State of the Franchise: Fixing the New York Giants

We start our series of fixing or improving all 32 NFL franchises with a look at the New York Giants

The New York Giants are in a tailspin with seven straight losses and the front-runner position for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

So how does ownership get this once great franchise back to competing for titles?

In this series, we take on the role of a corporate consultant and give you the moves we would advise the franchise make to get back on top. We aren’t going to fire general managers or head coaches, but will react if those moves are made by ownership. Instead, this is a roster overhaul.

• What trades should the team make?

• What is the state of the salary cap?

• What players should the team cut—and who do we target in free agency?

• A complete 7-round mock draft

Our first project is to get the Giants back to the Eli Manning era. It’s a tough task.

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State of the Franchise

The New York Giants enter Week 14 with a 2-10 record and seven straight losses. The team’s last winning season was in 2022 (9-7-1); the first year of head coach Brian Daboll’s tenure. Prior to the ‘22 season, the Giants’ last winning season was in 2016. Since 2010, the team has five winning seasons.

General Manager - Joe Schoen

Hired away from the Buffalo Bills, where he served as the assistant general manager, Schoen joined the Giants in 2022 and joined head coach Daboll as a package deal. Schoen broke into the NFL as a scouting assistant with the Carolina Panthers in 2001 before being promoted to an area scout role in 2002. He became a national scout for the Miami Dolphins in 2008 and was promoted to assistant director of college scouting in 2013 before becoming the director of player personnel in 2014. The Bills hired Schoen away in 2017 to serve in the assistant general manager role under Brandon Beane.

Head Coach - Brian Daboll

Daboll was hired in 2022 after a run as the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, where he was instrumental in the development of quarterback Josh Allen. Daboll was in Buffalo for four seasons and saw the team’s offensive rank go from No. 27 in yards per game in 2017 to No. 1 in his final season (2021). At 49 years old, Daboll is a young head coach and is viewed around the league as a bright offensive mind with a background in West Coast systems and an ability to innovate his schemes. However, that has not led to wins in New York and Daboll’s current win-loss record sits at 17-28-1.

State of the Salary Cap

Estimated Cap Space: $63.5M (accounting for 36 current players signed to contracts extending through the 2025 season)

Dead Cap Space: $27.2M

Cap Rank: No. 13 of 32 teams

Courtesy of Spotrac.com

Roster Management: Players to Cut, Trade, Re-sign

Courtesy of Spotrac.com

The Giants currently have 17 players set to hit unrestricted free agency after the season. Defensive end Azeez Ojulari is the highest player drafted by the Giants (2021, 2nd round) with an expiring contract. Isaiah Simmons and Adoree’ Jackson were both first round picks drafted by other clubs.

Players to Re-sign

WR Darius Slayton — The veteran wide receiver is an important factor in the team’s roster makeup as a rare veteran wide receiver. With a rookie quarterback expected to join the team via the 2025 NFL draft, having the savvy Slayton is a smart move on a two-or-three-year deal.

OG Greg Van Roten — Van Roten has been one of the team’s more solid offensive linemen this season. He is an older player at nearly 35 years old, but if he can be retained on a one-year deal, continuity and experience up front are worth it.

Players to Release

None — with a projected $63.5M in cap space, the Giants are not pressed to create cap space by releasing players. With the seventh-most dead cap in the league at $27M, the Giants should not add to that total by releasing players.

Players to Trade

None — this is a young roster with a nucleus of former highly-drafted players. Development is the key here with few players having actual trade value. Key untouchable players like Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence and Andrew Thomas would be the players with the most value, but should not be traded.

The Offseason: Team Needs, Free Agency & The Draft