Ranking NFL players by salary for 2020 season

Art Stapleton | NFL writer

Behind the scenes last month at the Combine, the Giants were well aware of the expectations.

Given that they were to have an estimated $77 million in salary cap space, with a roster badly in need of reinforcements at just about every position, the means are available for a significant upgrade.

But any potential upgrade, mind you, comes with risk, not to mention fresh memories of how the great spending spree of 2016 glossed over foundational issues with the roster, only to come crashing down soon after.

So the Giants will be smart in how they proceed over the next few weeks when extending platitudes and checks. Will there be self-imposed financial limits? Probably.

And maybe that's a promising sign that the Giants have truly taken a look at themselves in the mirror and realize this is not a 1-year leap to Super Bowl contender status in Joe Judge's first year as head coach.

Their moves should reflect that.

Yes, general manager Dave Gettleman is operating on somewhat of a do-better-or-else edict from ownership, although no one is certain of the parameters attached to such an ultimatum.

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If they make big financial commitments, they need to be with foundation players.

Here is our five-step plan for the Giants to emerge as free agency winners in the quest to rebuild their roster and take a big step toward respectability again:

Big fish, small net

Cornerback Byron Jones of the Cowboys and linebacker Cory LIttleton of the Rams will command staggering deals from whichever team brings them aboard.

They would have the most impact both short and long term on a Giants defense that remains a work-in-progress. Big Blue has the money to compete at the top of the market in both spots, and the two players in question are worth it. They are the right age (LIttleton is 26, Jones is 27) and have a clean injury history (Littleton has not missed a game in four years, Jones one game in five years).

Sure, they are going to be costly with Jones' new deal likely coming in around $16 million to $18 million per year and Littleton close behind at $14 million to $15 million per year.

Devin McCourty might be turning 33 in August, but he's an elite safety whose presence would offer Jabrill Peppers the best opportunity to reach his full potential.

If the Giants offer the former St. Joseph Regional and Rutgers star a 2-year, $20 million deal, he could be tempted to leave New England for a homecoming as a tone-setter for Judge.

Elite athlete.

Technically sound.

Plays to the whistle.



Roll the tape on @Byron31Jump and see why he's a top CB for yourself. (via @BaldyNFL) pic.twitter.com/xJ4LUOU1Le — NFL (@NFL) March 13, 2020

Living on the edge

The Giants could make a play for Jadaveon Clowney, who is going to cost them $20 million-plus, and with his checkered injury history, that's a risk. They need help on the edge in a big way, and free agency likely won't turn the position into a strength.

So instead of going for Clowney or getting into a bidding war for, say, Dante Fowler Jr., the Giants should make a play for ex-Patriot Kyle Van Noy. Now, before you shout me down and say stay away from those New England sets free, Van Noy is worth the risk.

Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham wants his defense to be multiple, and Van Noy has the ability to move around and still be effective from different spots. There is also the respect he has for Judge.

If Markus Golden is willing to return on a deal around the same price tag as Van Noy ($10 million to $12 million per year), that's something the Giants will consider.

My play would be for the shrewd investment in Emmanuel Ogbah, who played well in a rotation in Kansas City before tearing his pectoral. Ogbah should come relatively inexpensive, and that'll give Oshane Ximines a chance to show he can make a Year 2 leap in addition to seeing if Lorenzo Carter can be more impactful than he was last year. Ogbah can be a lottery ticket.

Hold the line

Lions center/guard Graham Glasgow could end up with quite a competitive market for his services, one that may be too pricey.

But if the Giants can win that battle, he'd be my choice to come in and challenge for the starting job with a 2020 draft pick. If that doesn't work with Glasgow, it makes a lot of sense to cover all bases with a couple of Cowboys: center/guard Joe Looney and tackle Cameron Fleming, provided Dallas does not pick up his contract option.

Looney can start with familiarity in Jason Garrett's system with offensive line Marc Colombo's terminology and technique. Fleming might not be a long term solution to start at right tackle, but with the idea that the Giants will be drafting an elite tackle in the first two rounds of the draft, he makes sense as - at the very least - a swing tackle.

What to do with Leonard Williams

This isn't the time to double down on the Leonard Williams decision as part of the trade with the Jets that resulted in giving the Jets a pair of draft picks, including a 2020 third-rounder.

But walking away from Williams isn't the right call, either. Put the transition tag on the 25-year-old lineman who isn't a bad player. He's actually a good player, just not worth the astronomical deal the market may be ready to pay him.

The Giants are better defensively at this point with him than without him, and while Williams and Gettleman are reportedly not close in their current negotiations, it's worth it to see what he can do in the new system. If he somehow breaks through and breaks out, the Giants reap the benefits, even if it is for one year.

Prove it, young men

The Giants are in the process of building something. Some signings come with upside, and if they don't pan out, moving on is not a drain on the cap or the roster. Gettleman has history with Devin Funchess, who did not work out on a 1-year deal in Indianapolis due to injury.

Wide receiver isn't necessarily a glaring need and there is room in the draft to bring in a longer term solution, but if Funchess is healthy, he could be a buy-low bargain. The Bengals' Darqueze Dennard falls in that category as well, and he could come in and challenge at nickel with Grant Haley and Corey Ballentine.

Art Stapleton, Staff Writer, @art_stapleton