Correction/Clarification: The initial version of this post was written in regards to a report from October. No new information has been reported. The initial post has been modified to clarify that.

The New York Giants entered the free agency period knowing they had to upgrade their offensive line, but the market took an interesting shift. Marginal players received hefty contracts, leaving those with limited cap space very little to pick from.

The Giants re-signed guard John Jerry on a three-year deal and added offensive lineman D.J. Fluker, who had previously been released by the Los Angeles Chargers, on a one-year, prove-it deal.

Fluker is expected to compete at both tackle and guard.

Ultimately, the Giants were left with one true tackle: Ereck Flowers, whom general manager Jerry Reese said could change positions in 2017. They also have Bobby Hart, who played right tackle in 2016, under contract, but could view him as a versatile reserve long-term.

All told, that means the Giants are in the market for a tackle. And as it’s been rumored for the last several years, Cleveland Browns tackle Joe Thomas could be on the market.

Subsequently, it should come as no surprise that the Giants have long been interested in just such a trade, Pro Football Talk reported last October.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, a trade is possible this year. However, real obstacles exist to getting a deal done. The Vikings, for example, would be very interested in Thomas. . . The Cardinals, Giants, and Seahawks have varying degrees of interest in Thomas as well; the challenge would be coming up with what the Browns want (the source says it’s a second-round pick) and the cap space.

The major pitfall for the Giants in any potential trade, even more than the requested second round pick, would ultimately be the salary.

Even if Big Blue were to offer a second round pick, assuming that’s still what it’d take for the Browns, Thomas is owed a base salary of $17.6 million over the next two seasons with $3.5 million in roster bonuses and $400,000 in workout bonuses. All told, he has an $11.5 million cap hit in 2017 and a $10 million cap hit in 2018.

Following a four-year deal with defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, the Giants cleared roughly $10 million off what would have been the franchise tag value. But with Josh Johnson, the aforementioned John Jerry and the eventual addition of Geno Smith factored in, that number will dwindle substantially.

The Giants would also like to re-sign defensive end Johnathan Hankins and add a power running back.

Although the thought of Thomas anchoring the Giants’ offensive line is a pleasant one, it’s unlikely they have enough to get it done. As perfect a fit as it may be, actually landing Thomas would be a true competition and Jerry Reese simply doesn’t have enough chips at the table.