The New York Giants come into the 2023 NFL offseason with a deceptive amount of salary cap space. Right now, the team has $44 million in cap room, the fifth-best amount in the league. However, that is without quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley on the books. Once the team signs those Giants' free agents, the cap space dries up quickly. Still, this Giants offseason, the team will have some room to sign some sneaky free agents, including veteran linebacker Lavonte David.
LB Lavonte David
This Giants offseason, if the team is going to splurge for a big-name veteran, it should be a linebacker. The Giants’ linebacker corps of Jarrad Davis, Landon Collins, Jaylon Smith, Micah McFadden, and Tae Crowder was one of the worst in the league last season.
To lead the defense, New York needs an LB with skill, leadership abilities, and cache. That player is Tampa Bay Buccaneers LB Lavonte David. The All-Pro turned 33 in January, but he still has some juice left in him.
If David becomes a Giants free-agent signing this NFL offseason, he’ll be able to solidify the position for now while also helping any young LBs that the Giants draft develop. It will be a win-win situation, too, if the team can get David on a short-term deal.
WR Jamison Crowder
The Giants desperately need a No. 1 wide receiver after patching together the 2022 season with Darius Slayton, Richie James, and Isaiah Hodgins. The problem is, there isn’t a WR1 in the free-agent market this NFL offseason.
That means when it comes to signing players, all the Giants can do is work around the edges. One way to do that is to bring in a player who knows the Brian Daboll-style system from his time with the Buffalo Bills this year, Jamison Crowder.
Crowder broke his ankle in Week 4, ending his season. However, he’s still only 29 (even though it feels like he’s been around forever).
With Sterling Shepard, Slayton, and Kenny Golladay likely gone, adding a veteran presence to a young WR room that will likely include a highly-drafted wideout as well is a smart move, and Crowder is an ideal fit.
OG Roger Saffold and OG Dalton Risner
Andrew Thomas and rookie Evan Neal should be the Giants' bookend tackles for the next decade if all goes according to plan. At center, Daboll brought Jon Feliciano with him from Buffalo and will likely re-sign the Giants' free agent to (at the very least) mentor a center the team drafts in 2023.
That leaves the two guard spots open. Starting guards Mark Glowinski and Nick Gates are both players that the team should look for upgrades over this Giants offseason. Signing two Giants free agents at the interior line position is a quick fix for this issue.
Rodger Saffold had a Pro Bowl season for the Bills this year and can provide a solid veteran presence in the middle for the G Men. He never played for Daboll in Buffalo, but the system under Ken Dorsey wasn’t all that different than what the Giants coach does.
Bringing in the 34-year-old Saffold is a short-term play, so with the second guard, the tea should look at a longer-term fix. They can do that with 27-year-old Denver Broncos guard Dalton Risner.
Risner is one of the better young guards on the market, and if the Giants can lock him up to a long-term deal, he’ll be able to grow and solidify the line with Thomas and Neal.
TE Irv Smith Jr.
The last of the sneaky Giants free agents this NFL offseason should be Minnesota Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. New York currently only has 2022 fourth-round pick Daniel Bellinger and undrafted rookie Dre Miller who hasn’t played an NFL down.
There aren’t any star TEs on the market this offseason, so the Giants’ best course of action is to let Bellinger try and develop into a premier pass-catcher. The team does need more depth at the position, though, so signing a veteran is ideal.
Irv Smith Jr. is only 24 and has all the tools to become a top tight end in the league. However, the former Alabama pass-catcher has dealt with injuries in his first three seasons and hasn’t become the star some saw as a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Smith shouldn’t cost the Giants a lot, and he’s a low-risk, high-reward play who could eventually blossom into a TE1 in the league. For that reason, he should be among the sneaky Giants' free-agent targets this NFL offseason.
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