AP

The Giants offensive line was a sore spot all of last season as injuries and ineffective play left Eli Manning with little protection and the team’s running backs without much daylight.

That clearly makes the unit a place the team needs to upgrade in 2014 and Jordan Raanan of NJ.com reports that they plan to do that by targeting guards in free agency. The Giants went into last season with Chris Snee and Kevin Boothe as their starting guards, but Snee was lost for the year to a hip injury and Boothe played some center after David Baas also went down.

Raanan names Kansas City’s Jon Asamoah and Geoff Schwartz, San Diego’s Chad Rinehart, Denver’s Zane Beadles and Cleveland’s Shawn Lauvao as possibilities for the Giants, who also need to figure out the future of some of their own players.

Snee is still recovering from hip surgery and is due to count $11.75 million against the cap, a number that may force the Giants to approach Tom Coughlin’s son-in-law about altering his contract once they’re sure he’s healthy enough to play. Boothe is expected back, but Baas has a salary of $4.75 million and a long injury history. If Boothe moves to center, there will be one opening regardless of Snee’s future and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Giants target offensive linemen in the draft with left tackle Will Beatty also coming off a rough season.