New York Giants 2024 NFL offseason primer: How will Year 3 of Brian Daboll's up-and-down tenure go?
New York Giants' 2023 season: 6-11, missed playoffs
Overview: The Giants lost by 40 at home to the Cowboys in their season opener, and things didn't get a whole lot better from there. Failing to continue the momentum of Brian Daboll's first season in charge, New York was out of serious playoff contention by mid-November.
Daniel Jones signed a four-year, $160 million extension last offseason but tore his ACL in Week 9. While he wasn't great before the injury, it's hard to really gauge anything he (or flash-in-the-pan replacement Tommy DeVito) did since the offensive line allowed 85 total sacks, second-most ever since sacks became a trackable stat.
Do the Giants go into 2024 with Jones as the unquestioned starter? Do they use the sixth overall pick on a WR1? Or do they use premium resources to address the defense, which wasn't particularly strong (especially against the run) in its own right?
New York thudded back to Earth last season after 2022's surprise run to the divisional round. There's lots of pressure on Daboll and Co. to get things right this fall.
Key free agents
CB Adoree’ Jackson
LB Isaiah Simmons
OLB Jihad Ward
DL A’Shawn Robinson
Who's in/out: With a defensive revamp likely in store under new coordinator Shane Bowen, the Giants made a big splash by trading for star pass rusher Brian Burns from the Panthers. On the negative side, the team has a big hole to fill at running back after losing star Saquon Barkley to the Eagles in free agency. It will be tough for Giants fans to watch Barkley playing for a division rival, but New York quickly added Devin Singletary to fill in at RB. Star safety Xavier McKinney is also gone to the Packers, leaving a hole on the backend of the defense.
Key free agent needs
Offensive line
Running back
Wide receiver
Why the holes? No quarterback would look good behind the Giants' offensive line, which needs a ton of repairs after allowing a staggering 85 sacks last season. With Barkley gone and Singletary incoming, is that enough to fill in the backfield? And they've sorely lacked a true No. 1 receiving option ever since trading Odell Beckham Jr. five years ago.
Do they have the money? The Giants are in decent shape, at a projected $41 million under the cap, according to Spotrac.
Potential notable cuts
TE Darren Waller
G Mark Glowinski
Why they might be gone: The splashy trade last March for Waller, one of the league's premier athletes, never fully came to fruition thanks to injuries and inconsistency. He's due $14.1 million against the cap this season, and the Giants might decide it's already time to move on. Glowinski, meanwhile, is scheduled to make $7.1 million this season, and as we've alluded to, the offensive line needs some serious work.
2023 NFLPA report card
Draft picks
1st round: No. 6
2nd round: No. 47 (from Seahawks)
3rd round: No. 70
4th round: No. 106
5th round: No. 141 (from Panthers via Titans)
6th round: No 182
Good draft fit
Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Why him? The Giants could go tackle in a rich offensive line draft, but Nabers might be their most gamebreaking bet right away. The LSU star has the burst, productivity and room for improvement to be worthy of a top-10 pick, according to Yahoo Sports draft expert Nate Tice.
What can move the fantasy football needle this offseason?
The Giants will likely run it back with Daniel Jones as the starting quarterback in 2024 but they will need a better group around him. They can’t realistically count on Darren Waller for the big role they ticketed him for last offseason. The receiver room doesn’t have a difference-maker, but rather a collection of solid role players. Oh, and they’re losing Saquon Barkley as the starting running back. Couple all of those moves with a desperate need on the offensive line after a nightmarish run last year, and the Giants still have a long way to go in building an offensive ecosystem I’m rushing to invest in this season. — Matt Harmon
