 passes defended. In 2014 he will be making $795,200. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Giants extend his contract to a long term deal worth tens of millions of dollars.
Will Hill: The youngster from Florida is starting to impress very early in his career. He was able to record 77 tackles, two passes defended, two interceptions, two forced fumbles after he came back from injury missing the first four weeks of the season. In 2014 he will be making $570,000 and it will be a shame if the Giants do not acknowledge his production by not giving him an extension and a good pay raise.
Overall Offseason Outlook
The Giants have plenty of work to do in the offseason. Some big decisions must be made like who to let go to free agency and what they want to target in the NFL Draft and free agency. Some new weapons have to be added to the offense for Eli Manning and they also need to find some new players to protect him in the pocket and give him time to throw the ball.
The Giants sit in the middle of the pack in the draft and may be able to make a big move to climb up and get a big name player or move back if they find better value later in the draft. Either way there will be big changes to the Giants roster and will look to bounce back after a poor 2013 season.