What We Learned About Giants’ Plan After First Wave of Free Agency

The New York Giants made some progress in reshaping last year's 4-13 roster by learning from past roster-building mistakes.

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen, center, on the field before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Whatever plan New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen presented to team co-owner John Mara that convinced Mara to give him a grace period, that plan began to unfold with the first week of free agency.

In his first three seasons as Giants general manager, Schoen made some critical mistakes that have caused the team to digress over the last two seasons–mistakes resulting from the false sense of security that the 2022 playoff-bound season brought to the franchise. 

Schoen himself admitted that that season masked some long-term deficiencies/concerns he’s now trying to fix.  

And while the efforts made thus far in the first week of free agency addressed those areas that Mara specifically cited at the end of last season after the announcement had been made of Schoen and Daboll’s return, only time will tell if they were the right moves worthy of Schoen to see the end of his current contract in 2026.

Let’s take a deep dive into what Schoen has done and hasn't done to fix and fortify the roster.

An O-line Shift in Thinking

New York Giants QB Tommy DeVito and the offensive line. / Chris Pedota / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New York Giants' offensive struggles have been largely due to talent selection.

Of Schoen’s five offensive line draft picks (Evan Neal, Joshua Ezeudu, Marcus McKethan, and John Michael Schmitz), only Schmitz seems to have any hope right now of being a long-term starter–and it’s probably fair to say the jury is still out on him as well.

The Giants have sought to correct that by adding former offensive lineman Chris Snee as a scout with specific responsibilities to find quality offensive line talent.

Snee, of course, was one of the best Giants offensive linemen over the last two decades, and he certainly knows a thing or two about what to look for in an offensive lineman.

The Giants' biggest problem with offensive linemen has been developing the talent. The Giants took a step in the right direction toward fixing that with the hiring of Carmen Bricillo and James Ferentz as their offensive line coaches. 

But all that aside, the key lesson that appears to have been learned is that the Giants seem to think they will stop doubling down on mistakes by playing guys out of position.

Take, for instance, Ezeudu. Although he played tackle at North Carolina, he was projected as a guard. Yet the Giants stubbornly played him out of position, contributing to the young man’s struggles.

Evan Neal is another example. Toward the end of last year, Bricillo and head coach Brian Daboll opened the door for the team’s first-round pick from 2022 to switch positions from inside to guard. 

That switch inside would have likely been made last spring were it not for Neal's setback in his recovery from ankle surgery that kept him sidelined until he was well into training camp.

Meanwhile, Schoen, who found some success filling offensive line holes with veterans last year, did so again this year regarding depth. He brought guard Greg Van Roten back as a fallback plan should Neal’s transition to guard not work out. 

He also finally brought in two offensive tackles, Stone Forsythe and James Hudson III, with experience playing both tackle spots to compete for the swing tackle role, a role that last year was a glaring weakness on the roster.

Keeping Homegrown Talent

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

Schoen was widely (and rightfully) criticized for letting homegrown talents such as safeties Julian Love and Xavier McKinney, running back Saquon Barkley, and, to a degree, defensive lineman Leonard Williams go rather than finding ways to retain them.

This year, it looked as though he was poised to continue on that trend regarding receiver Darius Slayton. 

Granted, at the end of the season, Slayton seemed worn out by the losing, and given the franchise's regression, practically everyone thought he might seek a fresh start.

However, to the surprise of many, conversations with Schoen and Daboll convinced Slayton to stay, and the Giants signed a three-year, $36 million deal. 

While no one is going to mistake Slayton as an upper-echelon receiver, he has not only been steady for the team, but he’s one of those homegrown leaders who Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Jalin Hyatt have all praised as being helpful in their own respective NFL developments.

While some might say the Giants could have done better than to bring back Slayton on the deal he got, this is one of those underrated moves that was more about money.  

Beefing Up the Defensive Trenches

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) lines up on defense during a game between the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. / Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Maybe because defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II is so good, that left Schoen, who last year didn’t address the defensive line in the draft, thinking that Lawrence plus the youth the team had assembled would be all they needed to get by. 

If that was his thinking, he was dead wrong. As good as he is, Lawrence couldn’t do it all by himself, and when the youth around him struggled to develop, it hurt the Giants. 

Schoen’s failure to reach a deal with free-agent A’Shawn Robinson last year and then trading away veteran Jordan Phillips was a huge gamble that didn’t pay off, given how opposing teams had their way with the Giants' defensive front, especially when Lawrence wasn’t on the field. 

Granted, the Giants found some promising young talent in undrafted free agent Elijah Chatman, but the progress of draft picks D.J. Davidson and Jordan Riley seemed to stall.

Schoen, perhaps inspired by the Super Bowl champion Eagles' defensive front, corrected that issue by adding veteran depth in the form of Roy Robertson-Harris, Jeremiah Ledbetter, and Chauncey Golston. 

They are set to join veteran Rakeem Nunez-Roches (assuming he doesn’t get cut) and a potential draft pick, hopefully from what’s been regarded as a historically deep draft class of defensive linemen. 

Getting Special

Nov 28, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Giants wide receiver/return specialist Ihmir Smith-Marsette (87) leaps over Dallas Cowboys linebacker Damone Clark (18) during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. / Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

Last season, the Giants' special teams units were inconsistent, and they ranked in the bottom half of the league in all but one area (kickoff returns). 

According to the study by Green Bay Packers On SI’s Bill Huber, the Giants’ unit ranked 20th overall. Huber attempted to rank the league’s special teams units following the retirement of long-time NFL columnist Rick Gosselin.

The Giants' acquisition of Chris Board and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles is noteworthy. These players were among the leaders in special teams tackles and production with their previous teams.

The Giants also brought back return specialist Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who last year stepped in when Gunner Olszewski landed on the injured reserve list with a groin issue. 

Smith-Marsette told New York Giants On SI last year that he hoped to have more than just a return specialist role, so it will be interesting to see if the Giants get him more involved in the offense this year.   

Defensive Fits

Oct 28, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) runs the ball against New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke (58) during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

When the Giants hired defensive coordinator Shane Bowen last year, some were concerned about how his scheme, which was the complete opposite of what Wink Martindale had run during his first two seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator, would pan out.

The answer is not very good. There were multiple reasons for that, starting with Bowen’s refusal to adapt his system to the strengths of his talent, which included the talent itself. 

Players like cornerback Deonte Banks and linebacker Bobby Okereke, who had looked so promising in 2023, suddenly saw their respective productions fall off a cliff as they struggled to adapt.  

Schoen addressed the defensive secondary this year with safety Jevón Holland and cornerback Paulson Adebo, who are more scheme-flexible. This should help the defense, and Bowen, hopefully, get better production out of the talent.

What About the Quarterback?

ex-New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is shown after he led Gang Green to a 32-20 victory against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, January 5, 2025, in East Rutherford. / Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Schoen has seemingly learned from past mistakes, his handling of the quarterback position, which he told reporters at the combine is the most important position on a team, has left something to be desired. 

First, credit must be given to Schoen for his approach to filling the bridge quarterback spot with a guy who, based on the airports of who has already been linked to the Giants, has been to and won a Super Bowl—Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Joe Flacco being among those.

But Schoen and the Giants, who still don’t have an answer as of this writing, are again playing with fire regarding the position. 

Last year, when it became evident that Daniel Jones wasn’t going to work out, the Giants stuck with him up until their bye week, running the risk of Jones’s $23 million injury guarantee being triggered if he was injured playing behind an offensive line that began to deteriorate once injuries hit it.

The Giants escaped that gamble without having to be locked into the guarantee, but their handling of the veteran quarterback situation currently poses a different kind of gamble. 

They are reportedly waiting for an answer from the mercurial Aaron Rodgers, who, according to reports, is more interested in playing for the Vikings than the Giants or the Steelers, the other team said to be interested in him.

Meanwhile, Russell Wilson, who appears next in the pecking order, is being courted by the Giants and the Browns. Wilson visited both teams last week. If the Giants continue waiting for Rodgers to answer, they risk losing Wilson and perhaps other options they might have considered. 

While Schoens’ willingness to swing for the fences is admirable, he must stop letting a guy hold up any other decisions that need to be made, especially at the most important spot on a football team.  

Final Thoughts

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While the Giants look better on paper, pending, of course, the resolution of the quarterback situation, Schoen has set up this year’s draft so that he has, for the most part, flexibility as to what he does. 

And just because he went heavy at a specific position (hello, defensive line) doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll eschew that position in the draft. 

If anything, let’s hope that the lessons he’s learned from his past mistakes (hello, quarterback) have taught Schoen to take advantage of dipping into a historically deep talent pool regardless of what you already have on the roster.

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