Giants Country

Giants Among Top Free-agency Spenders After One Week

The depth-starved New York Giants have been doling out the dough in free agency.

Alex House

Nov 24, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants owner John Mara, left, and New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen on the field before the game between the Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium.
Nov 24, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants owner John Mara, left, and New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen on the field before the game between the Giants and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen came in with a lengthy offseason to-do list, and although people can debate how he has addressed it, the team’s wallet is considerably lighter.

According to Over the Cap, as of Sunday, March 16, the Giants had spent approximately $193.520 million on free-agent contracts and $123.430 million in guarantees, the third-most in the league. 

But those contracts, which don’t include any blockbusters (that will come once they sign a quarterback), come out to an APY (average per year) of $6.039 million, 17th in the league. 

While it’s unknown if these figures include all the Giants’ free agent activity to date, the average APY is rather reasonable for a Giants team that has finally figured out how to get its salary cap back into shape. 

The Giants still have $30.290 million of cap space with 64 players listed under contract, and under the league’s top-51 rule, they have $22.239 million of space, which should be just enough to add a veteran quarterback.

What the Giants have done in the early stages of NFL free agency

Paulson Adebo
Sep 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo (29) intercepts a ball intended for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Brooks (not pictured) during the first half at AT&T Stadium. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Giants added cornerback Paulson Adebo, formerly of the New Orleans Saints, to fill the spot in the starting lineup previously held by Adoree’ Jackson, who is now with the Eagles. Adebo received a three-year, $54 million contract.

Adebo has ten interceptions in 52 career games. Although he is returning from a broken femur suffered last season, he expressed confidence in being ready for training camp. 

New York doubled down on the secondary, securing a three-year, $45.3 million deal with former Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland in one of the more surprising moves.

The decision to sign a free-agent safety a year after watching homegrown talent Xavier McKinney leave for the Green Bay Packers is a headscratcher. Still, few players at the position carry more upside than Holland. 

He just turned 25 and has proven to be an incredibly effective tackler. The Giants are counting on him to bounce back from a down season and help transform the defense.

Schoen also sought to fortify the Giants' pass-rushing attack and defensive line. He landed edge rusher Chauncey Golston from the Dallas Cowboys for three years and $19.5 million, an acquisition that could become one of the sneaky-good pickups of this free-agency class.

The Giants also added special teams ace Chris Board, offensive linemen Stone Forsythe and James Hudson III, and defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris.

The Giants pulled a surprise 

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton
Dec 29, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (86) scores a touchdown reception during the first half against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The team's biggest splash on offense is undoubtedly re-signing wide receiver Darius Slayton for three years, $36 million with $22 million guaranteed.  

Giving a WR2 a similar contract to that of which running back Saquon Barkley inked with the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason caused a few raised eyebrows.

However, the Giants clearly value all that Slayton brings in terms of leadership and his play, the latter of which includes an average of 15.0 yards per catch in six seasons.

One can argue about how the Giants allocate their salary cap space, but Schoen's proactive approach shows that the team is dedicated to building a better football product.

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Alex House
ALEX HOUSE

Alex House is a passionate sports writer committed to providing readers with insightful and engaging coverage. His experiences in New England as a Connecticut resident and University of Rhode Island journalism student have helped shape him into who he is today. He also writes for ClutchPoints.com.

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